Wednesday, December 1, 2010

December 2010


December 28, 2010
Well, I ran out of softcover rulebooks, but am told more will ship to me Friday. Hardcovers should arrive around January 7, along with Strange Bedfellows and Ursined, Sealed and Delivered. Don't miss these releases; both are solid books--Bedfellows makes a great level 1-3 adventure as a starter for S&W, and Ursined is one of the best short adventures I have read in many years. I love a situation-based, physical hazrad module that makes you have to think--great stuff. Thank all of you who have not received your books yet for your patience. I shipped another 75 or so this morning (all but 14 softcover orders have been shipped). Still have another 120 or so to ship, mostly the printer-delayed hardcover. Keep the faith (and I mean Splinters of!) Tsar 6 is still being edited. Its huge, and I have to beat Greg a bit harder. Next up are Jungle Ruins, Northland Saga Book 1, Hex Crawl Classics Book 1 and the Ultimate Book of Adventure Design. The UBAD (as we call it) is a 225 page+ resource book for gaming on the fly or pre-planning adventures. If you are old enough to remember the 1e DMG, you will remember with fondness the tables in the back that detailed how to write and populate a dungeon. This book takes it further, in that it provides literally thousands of items, locations and features for the DM to use during play. Want a fountain in a room? No problem...roll 1d100, and the fountain is described (is it magical, non-magical, secret passage underneath, what does it look like etc.). This brings to adventure design what the Mother of All Treasure Tables and Mother of All Encounter tables did for players in years past.
Don't forget to pick up those old Necromancer books from my Ebay store. Mention this posting and get 40% off retail price at my store when you combine with a FGG order! The store address is http://stores.ebay.com/Necromancer-Archives. Its a great time to pick up those rare K series releases, or a hard to find copy of the Rob Kuntz M series, a Grimtooth's Traps or a ever rising in value City State or Necropolis. The M series and Grimtooths are not available in pdf for sale anywhere. To order and get the discount, you MUST email me directly at necromancergames@yahoo.com. If you order direct from Ebay, I cannot discount the items.
Thank you all again for the faith and loyalty.

December 17, 2010
I shipped about 100 softcovers today. the printer called and let me know he was not happy with the binding material for the hardcovers, so we are not going to make Christmas...but be patient, I want to make sure you get a book you will still have in 30 years. Splinters of faith should arrive to me on Monday, and Ursined and Bedfellows have been edited and will be for sale very soon. Thanks to all of you, I actually ran out of shipping boxes and tape--so I placed an order for them to Fed X me the stuff by Monday. You guys are the best fans ever, Matt and I are considering a second hardcover run (non-limited edition). I'll see how it goes after we ship the balance of the books and what level of demand we anticipate. Basically, the response was so overwhelming, I am struggling to keep up. That's the best problem to have in this economy. Tsar 7 is nearly finished (whipping Greg), and should go to Chuck soon for layout. Honestly, except for shipping books, I doubt most of us will do much other than drink wine and eat turkey for the next 2 weeks, so be patient with us.

December 11, 2010
The harcover rulebook is sold out--if you did not send me an email earlier, or did not get it this day, I think its gone. Because the server exploded from excessive downloading this morning (thank all of you...I love you guys for that:)) , I do not have an exact count. ts over 90 and less than 110 sold in rough numbers, so I may be issuing a few refunds, or I may have a few loose copies for sale tomorrow. Shipping will be billed via email to each of you that got one. Sorry for all the hassle, we have not had to deal with a 70 meg file being downloaded by 200 people all at once before!
I still have copies (few) of the first printing of the softcover, so get them while they are hot!

December 7, 2010
Ok, a spot O' good news...the softcovers arrived today, along with Tsar 6, which means the hardcovers are en-route to Texas and Matt. I may be able to get the hardcovers out for Christmas. For sale buttons for Tsar 6 softcover and Swords and Wizardry hardcovers, along with cover previews for One Night Stands, Saturday Night Specials, Hex Crawl Classics (and a color map of the first area!), and The Northland Saga should appear tomorrow or Friday.

I can ship softcover rulebooks right away. Hardcovers require the "triple shipping" so may take a couple extra weeks. That being said, I anticipate them all selling in a day or so. Remember, ther are only 100 of them ever.

A poinmt on that. For our overseas customers, I apologize in advance, but shipping the hardcover is $46.00. I simply cannot ship them in an envelope--it has to be in a box. I could not replace a damaged copy if they are all gone. That being said, I will hold a sold copy for you until you can justify the international box (up to 11 additional books will fit). I am going to wrap these heavily in bubbles, to ensure quality delivery condition.

I am currently reviewing layout for Bedfellows, and Chuck is laying out Ursined, Sealed and Delivered this evening!

December 6, 2010
Sorry for the long delay in posting news, but the old frog had surgery on his not-20-year-old-anymore football injured shoulder, and I have ben a bit under the weather. I am recovering fine, and we are back in business.

Happy Pearl Harbor Day all! Please remember your veterans today, and remember to thank them all for their service.

In gaming news, the hardcover is done and being mailed to Matt. The softcover rulebook and Tsar 6 are printed, and Splinters 3-4 are at the printer. Final review copies of Bedfellows are awaiting my proofing on our FTP site, and should be off to the printer this week. I'll update the rest soon.
I just got done reading the second book in the Hex Crawl Classics series, and maps and art have been ordered. Great stuff coming, and I apologize for the delays, but us little guys get stalled out when one of us has a real life thing happen.

I will be posting for sale buttons for the Complete Rulebook within 48 hours. Keep your eyes peeled!

Monday, November 1, 2010

November 2010

November 16, 2010
Ok guys, the Complete Rulebook is of to the printer. I am only making 100 limited edition copies, so I cannot guarantee everyone will get one. I'll post a day or two before it goes on sale, but from the 60 or so emails I have gotten wanting it, it will likely be gone in a day or two. Order early, I will have to cut it off at 98 (two are spoken for), so I will issue refunds to anyone after that. I also am printing softcovers of the book, so you can get a cheaper copy for play and preserve your signed, numbered hardcover if you wish!

Shipping date for these will be early December.

In other news, Splinters 3-4 will go to press next week, as well as Strange Bedfellows shortly after. Next up are the first One Night Stands releases--The Jungle Ruins of Madaro Shanti by Matt Finch and Ursined, Sealed and Delivered by Dennis Sustare. I got the covers today for One Night Stands, Saturday Night Specials and The Northland Saga series, and approved the draft cover of our upcoming Hex Crawl Classics series. Covers should be posted after Thanksgiving.
Tsar 7 is being edited, and I will anounce that new book I have been teasering when it releases. Thank you all again for your patronage, we appreciate it.

November 8, 2010
Tsar 6 is loaded in the subscription files. I will be posting to DTRPG and Paizo tonight, and sending out an email with dowload details.

November 3, 2010
Tsar 6 is almost done; Greg is proofing the layout draft right now. The S&W Complete Rulebook is even more spectacular than I imagined. Its ready to go to the printer, and I'll be taking pre-orders within 2 weeks. There will be some delay on getting the hardcover limited editions out, mostly because it has to be mailed back and forth from Matt to me. Next up is Strange Bedfellows, Splinters of Faith parts 3-4 and Ursined, Sealed and Delivered. I'll be posting a discussion of the Northlands Saga this weekend as well.

November 1, 2010
Today I packed and shipped all the round 1 Splinters and Fane orders. They should be arriving soon. Thank all of you for the support and feedback!

Friday, October 1, 2010

October 2010


October 25, 2010
Ok; both versions (PFRPG and S&W) of 3 new books are up for sale as pdfs at Paizo.com and DTRPG. All books are for sale tomorrow as real books and pdfs at talesofthefroggod.com as well. They include:
Fane of the Fallen

   All is not as it seems when a large scale orc raid preys upon the city of Brookmere. PCs are sent to parlay with the orcs believed to be responsible, and after many exciting battles and investigation, the characters learn of the masterminds behind the attack, a faction of murderous elves bent on the destruction of the kingdom. Can the characters penetrate the foreboding Harwood Forest and defeat the denizens of Castle Novgorod? Or will they succumb to the fallen elves and their depraved succubus goddess?

Fane of the Fallen™is a d20 adventure of epic proportions, designed to take characters from 13th-level to 18th-level. Fane of the Fallen™ introduces the Kingdom of Myrridon, a mini-campaign of grand scale, and the fallen elves, a new race of murderous beings seduced by evil.
Uncover the dark secrets of the fallen elves, and confront them and the demonic forces they consort with in dozens of unique and exciting dungeons.

Fight 17 new creatures, and discover 14 new magical items making their debut in this adventure.
Save the kingdom from evil forces and be hailed as a hero in the songs of bards for ages to come.
Retail Price: $32.99 plus shipping, softcover perfect bound (200 copies only of the first printing) and pdf, $20.99 pdf only.

and...

In a long-buried tomb, a grave robber restores a death-cult leader to life, and his cloud of evil spreads across the land. Left behind are the broken Scepter of Faiths and a litany of shrines to restore the weapon. But the evil one and his minions wait to destroy any who try...
Temples of faith, bastions of evil

Splinters of Faith™ is a collection of 10 adventures for characters of levels 1 to 15 that can be played individually or as part of an epic campaign to restore the Scepter of Faiths. Adventure in 10 fully detailed temples such as the Shield Basilica of Muir or the dwarven city of Anvil Plunge, and conquer the nightmarish Nether Sepulcher to restore the balance of good.

Ten complete adventures for low- to high-level characters, usable separately or as a massive linked campaign.

Eighteen unique temples (10 fully detailed) ready to drop into any campaign world.
New monsters and magic items to discover, and ideas for further adventures.
Retail Price: Each adventure is $4.99 for pdf or $8.99 plus shipping for pdf and hard copy
Books 1-2/10 are up and for sale---the rest come soon

October 21, 2010
It occurred to us today that November could be a very expensive month for our fans. In reponse to that, I am going to release Fane of the Fallen and Splinters of Faith books 1-2 early. November will see Splinters 3-4, Strange Bedfellows, possibly Ursined Sealed and Delivered, and most importantly the Complete S&W Rulebook. I normally do not pre-release modules until the rules are out, but I wanted to give folks the opportunity to break up their order costs into 2 1/2 months rather than all at once. Pathfinder releases are of course unaffected.

Thanks to all of you for your (extremely loyal) orders. Our company is doing great, and your patronage is going to allow us to produce lots more books. Now, just wait until you see the One Night Stands cover...Rowena has it 80% done. News coming next week on The Northlands (Viking style series, think 13th warrior) and Hex Crawl Classics (those of you who like Judges Guild style adventure will be pleased with this series (and if you have not purchased NOD yet, go to Lulu and do so!).

I am doing my best to keep price point lower than industry standard. You guys are making that possible.

October 17, 2010
Woot!! It'd fixed. You may now order again....and I hate HTML code!

We are having temporary technical difficulties with our shopping cart. All our books will be back up for sale on MONDAY 10/18. Thanks for your patience - this problem is testing mine!

October 16, 2010
Tsar 1-4 softcover modules are up for sale. Fane, Tsar 5, and Splinters 1-2 are at the printer and should arrive before the end of the month. Final layout of the S&W rulebook and Bedfellows is in process. Look for a "for sale" on all these soon, with shipping of all the new books around November 5. The hardcover limited edition rulebook will be for sale soon as well, but will not likely ship until December.

October 12, 2010
Its been tested!!! The postage cart now works, and should be up (allowing Tsar 1-4 to be ordered easily) by Friday. Thank you all for your patience (especially you Ryan). Books will ship Monday. In other news, Splinters, Fane and Tsar 5 are at the printer. Chuck is layout out the rulebook and Bedfellows. Ursined is next.

I am going to take pre-orders of Fane and Splinters next week, but will not ship until the rulebook ships. Hard to release a book when the rulebook is not out yet. Besides, I want a few surprises about the new rules to be secret for now. I am out of town until Friday, so email etc. will not be accessable until then.

October 9, 2010
Lots of updates today. The Tsar individual modules arrived in the mail today, and will be up for sale shortly. I am doing final edits of Splinters of Faith Parts 1-2 and those along with Fane and Tsar 5 hit the printer next week. Matt has sent the Complete rulebook to Chuck for layout, and Strange Bedfellows layout drafts are in process. Next up is Ursined, followed by others. Its been a busy month.

Also to note, cover art, pricing and a few other details have been added to the site for Bedfellows, Splinters, the Complete Rulebook and Fane of the Fallen.
Lots of announcements of January releases soon!

October 4
Tsar 5 is up. Some folks are having difficulty downloading it. Please email David Jourard [support@bytesinteractive.com] if you are one of them, or drop me a line and I'll see if I can help.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

September 2010


September 30, 2010
Ok; several updates. Tsar 5 is loaded and wil be posted Saturday or Sunday. I will not be able to send an email on this, as I am out of town with no internet all weekend. Fane of the Fallen is done (for PFRPG) and is in layout for S&W. Splinters of Faith 1-2 are next up in layout. All hail Chuck!
The Complete Rulebook is almost done, art is due Saturday and then its next. I am also pleased to announce two additional module series--names still in the works. One will be a series of Norse themed adventures by Ken Spencer, and the other will be hex crawls--literally hex crawls. These are by John Stater of Nod fame (http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/nod-%231/11387029?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/4, old school at its finest). These have a look and feel of the old JG stuff; but are totally portable into any campaign. Both series will be in S&W and PFRPG format of course, with a low price point and 8-10 modules. More on this soon.

In other news, by popular demand, we are going to start selling module versions of Tsar chapters as well. I am only printing a few of these--maybe 100-150. Tsar 1-5 modules are at the printer and will retail from $9.99 to $13.99 depending on size. They will be on sale in mid-October. Really these are for the collectors out there, and for those folks who want a play set to go with their limited edition hardcover or decided not to buy a hardcover. Seemed cheesy to me to do these, but I got over 30 requests, so I listened.

Lots of stuff (Strange Bedfellows, Splinters, Complete Rulebook, Fane, Tsar 6, etc.) is coming out very soon!

September 23, 2010
We are back in the shipping business thanks to advice from Jason Zavoda. Books ship today!

September 22, 2010
Updates on several fronts. First, thanks for your patience on shipping. I have invested in some bomb-proof shipping materials, that should arrive shortly. I expect to ship all back orders Monday or Tuesday next week. Next, I have in my hands (literally) the layout proof of Fane of the fallen (PFRPG version) and Matt has completed the S&W conversion, which Chuck is laying out now. Tsar 5 is also in layout, and should be ready to be posted in a week or so. The Complete S&W Rulebook is in final editing. Rowena has maybe 5 more pieces of art to complete and we will pass that book to Chuck.

Strange Bedfellows is next up, Matt will start the S&W conversion today, and the PFRPG version is ready to go thanks to Skeeter Greene! On the short book front, most of the planned ONS and SNS books are done in one version and awaiting translation into either S&W or PFRPG. Art has been ordered for all of them, and Robert has been cranking out maps. Splinters of Faith 1-4 are all done and edited, interiors done, and maps are done for 1-2. Rick will have the cover done very, very soon.
We are all on track for November releases for most of these as planned, but we have to make sure that Chuck gets some sleep too. We have picked up several writers (new and old), and I think may of you will be quite pleased when you see a few of the names. I will have many new book titles and announcements soon. One hint...does anyone like Viking adventures?

September 15, 2010
A bit of a delay will occur in shipping. Due to a few damaged books, I am changing shipping a bit. I ordered boxes and we will start shipping using these. I will have to up fees a bit (boxes are expensive), but you can rest assured you will get a better book that way. For recent orders, I expect a week or so until the boxes arrive. I will ship as soon as they do. I aplogize for the delay, but I want to make sure we maintain our quality.

September 7, 2010
Eamonvale and Demoheart arrived from the printer and will ship shortly. Greg is almost done converting Tsar 5, art came in today for it, and Fane is in layout. The Complete S&W rulebook is through editing, and we are awaiting interior art. Splinters 1 and 2, as well as Strange Bedfellows are all set to go except interiors (Rowena is burning all her candles!), and we should have all these books out in late October on schedule.

September 1, 2010
Eamonvale and Demonheart are selling well; just so folks know, there will not likely be reprints of most titles, so get them while they are hot--there are only a few more than 50 copies left of each. Art is complete for Fane, and its in layout. I plan to ship Eamonvale and Demonheart on Monday.
Lots more news in a week or two!
Fane of the Fallen

   All is not as it seems when a large scale orc raid preys upon the city of Brookmere. PCs are sent to parlay with the orcs believed to be responsible, and after many exciting battles and investigation, the characters learn of the masterminds behind the attack, a faction of murderous elves bent on the destruction of the kingdom. Can the characters penetrate the foreboding Harwood Forest and defeat the denizens of Castle Novgorod? Or will they succumb to the fallen elves and their depraved succubus goddess?
Fane of the Fallen™is a d20 adventure of epic proportions, designed to take characters from 13th-level to 18th-level. Fane of the Fallen™ introduces the Kingdom of Myrridon, a mini-campaign of grand scale, and the fallen elves, a new race of murderous beings seduced by evil.
Uncover the dark secrets of the fallen elves, and confront them and the demonic forces they consort with in dozens of unique and exciting dungeons.

Fight 17 new creatures, and discover 14 new magical items making their debut in this adventure.
Save the kingdom from evil forces and be hailed as a hero in the songs of bards for ages to come.
Retail Price: $32.99 plus shipping, softcover perfect bound (200 copies only of the first printing) and pdf, $20.99 pdf only.
and...

In a long-buried tomb, a grave robber restores a death-cult leader to life, and his cloud of evil spreads across the land. Left behind are the broken Scepter of Faiths and a litany of shrines to restore the weapon. But the evil one and his minions wait to destroy any who try...
Temples of faith, bastions of evil

Splinters of Faith™ is a collection of 10 adventures for characters of levels 1 to 15 that can be played individually or as part of an epic campaign to restore the Scepter of Faiths. Adventure in 10 fully detailed temples such as the Shield Basilica of Muir or the dwarven city of Anvil Plunge, and conquer the nightmarish Nether Sepulcher to restore the balance of good.
Ten complete adventures for low- to high-level characters, usable separately or as a massive linked campaign.

Eighteen unique temples (10 fully detailed) ready to drop into any campaign world.
New monsters and magic items to discover, and ideas for further adventures.

Retail Price: Each adventure is $4.99 for pdf or $8.99 plus shipping for pdf and hard copy
Books 1-2/10 are up and for sale---the rest come soon
It will still be a one time only print run, but the Paizo store will have copies of the Pathfinder version. To be clear, ONE PRINT RUN EVER, just printing a more copies for direct sale through Paizo. Essentially, Paizo placed an order for the books. Once again the company that saved our game steps up.
The SW version remains gone, gone, gone, and once the Paizo store is out, so are the Pathfinder versions.
Lisa and I discussed pricing, and my understanding is that she will honor the pre-order price and the pdf copy w/ orders as well.
I cannot say enough how much these guys do for the hobby.
Bill
Just kidding on my back--I am fine. My kid broke her ankle this week; so that added to the fun. Dawn, Killa and Skeet helped a ton, thanks again all.
Direct order books are all signed by me.
Tome of Adventure Design will release for pre-order on my website on or about September 28, and a few copies of Tome SW are still for sale; buttons go up on Monday.
I will send a separate email to bill for shipping. I am likely shipping priority large box. I want to see if 2 will fit in the box before I ship, or if its 1/box. This REALLY matters for overseas customers.
Basically I will send an email to all subscribers and put a shipping bill button up--I will ship the book as soon as shipping is paid. I am going to wrap the hell out of these things so there is no chance of damage, as you can imagine, I am not overprinting very many due to the individual unit cost.
Chuck has it done through book 6 (just got off the phone). Should go to press April 5 or so--and will ship late May.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

August 2010

August 27, 2010
Tsar 4 will be posted tonight--look for the download email. Copies for sale will be up shortly aftre and also at dtrpg (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/account.php)  and Paizo!

August 26, 2010
I updated shipping info on the products page. Tsar 4 is being proofed and should be posted tomorrow or Saturday. I'll email out a notice to subscribers. Fane is going to layout Monday or Tuesday!

August 25
Ok; as requested by the Red Priest--I apologize that folks thought I insulted amatuer producers of SW games...certainly not my intention. The main point here is that we take pride in our professional quality, and some other (larger) professional publishers do not. Black Blade (Jon and Alan) and us are cool--they just decided they wanted out and did not want to participate. No blood on the walls there. We cool? Ps--I'll increase chocolate rations:)

August 25
Ok; shipping HTML works fine, but it still would not allow for combined orders. Rather than make you guys pay extra and me have to refund you (this is a large amount of money for our overseas customers), I am working on a more elegant solution. May take a day or two. Have no fear, Eamonvale and Demonheart will be back up and for sale soon. In other news, Chuck is in final layout on Tsar 4, should be up Friday. Rick is in the final stages of the cover for Splinters of Faith (maybe a week), and Rowena only has 4 more interiors to complete for Fane (which then goes to layout). Editing is 75% complete on the SW rulebook, and then we just need interiors (which were contracted yesterday). So everything is on track (except me and the bloody shipping issue). More news soon!

August 24, 2010 (minor update)
I had to take down the Eamonvale Incursion and Demonheart products while I sort out shipping. Should be back up very soon!

August 24, 2010
Slumbering Tsar 4 should be released this week. The Eamonvale Incursion and Demonheart are both live and for sale (ships next week).The product page has been (significantly) updated, and well....there is a bit more news.

August 24, 2010 - Poulsbo WA
Frog God Games, the successor to Necromancer Games, is pleased to announce that effective immediately, Mythmere Games, headed by award-winning author Matt Finch, will be joining up with the Frog God Publishing team to produce even more of the true old-school gaming resources that Necromancer Games and Frog God Games have always been known for.

Matt explained one of the reasons for the agreement as “"There is a large and active community of gamers playing various out-of-print editions of fantasy role-playing games. This alliance is going to be a big leap forward in terms of providing new resources and adventures to those of us who prefer an older-school type of game. It doesn't matter if you're an old-school grognard, a brand-new player, or an experienced gamer trying out this whole 'old-school' thing the internet keeps talking about. You're going to like this".

As a result of this merger, Frog God Games will be publishing the Complete version of the old school, ENnie Award-winning Swords & Wizardry™ fantasy role-playing game, which will be released in November.

“This merger is very much in line with my philosophy on game design, I play an old school game at my table, and have always written and produced books of that genre”, said Bill Webb, CEO of Frog God Games. Frog God Games and its predecessor, Necromancer Games both are known for producing d20 and Pathfinder adventures and sourcebooks with a distinctive “old school” feel. Necromancer, where Bill was partnered with Clark Peterson, produced over 50 books between 1999 and 2007, including Wilderlands of High Fantasy™ (under license to Judges Guild), Gary Gygax’s Necropolis™ and Rappan Athuk, Dungeon of Graves™.

Frog God Games is currently producing adventures to support the Pathfinder™ role-playing system. According to Bill, “This brings together the best of both worlds for me; our material is distinctly old school feel, regardless of the game system. By supporting both formats, I see an opportunity to provide high quality and exciting material to a larger audience. It’s a win for the gaming community.”

Frog God Games will now produce game supplements for both the Swords and Wizardry™ game and for the Pathfinder Game™ (published by Paizo Publishing of Bellevue WA).Swords & Wizardry builds and supports free-form role-playing games.That is to say, games where “light” rules create a framework instead of trying to cover every detail, every rule, and every situation.  Over 30 books are currently in production for release in 2010 and 2011.

Matt explained ,There are a lot of gamers out there who are using out-of-print rules quite happily, or who have a vague feeling that they lost some of the game's spirit over the years and don't know how it happened. And then there's the thriving community of old-school gamers on the internet, who have been powering forward for years. I think this new development is going to take us to critical mass. With an old-school game like Swords & Wizardry breaking into the mainstream, with all the power of Frog God Games behind it, I believe that all these three gamer-communities are about to connect. This is when the thunder starts to roll.”.

The Swords & Wizardry game “clones” the original rules of the fantasy role-playing game that started it all back in 1974, when it was published by Gary Gygax and DaveArneson.  Part of the reason for the merger was to expand distribution and enhance production quality by involvement of a larger company. Matt described this as, “a step that has been developing for years, as the old-school community has grown larger and larger, supported by more and more gamers, and, increasingly, even by publishers. And this is the point where it all reaches critical mass, I think. Frog God Games has the resources and the high profile to introduce this particular style of gaming back into the mainstream."

Most previously existing products created by Mythmere Games, including Knockspell Magazine™ will continue to be produced and distributed by Black Blade Publishing (http://black-blade-publishing.com/Store.aspx).

Distribution and publication of the Swords and Wizardry Core Rules will continue through Black Blade and other sources, and will be compatible with the Swords & Wizardry Complete Rulebook to be released in November by Frog God Games along with a full supporting line of adventure modules and other resources for the game.

August 11, 2010
Greg is back from Gencon, and I whipped him, so now he is diligently working on finalizing Chapter 4! Probable release date is August 20. In other news, we are proud to announce another book by Carla Harker (of Necromancer Games Family Affair fame). Text and maps are done, and we are awaiting art. Still counting pages, but I am estimating 84. It may release as three shorter books. Likely date is November.

Strange Bedfellows  is a d20 adventure for 4-6 PCs of level 2 or higher. A circus show erupts in mayhem when goblinoids crash the performance, slaughtering performers and audience members alike. PCs investigate the attack, leading them into an ancient dungeon and uncovering ancient secrets and harbored grudges. Their decisions affect the politics and economics of three unique towns. Strange Bedfellows includes three fully-developed towns, numerous unique NPCs who offer an extensive assortment of side quests, and a wide range of challenging opponents.
Carla is a fantastic writer with difficult plots and plot twists. Her adventures are for a thinking person. Anyone who has played Family Affair knows that a straight bash approach will result in an early TPK.

Starting on or about September 1, FGG will be offering PRINT versions of the individual chapters of Slumbering Tsar, as well as the two lost Necromancer Games books, Eamonvale Adventures and Demonheart as real books here at this site. These books will have limited print runs and will be clearly marked "First Edition" to differentiate them from later print on demand copies.
Finally, interior art and maps are done for Fane of the Fallen, and the cover for Fane, Strange Bedfellows (awaiting interiors), and Splinters of Faith (awaiting maps) will be done by the end of the month. November release is still on target for all 3 in both print and pdf.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

July 2010


July 28, 2010
If any of you are at Gencon next week, look Greg up at the Paizo Booth (he has a limited amount of goodies! I am going on vacation for about 10 days, so will be offline and hiding w/ my family until August 8. Tsar 4 art is in, and Greg is about done with proofing the stats, so we anticipate a layout while I am away. I anticipate a big announcement shortly after Gencon. Still working on a few of the details, but its almost ready for prime time.
In other news, I am going to start offering print copies of the individual chapters of Tsar and our other books for direct sale. Quantities will be limited. So if you wish to have 32-84 page individual real-book versions of our products, they will be available soon.
More news in about 2 weeks.
Bill

July 22, 2010
I am not ready to bust open the pinata of news yet, but I do have some questions for all of you. What would folks think of a "book of the month" club, where FGG produced a 24-42 page book once per month, folks could subscribe or buy it individually, maybe save $2/book or so for annual subscription.The fees would/could look something like this for costs (including a POD shipped to US/Canada/Mexico or overseas (by column).

Monthly
$11.99
$15.99
$21.45
Quarterly
$29.99
$31.99
$40.99
Costs include shipping (hence the discount if we shipped 1/quarter instead of each month. Maybe PODs would normally cost $9.99, and e-books $4.99 or something, but you got both for $8.99 if you subscribed...Maybe PDF only subscriptions would knock $1 off each book.
TO BE CLEAR Prices are just make-believe; I need to validate costs first, but they are probably somewhere close to the mark. I also need to assess shipping costs.
What I am looking for is feedback "in general" on the concept. Should I just sell books 1/time or would folks like this to save a bit and make it easier to buy and sell? Let me know.
Bill

July 16
Oops--I messed up and missed 2 pieces of art in the Tsar 3 file. Its being fixed currently, and should be posted for subscribers and for sale here on Saturday night. As I am out of town until Sunday, Drive Through and Paizo won't be posted until late Sunday.
Much apologies for the delays.

In other news, I got the test proofs of Tsar 1 PODs from Drive Through this week. The color and quality of the Lightning Press print on demand was very good. I am not sure how long it will take to get these up for sale, but Tsar 1 will cost $9.99 as a print on demand module, with remaining volumes priced at $13.99. I'll get links for sale for the PODs as soon as they become available.
We have added an artist, Rowena Aitken will be doing cover work and interiors for us on a regular basis. her bio will be up soon, and she is incredibly talented. Go check out her portfolio at http://www.rowenaaitken.com/. Look at the Fantasy Art tab...wow.

Interiors are all sketched for Fane of the Fallen (by Ms. Aitken), and now the long process of grey-scale begins. Rick assures me the cover is on the way, and the maps and text are done and finalized. Interiors are in process for Splinters of Faith, and maps and text are done as well. As soon as Rick is done with the fane cover, its off to the races on Splinters.

Greg will be at Gencon, working at the Paizo booth, and he "might" have a few special items for subscribers and those who wish to become subscribers. If you are there, i suggest you find him.
Finally, a huge announcement coming in about a month or so. I can't disclose what it is yet, but I think you will all be very happy; I know we are.

July 12, 2010
Slumbering Tsar Chapter 3 is off to layout. I expect it will be posted no later than Friday. Thanks for your patience (Greg and I were derailed by PaizonCon) during the delay!

July 8, 2010
Just a few quick updates. Greg pinged me this morning to let me know he was proofing the Pathfinder conversions this weekend, and then off to Chuck for layout. Estimated release date of July 15 or so. We already previewed and approved the art. As asked a few other places, I have a question for you guys...what would the audience here think of one-night stand modules. You know, the play for 5 hours things. Plot/Mission, 12 encounters, couple maps, cool art. Maybe $5 pdf and $9 pod. 24-36 pages each.

What if we did a lot of them?
What if we did a few a year only?
What levels would be good/bad?
What if cover art was repeated to lower pricepoint?
What else would make these good or bad?
Please let me know what you think.

July 5, 2010
I hope everyone had a great holiday. We had a huge party, and lots of fun with high explosives, beer and beef. I finished the draft of my article for Kobold Quarterly this weekend, and my next one for Knockspell is taking shape. Speaking of Knockspell, Jon sent me a load of books last week, and I have to say I am very impressed by Blackblade Publishing. Anyone who is into old style D&D really should check these guys out. They are what I always wished TSR was back in the day. Check out their store at http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/?page_id=10 .

Saw a few more interior pieces for Fane this weekend, they are shaping up nicely.

July 1, 2010
Final art for the third chapter of The Slumbering Tsar Saga was approved today. This means the whole will be off to Chuck for layout after the holiday with an estimated live date of July 15, 2010. Look for it then!

Greg will be at the Paizo Booth at Gencon. We haven't figured out what yet, but there may be some sort of promo material there with him. Here are some teasers for the two new books. I hope you enjoy them. Maps are done for Fane (Sardinha, Robert is busy w/ Tsar) and almost done for Splinters. Rick says he is getting there on the covers as well. Interiors are coming in for approval (all due final 8/15/2010 for layout). I'll get page counts and pricing out as soon as I know what it is. These books will be sold as pdfs here, DTRPG and at Paizo, and as print on demand at DTRPG.

Fane of the Fallen
All is not as it seems when a large scale orc raid preys upon the city of Brookmere. PCs are sent to parlay with the orcs believed to be responsible, and after many exciting battles and investigation, the characters learn of the masterminds behind the attack, a faction of murderous elves bent on the destruction of the kingdom. Can the characters penetrate the foreboding Harwood Forest and defeat the denizens of Castle Novgorod? Or will they succumb to the fallen elves and their depraved succubus goddess?

Fane of the Fallen™is a d20 adventure of epic proportions, designed to take characters from 13th-level to 18th-level. Fane of the Fallen™ introduces the Kingdom of Myrridon, a mini-campaign of grand scale, and the fallen elves, a new race of murderous beings seduced by evil.
  • Uncover the dark secrets of the fallen elves, and confront them and the demonic forces they consort with in dozens of unique and exciting dungeons.
  • Fight 17 new creatures, and discover 14 new magical items making their debut in this adventure.
  • Save the kingdom from evil forces and be hailed as a hero in the songs of bards for ages to come.
Estimated Retail Price: To be announced
Estimated Page Count: To be announced
Authors: William L. Christensen
Scheduled Release: Fall 2010

Splinters of Faith
Ancient Evil Awakens

In a long-buried tomb, a grave robber restores a death-cult leader to life, and his cloud of evil spreads across the land. Left behind are the broken Scepter of Faiths and a litany of shrines to restore the weapon. But the evil one and his minions wait to destroy any who try...

Temples of faith, bastions of evil
Splinters of Faith™ is a collection of 10 adventures for characters of levels 1 to 15 that can be played individually or as part of an epic campaign to restore the Scepter of Faiths. Adventure in 10 fully detailed temples such as the Shield Basilica of Muir or the dwarven city of Anvil Plunge, and conquer the nightmarish Nether Sepulcher to restore the balance of good.
  • Ten complete adventures for low- to high-level characters, usable separately or as a massive linked campaign.
  • Eighteen unique temples (10 fully detailed) ready to drop into any campaign world.
  • New monsters and magic items to discover, and ideas for further adventures.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

June 2010

June 29, 2010
A few site updates before I go blow stuff up this weekend. First, PaizoCon was a blast, and Greg and I had a great time hanging out with Lisa, Erik and the other folks form Paizo. The events were great, and Greg's DM ability was sorely tested by the "Mess with Greg's Game" event involving Paizo's new GameMastery Card Deck "Plot Twist Cards". Highly recommended for a crazy game time. In other news, I will be writing a regular article in Kobold Quarterly (http://www.koboldquarterly.com/), so support your local little lizard and tell them the frog sent you!
I am also writing a regular column in Knockspell Magazine, and old school quarterly published by my friends at Mythmere Games (http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/?page_id=10). These guys are Indie press at its best. They produce some of the best old school stuff out there (even a white 3 book box set!) and deserve our support.

Since much discussion has happened many places in the past few weeks, I wanted to officially post here to clarify what we are doing w/ Slumbering Tsar subscriptions. I already priced and figured out the printing through lightningpress to do the hardcovers. All prices do NOT include shipping. Too many fans in the UK, Finland and Western Australia to set a price for a 800 page book. Shipping outside of the US will likely be about $38 (flat rate) for one book or $52 for 2-3 books, so find friends to share shipping! Canada and Mexico are cheaper. This is the best shipping deal I have found so far--I just hope we don't exceed the 20 pound limit!

Only the subscriptions get the hardcover limited edition; signed and numbered by me and Greg. Extra hardcovers are still $125 each. Ping me if you want several and maybe we can work something out (bill@talesofthefroggod.com).  If there are extras (yes I am printing several extras) they will go to the first "X" people that order all of the loose chapters DIRECTLY FROM MY WEBSITE (not DTRPG, not at Paizo, just from me). After that, the hardcovers are going to cost a lot more, since printing 1 costs a fortune and printing 200-300 costs a lot less per unit. I am going to discontinue the $125 soon. When I close subscriptions (in October), anyone who is not up to date w/ chapter purchases WILL NOT GET A FREE HARDCOVER. The reason is simple; its print costs, so I have to have an accurate count for the initial (main) print run. Honestly subscriptions are the way to go. I will happily convert prior purchases to subscriptions when I end subscriptions (e.g. if you have paid for 3 chapters, I'l refund you if you buy the subscription deal). This refund policy will last EXACTLY 1 calendar month from when I end subscriptions (again not DTRPG, not at Paizo, just from me). To be crystal skull clear--to get the limited hardcover you must buy from this site.

There are lots of new ways to buy individual chapters . Pdfs are sold 3 ways (me (here), paizo (http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/f/frogGodGames), dtrpg (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/account.php). POD softcovers of each chapter will be sold at DTRPG (only) for about 12 or 13 bucks for each chapter. I expect PODs to be live in August. I have copies of chapters 1-2 ordered for proofing as I write this!

Since Lisa Stevens spilled the beans at Paizocon (after many beers and because I had many beers and told everyone at my table), I am pleased to announce that the Limited Editions get an extra chapter otherwise unavailable. Even more reason to subscribe.  After the subscription copies go away, so does the bonus chapter, forever, and its not in the pdf set. I did the same thing w/ Rappan Athuk Reloaded...I should probably have reprinted it, but did not because I said it was a limited edition.
In future news, I'll have one small and one very, very large announcement coming soon. The hints are riddles. The small one involved gold twice, and a troll and a wolf, and the large one totaled 10, when looked at as three and 10.5 when looked at when looked at as 4 minus one. See if anyone can solve those riddles. I am not sure what the prize will be yet, but I am sure I can think of something.
Talk to you all soon!
Bill

June 6, 2010
Updates, and lots of them. First, as most of you already know, Slumbering Tsar, Chapter 2, The Ghosts of Victory is up and available for download (subscribers) or purchase. To get second chapter, subscribers go to http://www.aplusdownload.com. Click on menu option called Buyer. Your login is your email address and password was sent when you subscribed and downloaded the first chapter.
Chapter 3 is in the works and on schedule, and the maps are in for Chapter 4.

As an additional option, we have made all these books available through Drive through RPG, and will soon be offering print on demand softcover books as well as electronic copies through DTRPG (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?cPath=48/). There is one catch with purchasing through this new venue. If you buy chapters from them, you will NOT receive a copy of the hardcover book after purchase of all 14 installments. So subscribe now! If you buy direct, our writers and artists take home more pay, and it allows us to do thing like print hardcover books for you.

That being said, not everyone wants a 600-700 page hardcover, so this venue offers a different format (32-50 page modules) that may be desirable by some. Heck, some people want both. So more options is just more good!

In other news, and due to the fantastic response from all of you, I am pleased to announce two additional titles that will be released this year. There may be 1-2 more announcements regarding products, but I am not ready to tell you about those yet. I will hint that one involves something you breathe and the other is a collaborative effort between two guys who have earned two Gold Ennies for previous adventures. Maps are done, covers are in process, and files are edited. I contracted interior art just last week for both of these books!

The first book, scheduled for release in September/October as a pdf and a month after as a POD (through DTRPG) will be Fane of the Fallen, by Will Christensen (of long time Dragon Magazine fame). The details of this mini campaign, retail price and page count will be posted soon.
The second book, scheduled for release in October/November as a pdf and a month after as a POD (through DTRPG) will be Splinters of Faith, by Gary Schotter and Jeff Harkness (hardcore Necromancer fans!). The details of this mini campaign, retail price and page count will be posted soon.

Last bit of news for the day is that Greg and I will be attending PaizoCon in Bellevue (suburb of Seattle) WA from June 18-20. Look us up if you are there! They are actually letting me DM some society games (the Pathfinder equivalent of Living Greyhawk)…let’s hear it for Team TPK! Those brave enough to face my dice may take home a few extra goodies…but beware, I am not your soft new-school DM (and I guess death can be permanent for society characters…oh the dilemma). Seriously though, Paizo is doing a great job of keeping OUR game alive, so show up and support them if you can. I’ll be running a few 0e games, and Greg’s calendar is full of hosted and open table games.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Website development is ongoing ... stay tuned! The next chapter is expected to be released soon. We are waiting on final art and Chuck promised me a layout copy for editing this weekend!

In the meanwhile, missing that out of print Necromancer Games Module? Never got a chance to buy the low print run K series while they were in stores (less than 400 of each in circulation)? Need a spare copy of an out of print adventure to replace your dog-eared copy? Well, you are in luck! I purchased all the backstock from White Wolf, Kenzer and Troll Lord Games. My garage IS the warehouse. I am pleased to offer limited quantities of Necromancer Games backstock at current market prices from my ebay store (http://stores.ebay.com/Necromancer-Archives/). Sorry, some items are priced far beyond original retail, but they are very rare and even I have very few copies. Some other items are below original retail as well.

Not all Necromancer Games books are available (nope, no copies of Abysthor!), but most titles, even all of the K series and the "Mother of" hardcovers are. This is the last repository of Necromancer Games inventory on the planet, and when these books are gone, or if my garage floods, there will never be any more of them. All copies are factory sealed case mint condition. I am open to bulk orders at a discounted rate for some products (contact me).

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Update 4 pm PST
OK, I got the download files working for the non-subscriptions...my web guy is not back until tonite (soon), and there is no way I am posting for sale files to non-subscribers before I post for the 50+ folks that just sent us $125. News again as soon as I can get it working. No one told me ftp stuff could be so complex. I am gonna have to drink more.

Update
I am still working on this--still anticipate everyone will get the chapter 1 download today!

We greatly appreciate all the support so rapidly..wow, sales of the subscription are coming in very fast. Frankly I was expecting less response this rapidly. In response to this, Chuck stayed up all night and finished final layout on Chapter 1. I edited the legal page, so as soon as he wakes up and changes my tweaks, I will post it up for sale, and to all you subscribers. Ten days early!

Keep the feedback and questions coming. Since we are going to operate as a patronage company, our only concern is what you guys want. Spread the word and get folks to try out at least Chapter 1--I think they will see the value of what we are doing and sign up. Keep in mind, more orders and more customers lowers the price point of the next book or series, so the more patrons we have, the less everyone has to pay.

I'll post here and everywhere else as soon as I get the first book chapter up!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Update at 4 pm PST. Subscription sales are now LIVE!

Ok, we tested the paypal links last night, and there are still some code glitches. The web developer is working on them and will get back to me today, so I am optimistic that we will have this up and running for the weekend (apologize for the delay). Chuck finished layout on Chapter 1 yesterday, and we are currently proofing it, so that might actually be early! It looks fantastic (IMO) and I am sure you guys (and gals) will be very pleased with the first installment. More news this evening I think.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Many questions have been coming in about why or why not to buy a subscription vs. the monthly option. Its true the price difference is not great, however, a subscription is really the only way to ensure that you get a signed copy of the hardcover.

Greg and I will sign only the copies that we personally pack and ship. This will be done once (as soon as Chapter 14 is complete and we do the main print run), What this means is that some of you who order monthly orders "may" be included in the initial print run, but there is no guarantee.

In about 6 months (exact time tbd) I will close out our discounted program, and anyone who is not fully subscribed will have to pay the higher price for the whole series ($169.99).

There are good reasons to subscribe. First, it lets us pre-plan art and other costs. It lets us get print runs set up ahead of time, and saves us money, and most importantly, time. What this does for you is allows us to add more art, fly Greg to Seattle to sign the books, and ensures that you get your book faster (no extra time waiting for the printer).

I won't punish folks who cannot do the subscription option (that's a lot of money up front), but I do want to try and reward those who do.
Bill

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Based on a few emails, and to clarify, if you buy ALL the subscriptions monthly (the $9.99/issue price), you also will get the hardcover book at the end (you just pay shipping)...I just am not quite sure how to track who did this, so you MUST retain your order receipts, as I have not figured out an elegant solution for this and may have to process orders manually.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

COMING SOON


Coming May 15th to Frog God Games Slumbering Tsar: The Desolation, Part 1 —The Edge of Oblivion in pdf format for the introductory price of $2.00. Subscriptions will be available as soon as this e-challenged old toad can figure it out (a few days).

Each month following, the next chapter of The Slumbering Tsar Saga™ will be released for the low price of $9.99. A subscription option is available to ensure that you don’t miss a single installment. Upon the release of the final chapter, the whole will be available as a hardcover print adventure and is included as part of the purchase price for those how purchase all 14 installments of the series or for a one-time purchase price of $125.00 (includes hardcover). Non subscription hardcover books will be available for $169.99 (when we are all done) at Drive Through RPG (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com) . As soon as Slumbering Tsar Saga™ is complete, look for our next release!
Don’t miss out.

Our Products page http://talesofthefroggod.com/products lists these and other deals related to this epic adventure!

You have waited long enough for The Slumbering Tsar Saga™. Now it is waiting for you.

Related posts

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...