MST3K is back

So, I'm a huge MSTie. And I thought I'd have to settle for collecting the old episodes as they came out on DVD and basking in their sarcastic glow.

But it turns out Mike Nelson is a genius.

He's started a company called RiffTrax. He and several MST alums, including Kevin Murphy (the voice of Tom Servo) record audio tracks riffing on movies. Pop in your DVD of the movie, cue the audio... and instant MST goodness of movies like Star Trek V, Fellowship of the Ring and Casino Royale.

Oh, and of course, they also tackle the finest American movie ever made: Roadhouse.

Check it out.

Blood and Fists True 20 sneak peek

I've been posting some sample martial arts styles from the upcoming Blood and Fists: True 20 edition over at the Green Ronin True 20 forums. Stop by and take a peek.

Dark Future sneak peek

In our near future, mutants are real.

Are they our brothers? Or the next step in human evolution, destined to replace mankind as we did the Neanderthal?

Struggling to come to grips with the "mutant question", a mutant crime wave leads to the Mutant Registration Act.

This leads mutants to strike back in a way that shocks and frightens ordinary Americans and pushes them over the edge, allowing ambitious lawmakers, suspicious of mutants, to pass the Mutant Enforcement, Removal and Evaluation act.

Now mutants live in ghettos, called "Containment Zones", scattered in large cities across the United States.

Within the Containment Zones, mutants prey on each other, in a lawless gang environment where the strong rule the weak.

Black Knights patrol the Perimeter in powered armor that makes them the equal of most mutants. Anyone found in this no man's land can be shot on sight.

Beyond the Perimeter, ordinary men and women continue to struggle with the "mutant question", asking themselves the same question their grandparents answered so tragically.

Some, driven by hatred and fear, form lynch mobs, terrorizing and killing those that are different, those they think might be mutants. Some have decided to aid the mutants in their plight, helping their fellow man, regardless of their appearance of powers, through an underground railroad of safehouses and secret runs across the border to Canada and freedom.

And some mutants are convinced a war of extermination against their kind has already begun. These mutants wage a terrorist campaign that divides humanity over the Containment Zones even further, forcing humans to choose between the zone or the Underground Railroad. These terrorist are opposed by brave bands of mutant heroes, willing to risk a return to the Zone, or death at the hands of the Knights, to protect the weak from these mutant terrorists.

It's the 21st century and the United States is a powderkeg.

Will you strike the spark? Or extinguish the flame?

Welcome to Dark Future

Audio mention of Guilds and Money on Gamer Traveler

I know. Longest post title ever. Just roll with it.

Are you listening to the Gamer Traveler Podcast? Well you should. This week, you would have heard Danial give a short run down on A Clash of Kings: Guilds and Money.

It's a really great look at the book, as well as a great look at medieval Brussels and some ideas for using it in your historical fantasy games.

He also gives a shout out to Green Ronin's Medieval Players Manual, a book that I think is AWESOME. So lots of goodness all around.

Dirty Deeds and Seedy Characters

RPGObjects slips into the back alleys with Dirty Deeds and Seedy Characters!

A new kind of Modern adventure, designed for maximum flexibility, Dirty Deeds and Seedy Characters presents the type of adventures found in modern noir crime fiction, where characters get wrapped up in a messy crime and have to fend for themselves.

In addition to providing adventure material, the Seedy Characters from the title are fully detailed and described, each with a background and plot hooks to use them as springboards to further adventures after the Dirty Deed is done.

This adventure tells the sordid tale of an adult film star wrapped up in a world of drugs, robbery and murder. The players can take the part of police investigating the affair, fellow drug addicts wrapped up in the robbery at the heart of the adventure, or hired killers paid to clean the whole thing up before the cops catch up to them.

The Voice of Reason

Owen Stephens talk. You listen.

Easily the best of the industry blog entries I have read on this subject.

Of course, the fact that he agrees with me helps immensely.

Chuck

Diplomacy

Diplomacy (Cha)
New Use (Get Product Reviewed)
This use of the Diplomacy skill may not be untrained.
Base DC 20
Product is not for D&D: +5
Company you work for is out of buisness: -5
Game lost money: -5

Time: This use of the Diplomacy skill takes 6-12 months. For every 5 points by which your skill check exceeds the base DC, subtract one month.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Of all the movies to get a sequel, I can honestly I never expected Elizabeth to get one. But I don't care. I fucking loved the first movie and the idea of a movie about the Spanish Armada is AWESOME.

Three academy award winners in the cast? Sign. Me. Up. Just hurry up and release this damn movie so you can take my money.

Maybe the finest picture ever taken

Or the greatest billboard of all time... or best graffitti... whatever... pick a category, and give this an all time award, because I freaking love this picture. It sums up my mood PERFECTLY.

Meltdown

So the net, it like exploded today.

Something about some magazines going digital.

And then it was ON!!!!

I've seen pregnant women get kicked in the stomach and provoke less of a response.

Since not everyone follows these things, here's a link.

But trust me, it's like looking into the sun. Just glance at it, then look away.

Managing Editor. Has a nice ring no?

RPGObjects is proud to announce that long-time writer and staffer Charles Rice has been hired for the position of Managing Editor.

This newly-created position will place Charles in control of the RPG side of RPGObjects, having full creative and editorial control.

Charles will be in charge of developing new lines and managing the growth of existing lines, such as RPGObjects popular Blood and Fists, Blood and Guts and Legends of Fantasy series of products.

As a part of this new direction, all submissions and inquiries should be directed to rpgchuck (at) gmail (dot) com

Iron Man!!!!!!

This. Rocks. So. Hard. I cannot wait to see this movie and every announcement, from Robert Downey playing Iron Man to this awesome pic, just makes me more eager to see it.

Modern Dispatch: Nazi Archaeology

I don't usually pimp other people's work here because, hey, they can get their own damn blog! But since Paul King is a friend and compatriot, and since this book should be of interest to folks buying my WWII stuff, I've made an exception:

As Hitler swept across Europe, he also searched artifacts that would enhance his power and his chances of staying in power. He deployed teams throughout the world to look for artifacts that would aid him. This team is but one of many that has been sent forth.

You can check out this 5-page PDF detailing a Nazi Archaeology squad here.

Good work Paul!

Friend of the Blog April bonus

Hey guys. As a reward for you, my beloved blog readers, Im offering a coupon through the end of the month on my latest book.

Visit the link by April 30th and it'll just cost you just a buck.

Clash of Kings: Guilds and Money released

Threepeat!

Damn, I don't owe Pat Riley 5 bucks now do I? I hope not, cause he looks the kind of guy who would collect. It's amazing what you can do with a simple baseball bat.

But enough of that, I'm not here to talk about modern money or my impending trademark suit from Pat Riley, no I'm here to talk about Clash of Kings: Guilds and Money.

This book presents a new core class, the Guildsman, a craftsman and merchant steeped in the politics of a medieval guild.

But wait! There's more!

This book also details the medieval British monetary system, including authentic coinage. It also includes a detailed discussion of guilds and their place in medieval society.

And to top it all off, the equipment tables from the core rules are re-priced into pounds and shillings for those who want to use the new coinage presented.

In short, I hope you'll like the historical jolt this little book can bring to your games. It's small but packed with historical goodness. I think it's my best solo release yet, though I'm still finding my legs.

Chuck

Clash of Kings: nobility reviewed

They like it, they REALLY like it.

Unfortunately, they don't love it.

Yes folks, Clash of Kings: Nobility now has its day in the staff review spotlight and though it stumbles a time or two, it does not go down.

Nathan seemed concerned that the class was something of a mix between a paladin, a rogue and a swashbuckling fighter. All I can say to that is, blame the historical nobility not me. They acted that way! I just translated it mechanically.

Still, a positive review overall and I recommend you read it in its entirety.

Here's the bullet points.

LIKED: - I liked the ability to pick between two different varieties of noble
- he history of the class is a good addition, and adds flavor
- The promotion system is slick, though it doesn't appear you can skip ranks
- its flawed but could be squeezed alongside the other core classes

DISLIKED: - the layout is weird in some places. for instance, the noblity specialty abilities run right into the other class abilities. It really should have been sectioned off. The noble promotions appear to be backwards, starting with the king and working its way down. There are also some minor grammar errors.
- The noble specialty abilities don't feel too fresh, a number of which are just copied from other classes. The class feels a slight bit more like a mesh up of rogue, paladin and fighter than a truly different class.

Thanks Nathan for taking the time to do such a thorough review.

Some things are so wrong they're right

Yanno... this dance number is equal parts hilarious and bad. Still, the hot blonde in the princess leia slave gear makes it all worthwhile.

Dancing a tango to the Star Wars theme still might be the weirdest thing since Bill Murray put words to it.

Best. Politician. Ever.

Apart from the very early days of this blog, when I was young and stupid, I've avoided politics. There's too much of that shit. I just want to talk about games.

But this guy. He got me to violate the rules. A radical Japanese politician. Awesome.

Telling the people watch you give a speech that you detest every single one of them? Priceless.



Japan has asked Youtube to remove this, so smoke em while you got em.

Incoming!

So I continue to be really, really busy. But this is a good thing.

It does, however, provide a convenient excuse for my somehwhat sporadic blogging of late.

So what's coming up? Well, I just finished the 1st draft of the Darwin's World True 20 conversion, and I'm working on another solo project in my historical fantasy series.

I'm also working on a freelance project for Ronin Arts that's not quite as far along. More on that when I can say.

Finally, this is a LITTLE more long range, I'm gearing up to do my first product under a new system for me, another step in spreading my wings a little, following my experimentation with True 20 (which I think has now blossomed into a full-blown addiction with four settings in various stages of completion) and then OSRIC.

I can't say the name of the system, but I will give you its initials: M and M.

Hmm... that's not very cryptic is it.

Clash of Arms: Cavalry review

Really nice staff review of Clash of Arms: Cavalry over at RPGNow. Here's a taste but I recommend you take a gander at the whole thing here:

Overall I found this to be a very interesting pdf. There's a lot of useful material, the mechanics and the flavor of the material support each other very well, and there's a lot more to this product than simply a core class. The only drawback remains that the class is extremely focused, but that shouldn't deter from using this material where it will be most appropriate. A nifty little pdf with some novel material that should complement many fantasy games.

The Gamer Traveler casts to your pod

Just wanted to let everyone know about a new podcast I discovered, it's by friend of the blog Daniel M. Perez of Highmoon Media. It's a podcast about gaming, and traveling. For fans of historical fantasy buffs (and I certainly wouldn't know any of THOSE) Daniel has been dishing good game ideas as a contributor to the Dragon's Landing podcast for awhile and now he's got even more room to dish out great ideas about gaming and traveling.

You can find more information about the Gamer Traveler here. And you can also listen and subscribe via Itunes, my personal favorite way to catch casts aimed at my pod.

Clash of Kings: Nobility released

Oops, I did it again. Got bored and wrote another little historical fantasy book. This one presents the Courtier class, along with information on titles of nobility found in European-flavored campaigns.