August 22, 2011

Lots of updates this week. First, Tome is at press and should be to me in about 2 weeks. The proofs were gorgeous, and this book is going to be the coolest thing I have ever been associated with. On that note, two free downloads have been compiled by Chuck—the first is a compilation of the lairs sections, and weighs in at a hefty 127 pages (not bad for a free download). The second is a treatment of all the Tome monsters by terrain type. These downloads will be posted here at our site, directly into your order forms, at Paizo (free downloads) and at DTRPG (again, free downloads) soon. Paizo still has limited quantities of Tome Pathfinder and I will have a few extras (maybe 50 or so) of the Swords and Wizardry versions. I will say it again—this book will not be reprinted, so get them while they are still available.

Based on the cost to print large hardcovers, I will be taking pre-orders for UBAD (also known as the Ultimate Book of Adventure Design) very soon. Like any other large hardcover, we will limit the run to orders plus a few extras. It will be stitch bound (textbook style) and features perhaps Rowena’s coolest cover to date. I will put a description together (see below), but rather than take me at my word, we are providing a free teaser download of selected sections of the book for your perusal. MSRP is still being determined, but look for it in the 300-400 pages and $40-$50 range.

In other news, Tsar 10 will be posted in a day or so. We have had issues with the covers on Tsar 9 (again, sorry for the delay) in softcover, but I am assured we will have both Tsar 9 and 10 late next week to ship.

This week also, Splinters of Faith 9 and 10, Hex Crawl Chronicles 3, One Night Stands 2 – Death in Painted Canyon and One Night Stands 3 – The Spire of Iron and Crystal, all go on sale as both books and as pdfs. Descriptions of all are below. This completes the Splinters series, and I have set Jeff and Gary hard at work on a new series—no news yet, but it involves a strange demonic creature whose name begins with “N”.

Black Monastery is all edited and awaiting layout. It will likely be put up for pre-order sometime in November. This one is similar to UBAD, in that as it will be a stitch-bound hardcover, I am going to sell it by preorder only. With a fold-out map and the string, it is likely going to be in the $40 range.
Northlands Saga 2-3, as well as Hex Crawls 4 are in the works (next month I think), and should be ready for me to proof soon.
Thanks again for all your patronage over these past few months, we appreciate it, and we look forward to making a ton of cool books over the next several years!

New Book Descriptions:

UBAD

A fantasy adventure game, at its very heart, is about developing an open-ended “story” of the characters. The referee is in charge of the fantasy world, and the players direct the actions of their characters in that fantasy world. Neither the referee nor the group of players has complete control over what’s going to happen, and the result is an evolving set of surprises for both the referee and the players. Unlike the players, as the referee and creator of the game world, most of your “work” is done ahead of time. To some degree or other, you have to create the groundwork for the adventure before the game starts. Even though no battle plan survives contact with the enemy – and if you’re an experienced referee you know exactly what I mean – the game has to start … with a starting point. This might just be a vague set of ideas, or it might be as complex as a set of maps with a detailed key and well thought-out encounters for the players to run into.

The Ultimate Book of Adventure Design is organized as a series of “books,” each one providing resources at every step of the way. The vast majority of the content of each book is made up of random generation tables that I’ve created over a quarter of a century (sigh) for my own use. I should say up front that these are tables for deep design – in other words, most of them are too long, and contain too many unusual or contradictory entries, for use on the spot at the gaming table. There are already many excellent books of tables for use on the fly; the tables in these books are different. They work best as a tool for preparation beforehand, providing relatively vast creative resources for browsing and gathering, rather than quick-use tables designed to provide broad, fast brushstrokes. My shorter tables tend to deliver cryptic results designed to shock the reader’s creativity into filling in the gaps, whereas my longer tables are unusably vast for easy random generation, being designed to shock the reader’s creativity into operation by presenting a sea of possibilities.

Slumbering Tsar Part 10 

Slumbering Tsar: The Hidden Citadel, Part 2 - Echoes of Despair

The player characters continue to plumb the true depths and echoing halls that are the Citadel of Orcus.  Within they explore the Templar Garrison and Dungeons of Orcus and discover their profane occupant, remaining after all these years.  They discover the Thrall Quarters and the Forges and the lingering horrors of the Magitect and the legacy of He Who Walks Before.

Hex Crawl Chronicles 3

Beyond the Black Water

Across the Black Water there is a dismal land of grey hills and eerie shadows, the home of the strange merchants of the black arcs and their weird masters. Travel to a place where sane men dare not tread and discover the secrets of an alien and unwholesome land. Demon-haunted highlands and living forests await your arrival – don’t let a lack of courage keep them waiting.

Splinters of Faith 9: Duel of Magic (Levels 10 through 14) 

PCs journey from a temple of good magic to face a coven of evil witches where they must rescue an astral deva.

Splinters of Faith 10: Remorse of Life (Levels 13 and greater) 

With the completed Scepter of Faiths, PCs must track down the evil Akruel Rathamon in the temple city of Al-Sifon before he consolidates his power and again sets out to conquer the land.

One Night Stands 3 - Spire of Iron and Crystal

Another of the Saturday Night Specials series, this module takes the players to a long lost tower. Deep in the wilderness stands the legendary Spire of Iron and Crystal, a bizarre structure of twisting iron and four enormous crystals that seem to grow from the very ground itself. The fabled riches of the Spire have never been plundered, for no entrances have ever been found.... Until now. Your party of adventurers has discovered the long-hidden secret of entering the Spire.

One Night Stands 2- Death in the Painted Canyonsis an adventure for 4-6 characters levels 5-6.
The party should include a mix of abilities, especially characters with investigative and survival skills. It would be helpful, but not necessary, if at least one PC has some knowledge of the Painted Canyons, or at least some experience with desert survival. Also, a PC or companion with the outdoor abilities would be helpful, but is not needed. If your party lacks investigative skills, there are clues as to the criminal conspiracy in the gnoll encampment, or you can just drop that aspect of the adventure and run it as a stand up fight. Parties lacking survival skills or desert experience can hire a guide at Salt Springs for 3 silver shekels (gp) a day. There is a hidden secret behind all the events of Death in the Painted Canyons; a great deal of combat can be expected, and those attempting this adventure should be prepared for a vicious battle before resolving the plot.