Design Notes

We can still be friends D&D

2012-01-11T16:47:00.000-05:00

Of all the myriad reactions and responses to D&D 5th edition, this Grognardia post is easily my favorite. If you're excited for 5e, then you only went to the old school because you were a lover jilted by 4e and playing old school games was strictly your "rebound fling". James doesn't come right out and say it, but I guess unless you're completely disinterested and dismissive, I guess you aren't

Truth

2011-10-21T15:38:00.001-05:00

‎"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." HOWEVER, reading Ayn Rand gave us 2112. So,

The Old Ways

2011-09-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

My homebrew AD&D campaign set on the world of Arkara is about to kick into full swing again I think. When last we visited the world, Illanyra, high priest of Atos (the Holiest of Holies) had had kingship thrust upon him, bringing church and state together. As you might imagine, this is not going well for church or state. Especially since it seems like Atos might be going mad, and

Silent Running

2011-09-04T15:45:00.003-05:00

It's been pointed out to me by some folks that I've been quiet of late. Well, I recently sold Vigilance Press, which I talked about. I also recently got a day job and moved, which I haven't talked about. It wasn't planned, not that it matters. Sometimes life happens and we get to hang on, and during those times blogging winds up not happening. Several months ago I interviewed at Mayfair Games.

Vigilance Press blog is now live

2011-08-10T07:49:00.003-05:00

We've started a new blog specifically for the new Vigilance Press. Please mosey on over and read my thoughts about the very beginnings of Vigilance, as well as the future. I imagine the new boss (not the same as the old boss) will be along as well. You can still keep up with me here, as well, but for now, check out the new place! http://vigilancepress.blogspot.com/

Savage Afterworld reviews Books of the Wastes!

2011-08-04T10:40:00.002-05:00

Books of the Wastes is a little Mutant Future book I did, introducing some wasteland tomes that survived the Great Fire as well as a system for characters learning from books they find in the wasteland.Find out what the Savage Afterworld thought of this terrifying tome they found amidst the rubble!

The tropes have it

2011-08-01T08:39:00.002-05:00

For those continuing to predict the death of the superhero movie bubble- here is why that has now become impossible:Superhero tropes are now officially everywhere.Hanna Montana has a secret identity.Don Draper has a secret identity.Further- 9 of the highest grossing movies (adjusted for inflation) have plots or characters involving super-science or magic, or both. The number is 10 if you want to

Game Masters are entertainers

2011-08-01T06:58:00.002-05:00

For those playing the home game since our last post (yes, that is the royal we), I am now no longer sort of drunk. I am now full blown drunk.Anyway.I often hear game masters called failed novelists, or wannabe novelists, or aspiring novelists, as though this is some sort of insult.As TS Eliot once said, "they damn editors by saying they're failed writers- most writers are failed writers too".I am

(slightly) drunk musings of a writer

2011-08-01T05:00:00.002-05:00

Ran Modern20 tonight- post apocalypse gaming in the post-nuclear world of Fallout.I think, along with USHER Dossiers, Modern20 has to be the book I'm most proud of that I was ever involved with.A d20 game with no experience tables. Where the GM decides at his sole discretion when you gain levels (ha! how old school is that- eat it forgies).6 classes (and never EVER going to be any more).Where

Books of the Wastes

2011-07-27T18:51:00.002-05:00

Books of the wastes is a Mutant Future book that will allow your character to acquire new abilities from pre-war books found in the Wastes.Books included are:Alice's Gun AlmanacBetter Living HIGH Magazine"Big" Bill Hutchison's Guide to Business Influence and SuccessChairman Mao's Little Red Revolutionary HandbookMr. Fixit's Handy Dandy Advanced User ManualMr. Fixit's Handy Dandy Robot Repair

Christmas in July!

2011-07-26T05:04:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again: Christmas has come early to RPGNow- 5 months early in fact!All Vigilance Press books are 25% for the length of the sale, so if there's something you've been thinking about buying, your passivity has been rewarded! Click on the banner at the top and it will take you to our RPGNow storefront.

New Modern20 Occupation: Weaponsmith

2011-07-26T05:01:00.001-05:00

New Occupation: WeaponsmithYou are a master at creating archaic weapons.Professional Skills: Athletics, Engineering, WeaponsImproved Feats: Master Craftsman: one aspect of a weapon can be improved to +2; Attack Focus: when using a weapon of the chosen type that you created yourself, your attack bonus is increased to +2, for example, a character with Attack Focus (longsword) would gain a +1

Eternal War: modern USHER Dossiers adventure on the way

2011-07-16T14:15:00.002-05:00

Hey guys! Quick update here from the Land of Vigilancia!Just got an outline for Eternal War from Steve Perrin and it's shaping up!Eternal War pits the PCs against the three greatest villains from two different worlds, so it's not an adventure for the faint of heart.Trying not to be super spoilerific, though the astute will find a big clue in the title.The adventure takes place at locales such as

Vigilance Press nominated for fan favorite publisher at the Ennies!

2011-07-15T19:31:00.002-05:00

So go vote for us!And thanks to everyone who helped get us nominated!I got a few nods in my RPGObjects days for various things, but this marks Vig Press' first ennie nomination ever.Actually, this is the first year I submitted product. Prior to this, I felt like I was still figuring out what the heck I was doing.I submitted USHER Dossiers, Homefront Heroes and Field Guide Vol. 1, which didn't

1998: the best year in the history of video games Part 2

2011-07-14T09:57:00.002-05:00

Fallout 2Many of the great games in 1998 I am featuring here I didn't experience until later. Why? Mostly because I spent all my game time in 1998 playing Fallout 2. In a year of great games, this is without a doubt the best.Fallout 2 took the SPECIAL system, the underlying RPG rules set that powered Fallout, and changed it... not at all. Mechanically this is Fallout.They changed the interface to

Tech stuff- animated GIFs

2011-07-14T09:54:00.001-05:00

Does anyone know how to save an animated GIF to blogger so its, you know, animated?The above banner is supposed to have a few frames talking about RPGNow's Christmas in July sale.It's animated when saved to my desktop, but only the first image shows when I upload to Google.Any pro tips?

Thoughts about Nuclear Sunset

2011-07-12T07:23:00.003-05:00

So I have begun work on Nuclear Sunset: Northeast and it's got me excited all over again about the project in general.And apparently, I'm not alone, as the first book, Nuclear Sunset: Southwest is still in the top 15 list at RPGNow. That's an unusually long stay for me.But I digress into weird proud poppa mode.One of the things that popped into my head while Darrin and I were brainstorming this,

New from Vigilance Press: Invasion Oceania! (ICONS)

2011-07-11T17:15:00.003-05:00

The year is 1941 and the Nazi menace looms across Europe. Britain stands defiant but has been pushed to her limits. Without the support of her allies in Canada, America and Oceania, Hitler is convinced Britain will finally be brought to her knees. However, even Hitler's mighty U-Boat fleet cannot stand against the undersea kingdom of Oceania, staunch ally of Britain through WWI and now WWII.

BBC Transcript to be read in case of a nuclear attack

2011-07-11T16:09:00.004-05:00

As Dan Akroyd said in the Twilight Zone movie, "Want to see something scary"?BBC TRANSCRIPT TO BE USED IN WAKE OF NUCLEAR ATTACKThis is the Wartime Broadcasting Service. This country has been attacked with nuclear weapons. Communications have been severely disrupted, and the number of casualties and the extent of the damage are not yet known. We shall bring you further information as soon as

1998: the best year in the history of video games

2011-07-03T16:18:00.003-05:00

As gamers, there's games we all should play. As game designers, there's games we should study, games whose principles and techniques have shaped the games that came after.When a game is both of these things, it's a game that gets talked about. Other games get compared to it, often unfavorably. Games like this are so good, they even make continuing the franchise difficult.For game like that, 1998

John Byrne's MRO (most ripped off)

2011-06-29T21:37:00.004-05:00

In case you're curious, the Wolverine-Kitty Pryde would be the original that all these other folks are ripping the hell off. Err, homaging.

Guilty pleasures

2011-06-29T21:08:00.000-05:00

While three of the gorilla men secured Tarzan's wrists behind his back with a length of buckskin thong, the others renewed their attention to the tiger. Three or four of them would cast well-aimed cudgels at his face at intervals so nicely timed that the great beast could do nothing but fend off the missiles as they sped toward him. And while he was thus occupied, the other Sagoths, who had

The greatest fantasy writer of all time.

2011-06-29T20:48:00.001-05:00

Through the thicket was thrust a head of nightmare and lunacy. Grinning jaws bared rows of dripping yellow tusks; above the yawning mouth wrinkled a saurian-like snout. Huge eyes, like those of a python a thousand times magnified, stared unwinkingly at the petrified humans clinging to the rock above it. Blood smeared the scaly, flabby lips and dripped from the huge mouth.The head, bigger

Free speech hating idiots show they are still free speech hating idiots

2011-06-27T15:11:00.002-05:00

Leland Yee and his cronies have responded to the Supreme Court ruling:"What has happened today is that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided it's going to side with corporate America and Wal-Mart against our children," said Yee, as part of a press conference held today in San Francisco. "Because of the rejection of the California law, these games will continue to be sold to our children, these

Supreme Court: Video Games protected by 1st Amendment (7-2)

2011-06-27T14:40:00.003-05:00

Several years ago, California decided to that violent video games deserved the same, limited free speech protection as pornography.Not movies and books, though, its perfectly fine for those to be violent. Just video games. Why? Cause they're "interactive"!I often, just as soon as I get done banging my head on the nearest hard object, wonder if anyone who calls a video game "interactive" has ever

New Look

2011-06-27T12:20:00.002-05:00

Ahh, white text on a black background, the way all websites should be.Edited to add:Having heard that one reader hates it, what say the rest of you.Honestly, the old tan background was fine with me too, so if everyone dislikes the new look, speak up and I will revert to the old.

Building the future (or: Why I hate The Road)

2011-06-27T03:13:00.003-05:00

As someone who marches in the Apocalypse Pride parade every year, I am frequently met with surprise when I shudder at the mere mention of "The Road", Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalypse novel and the movie based on it.This came up recently when my dad offered me the SIX HOUR audio book adaptation, to which I replied "do you want me to kill myself"?He looked taken aback and then said, "this is

Ip Man 2: the RPGDesign review

2011-06-27T01:34:00.006-05:00

In a revelation that will shock almost no one, I am a huge fan of Asian cinema.Many of my favorite films are most definitely lighter fare, movies like Hard Boiled, without a doubt the best movie involving SWAT agents repelling from a burning hospital carrying babies ever made.Sometimes however, I come across a movie that really has something to say, in addition to a prodigious amount of ass

The First Open Gaming Movement

2011-06-24T18:03:00.004-05:00

The biggest single mistake WOTC made with 4e was the elimination of a true commitment to the OGL.See, as much as certain people would like it to be, tabletop RPGs are not passive forms of entertainment. That requires engagement.And of course, we had been through all this before. One of the great myths I encounter regularly in RPGs is that 3e was the first open edition of D&D.It was most

D&D is awesome

2011-06-24T16:56:00.002-05:00

To everyone predicting doom and gloom on D&D because of today's news-D&D is a much stronger brand than you think.Remember the end of the 2e days, when the game's creator had been shafted and shown the door by dishonest pricks that then plundered the company, mismanaged it into bankruptcy and sold it to an upstart CCG company?You know, on the eve of the hobby's greatest resurgence since AD&D?D&D

Savage Afterworld reviews Nuclear Sunset

2011-06-24T10:37:00.003-05:00

And they dug it!Go read the review of Nuclear Sunset: the Southwest, then bookmark Savage Afterworld, add it to your RSS feed or google reader or however you keep track of the good stuff, then enjoy.Seriously, if you want a slowly filled in FREE sourcebook for Thundarr the Barbarian (including lots of nifty monsters), then you should be hanging out at Savage Afterworld.And if you don't, you're

Free products for free RPG day

2011-06-17T17:20:00.002-05:00

Vigilance Press has made three of our products free for the weekend:Vigilance Force (M&M 3e)Vigilance Force (BASH)Vigilance Force (ICONS)World of ArkaraWargames (ICONS)

Interview with Chuck Rice on the Game's the Thing.

2011-06-17T13:37:00.001-05:00

Man, I love this guy!

What the world needs now

2011-06-13T15:31:00.002-05:00

Is more shots of Captain America punching Hitler IN HIS FACE!

So twitter is a thing on the internet

2011-06-12T10:15:00.002-05:00

Feel free to follow me there @rpgchuck

Nuclear Sunset: The Northeast

2011-06-11T16:33:00.001-05:00

“Brainstorm, Sire! The groundlings are back from the ruins! They bear books!” With a heavy sigh the large man stood, taking a moment to balance himself, but just a moment. He had long ago learned how to adjust for his oversized skull and the oversized brain it barely contained. Slowly, he moved toward the oversized, velvet backed

Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest

2011-06-07T18:43:00.001-05:00

Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest is the first installment in a post-apocalyptic campaign setting. Though written with Mutant Future in mind, this campaign is almost 100% mechanics-free and could easily be adapted to any post-apocalyptic rules set. Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest contains a map of the region, description of settlements and ruins and a full slate of post-apocalyptic organizations,

More art goodness from Nuclear Sunset

2011-06-01T00:37:00.002-05:00

I have Nuclear Sunset: The Southwest

2011-05-23T22:36:00.002-05:00

It's in my hand!Right now!

So, someone reviewed Blood and Guts 2005

2011-05-23T22:19:00.002-05:00

Holy wayback machine Batman!And just to be crystal clear- I think this is COOL :)

Return of the World Metahuman Factbook for ICONS

2011-05-18T14:49:00.001-05:00

A looooong time ago (like, a couple years) back, some of the first solo books I did for the reincarnated Vigilance Press were two World Metahuman Factbooks, looks at Germany and Austrailia from a supers point of view for the 4C system.I've now rebooted the line as part of USHER, redoing the WMF Germany for ICONS.Check it out!

Nuclear Sunset: still on the way!

2011-05-18T14:29:00.002-05:00

Hey guys, took a side trip through the asteroid field ("jeepers! don't remind me!") but now I'm back.Been working on the Southwest region of Nuclear Sunset, the "cowboys vs. terminator vs. aliens" part of the world.As you can probably guess, it's going to be leap years more "wahoo" than other PA settings on the market, which is just how I like it.Currently in the logistics phase, aka "how do I

Turns out there's a reason I hate moving

2011-04-26T00:26:00.002-05:00

Prior to returning to Fla, I had lived in one place for @10 years. Prior to that, I had had the same apartment for 4 years.When I moved back home, I initially wanted to stay put for a long time. But it turns out, the trailer I picked on the internet was um... well, I was there 4 months, ok?The new place is much better, but I did get a nice reminder of why I hate moving, even just moving across

Secret Project X-13

2011-04-21T01:49:00.004-05:00

So I am currently working on the first ever new RPG I'll be designing from the ground up.It's called Medical Mystery, and it's an attempt to emulate TV shows like House MD, ER, MASH and Scrubs.The game has no combat.Players are the members of a medical team, tackling cases that come their way, using their skills to advance through three stages of a case.Cases (which are the equivalent of

Dry County

2011-04-19T05:41:00.003-05:00

One thing writers do that most people don't imagine them doing is nothing.Writers spend a lot of time just letting their mind wander, looking for that new field to plant a seed.I suppose there might be writers who don't need to do this, that always have a great idea in their back pocket ready to go. But most of us need to do nothing for awhile until our mind latches onto the next thing.I'm not

Top 10 books, Jan through March

2011-03-27T16:10:00.003-05:00

I've posted these occasionally, though I'd do it again for those interested.Top Selling Books for January, 20111. Field Guide to Superheroes, Vol. 22. Moreau-1 Files (tie); Battlescenes: Death from Below (tie)4. Stormtroopers of the Deep5. Field Guide to Superheroes, Vol. 1 (tie); The Ice Palace (ICONS)7. Crown Guard: Heroes of WWII (BASH) (tie); Battlescenes: Der Panzer Ritter9. Battlescenes:

Wargames: Death Mask (ICONS)

2011-03-27T00:49:00.000-05:00

Wargames: Death Mask (ICONS): "Wargames: Death Mask (ICONS)"The next in our ongoing series of Cold War themed supers for ICONS is the devious, steel-headed villain Death Mask! Death Mask (aka James Moraity) is a brilliant but twisted genius. While posing as a legitimate businessman, he channels his billions into P.H.A.N.T.O.M., a private terrorist force that uses subtle manipulation and

Homefront Heroes: We Can Do It!

2011-03-25T19:35:00.002-05:00

This is my personal favorite of the Homefront Heroes art pieces. I always loved propaganda posters from WWII from an art standpoint.

Homefront Heroes: Speed Racers

2011-03-24T21:43:00.001-05:00

More art!

Homefront Heroes: Rooftop Patrol

2011-03-22T23:58:00.001-05:00

Coming soon from Vigilance Press: Homefront Heroes

2011-03-20T19:03:00.003-05:00

Coming soon from Vigilance Press.In the Golden Age of comics, most of the heroes were not actually "over there". This new book in our WWII line, written by gaming legend Steve Perrin of Runequest fame, incorporates those heroes left behind.Though they are not in the war, there is still adventure to be had, fighting enemy saboteurs and collaborators.They are Homefront Heroes.

Loving on Jack

2011-03-11T21:49:00.002-05:00

And to be clear, in case you're in the midst of writing me an email, loving Stan does not mean I have any less respect for Jack.Jack Kirby is the greatest comic artist of all time. John Byrne comes next in my book, but the gap is HUGE.Part of what I was trying to say (probably not well) in the Stan post is that I never felt I needed to pick a side when it came to Stan and Jack.

Hating on Stan Lee

2011-03-11T21:29:00.003-05:00

Apologies in advance for a longish, rambling non-gaming post.This is an attitude I encounter occasionally, and it always sort of floors me when I run into it.A lot of the dislike Stan Lee gets seems to be that he did better than many of his contemporaries. He got the money, he has lived a long life, he has become a mainstream icon and he seems genuinely HAPPY.Especially compared to Jack Kirby,

Vigilance Press is turning 9

2011-03-10T19:55:00.003-05:00

Ok, so here's what we'll do:If you'd like to help me celebrate VGP's 9th birthday, send in a supervillain, with ICONS stats and a full background.I'll pick the winner, and commission a full color picture of the villain from Jon Gibbons.That villain will then be featured in an upcoming Vigilance Press product, The Forever War, written by me.If I get enough entries that I like, I might declare

Vigilance Press' Birthday is coming

2011-03-09T13:41:00.004-05:00

During a conversation with a friend, in which we were talking about just how long I have anticipated technological changes, like really good e-book readers with built-in Wi-Fi, it occurred to me the other day that I've been doing this e-book thing a long, long time.So I did some digging through my records, and it turns out Vigilance Press will be nine years old in April.I'm actually pretty jazzed

USHER Dossiers gets another 5-star review

2011-02-25T21:21:00.004-05:00

Thanks Joe for the great review!I like this one so much I'm going to quote it, also, cause USHER Dossiers is my baby.Over the last decade, Charles Rice has shared bits and pieces of his amazing USHER superhero setting with us through various game systems (like d20 Modern) and publishers (RPGObjects and his own Vigilance Press), so I was thrilled to hear that he was doing this definitive work,

Nuclear Sunset: Darrin Drader and Charles Rice to pen new Mutant Future setting through Vigilance Press

2011-02-20T00:11:00.003-05:00

Darrin Drader, author of WOTC's d20 Apocalypse and Charles Rice, author of the Fertile Crescent Gazetteer for RPGObjects, are teaming up to write Nuclear Sunset (working title), a full campaign setting for the OSR post-apocalypse game, Mutant Future.Even better, you can watch the design unfold and comment on the work in progress here.So come join the fun!

All Vigilance Press books reduced to 2.00 or less!

2011-02-11T15:03:00.002-05:00

Vigilance Press has adopted the "app pricing" model pioneered by Gareth Michael Skarka of Adamant Entertainment.Until further notice, all our PDFs are 2.00 or LESS.Just check out the links to your right, and look at all the fine books we have in Modern Fantasy, Old-School Fantasy, and Supers.Chuck

Sword's Edge is back

2011-02-10T12:22:00.003-05:00

Sword's Edge Publishing, run by my friend Fraser Ronald, is coming back in a big way it seems.They have 5 books on the horizon: Arcane Kingdoms; Sword Noir, the roleplaying game of hardboiled sword and sorcery; Kiss my Axe, thirteen warriors and an angel of death; a Sword Noir short story collection, and a sword noir adventure.All of this sounds exciting to me, especially the idea of a new RPG,

USHER Dossiers review round up!

2011-02-08T16:07:00.002-05:00

It's early going, but some reviews have already landed for the USHER Dossiers!Here's the two early entries:Tommy Brownell gave the book 4 stars and had this to say: As far as I'm concerned, and no disrespect intended to anyone else, but Vigilance Press is the best thing to happen to the ICONS game, period. It's not just the volume of support, as impressive as that is, but it is the quality of

Wednesday is comic book day at Vigilance Press!

2011-02-08T16:05:00.000-05:00

Wednesday is a day supers fans know well.It's the day we make our weekly sojourn to the comic shop and see the latest triumphs and tragedies of our favorite heroes and heroines.Lately, you can't even buy a comic for less than 3.99 but at Vigilance Press, we think that's just wrong.So, between now and midnight Wednesday, Field Guide to Superheroes Vol. 1, Field Guide to Superheroes Vol. 2,

USHER Dossiers out now from Vigilance Press!

2011-01-31T16:08:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the USHER Dossiers! The official setting for the “Vigilance Universe” that has appeared in our popular WWII line is now put under the spotlight. It is a world where metahumans have existed for tens of thousands of years, walking alongside ordinary men and women, sometimes in secret, other times reshaping the world to suit their desires. In ancient times, men called these

Field Guide to Superheroes Vol. 2

2011-01-09T18:11:00.001-05:00

The Field Guide Vol. 2 continues the definitive encyclopedia of superhero archetypes in modern comics. Written by Jason "Dr. Comics" Tondro, who studied comics for his PhD in Literature, the Field Guide is a gold mine of ideas and inspiration for your next hero. After a discussion of each archetype generally, the Field Guide then gives a fully fleshed out hero, suitable for immediate use as a

Keep and throw away

2010-12-23T04:05:00.003-05:00

Did anyone else play this "game" as a child?When I would build up too much crap in my room, we'd "play" keep and throw away.Get a garbage bag, some stuff stays that you still want, most of it goes.Old clothes, toys you no longer used, etc. We took it and dropped it off at the goodwill, where I can only assume most of it went into the garbage, but as a kid I always felt better thinking some

Old Allies

2010-12-23T02:45:00.002-05:00

I really love that USHER Dossiers cover.My initial idea for the image was ghostly figures of Old Glory and the Savant in happier times in the background, and their unhappy present in the foreground.Jon Gibbons had the idea to make the background a picture from VE day.This would be one reason, among about a billion, that he's an artist and I'm not.

Move over Heinlein.

2010-12-23T02:37:00.002-05:00

Battlestar Galactica (this one) is the greatest entry in the military science fiction genre of all time.

A message from THE FUTURE

2010-12-21T16:28:00.004-05:00

So as mentioned just seconds ago, we'll be going dark for a bit as I move from frigid New England to sun-kissed Florida.Here's a preview of what the new year holds in store for fans of Vigilance Press.USHER Dossiers: The full story of the Vigilance-verse can now be told, and it will be.Field Guide: Volume 2 of Jason Tondro's definitive encyclopedia of heroic archetypes.Steve Perrin's Homefront

Time to move. I got bad guys to send to commie heaven.

2010-12-21T16:21:00.003-05:00

So Vigilance Press will be going dark after Christmas, until a couple weeks into January.I am moving to Florida, and in the meantime will be taking that cross country move with my bio-dad, so it's not a plane ride move so much as a vacation/move combo.This will definitely break our streak of weekly releases, which we managed to keep going for over 3 months now.It's been a great run and I'm sorry

USHER Dossiers preview: Cover

2010-12-13T17:51:00.003-05:00

Here's the gorgeous cover to the upcoming USHER Dossiers. The central image is called "Old Allies" and is a Jon Gibbons piece. It shows Old Glory and the Savant (aka Captain Miracle) in WWII, strangely happier times, and today.Cover design by the awesome Dan Houser.

Minuteman v. HUAC, from the USHER Dossiers

2010-12-12T14:15:00.002-05:00

Transcript of closed-door Congressional hearing, held in 1946 in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Testimony of Committee members in bold, testimony of Minuteman in normal type. “Sir, please state your full name for the record before we proceed.” “I came here under the agreement that I would identify myself only as the Minuteman.” “Yes, well, we discussed that after

(ICONS) Werewolves of the Gestapo, new from Vigilance Press

2010-11-28T21:06:00.002-05:00

We just received word that Jean Fontaine, a high-ranking member of the French Resistance was kidnapped by some new kind of superhuman Gestapo field agents. Our sources inform us that he has been spirited away to a mansion in a wooded area near Stausberg and is under heavy meta-human guard while the Gestapo's best interrogators work him over. If he breaks, he could compromise the entire French

USHER Dossiers Preview: The Forever Man

2010-11-28T19:42:00.002-05:00

Got this today in my email and just had to share.

A personal note about the Field Guide

2010-11-28T17:01:00.001-05:00

Hey guys, something was mentioned in a recent review, and its been mentioned to me privately a few times in emails from folks who bought the Field Guide, so I thought I'd take a second to address it.What I'm talking about is the lack of search text and copy/paste.The Field Guide PDF is not protected. I don't believe in DRM beyond watermarks and never use them.However, the Field Guide was built

Sure, you wrote one of the greatest game books of all time, but what ELSE have you done?

2010-11-28T06:22:00.004-05:00

Shorter MerricB: Sure, you guys designed Gamma World, Deities and Demigods, Red Box, BECMI, Temple of Elemental Evil and edited Dragon Magazine for its first three years, but what ELSE have you done to lay claim to being significant game designers.There is no way to express how hard that post makes me roll my eyes.But I tried anyway.

USHER Dossiers: People you'll meet (Part 4)

2010-11-16T14:43:00.002-05:00

Interview for MNN’s Veterans Day coverage, looking back at the contributions and sacrifices of Metahumans to America in wartime. Interviewer is in bold, Old Glory in normal type. “Well, thank you for joining us, General! I’ve done some big interviews but never anything like this. What would you prefer to be called, General, Old Glory, something else?” “Chris, please, Ma’am. I never really

New for ICONS, Field Guide to Superheroes!

2010-11-14T21:17:00.002-05:00

The Field Guide Volume 1 is the definitive encyclopedia of superhero archetypes in modern comics. Written by Jason "Dr. Comics" Tondro, who studied comics for his PhD in Literature, the Field Guide is a gold mine of ideas and inspiration for your next hero. After a discussion of each archetype generally, the Field Guide then gives a fully fleshed out hero, suitable for immediate use as a PC

USHER Dossiers: People you'll meet (Part 3)

2010-11-14T12:27:00.000-05:00

Exclusive: She brings you the metahuman scene as only a metahuman can. She's a reporter with superpowers and flying robot cameras, with the super agility to follow metahuman battles as they take place.Since she burst on the scene 20 years ago, she's gone from plucky freelance journalist, to buying time infomercial style at 3am, to hosting the

USHER Dossiers: People you'll meet (Part 2)

2010-11-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

The Minuteman: In 1775 a lone, wounded minuteman discovered a stranded, dying time traveler outside Lexington, Connecticut. After giving him a proper burial, he kept his time manipulator for himself and used it to wage a one-man guerrilla campaign against the hated British occupying his beloved Manhattan.As he lay dying, he passed the time piece

USHER Dossiers: People you'll meet (Part 1)

2010-11-10T17:37:00.003-05:00

The first in a series letting you know some of the people you'll meet in Vigilance Press' upcoming setting, the USHER Dossiers. USHER (United States Headquarters for Emergency Response): Since WWII USHER has defended America from all metahuman threats, both foreign and domestic. Today this organization consists of the Atlas Battalion, the Blue

New from Vigilance Press: The Ice Palace (ICONS)

2010-11-07T15:22:00.002-05:00

In the last days of WWII, in a secret fortress buried in the Antarctic ice, a devious mastermind is hatching a strategy that will land a knockout blow on the Allies and hand victory to the Nazis. The world hangs in the balance. Can your heroes stop this madman in time? *** This scenario is intended for ICONS characters in the late World War 2 era. You could easilyincorporate (either as PCs or

Interview with the Forever Man (from the USHER Dossiers)

2010-11-02T09:49:00.001-05:00

Recorded October 2nd, 1999, for convenience, interviewer’s transcription is in bold, Forever Man in normal type; special thanks to Exclusive for the rights to include this interview for our dossiers. “No… no, it’s fine, I can just record the audio if you’re not comfortable with the camera. There, how’s that? Ok? Good. So, let’s start at

Vigilance Press at Paizo

2010-10-28T17:52:00.001-05:00

Our products are now on sale at Paizo's download store.I've added a few of our most recent PDFs and will be uploading more as time permits.http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/v/vigilancePress

Trail of Links

2010-10-26T02:59:00.004-05:00

So, it's 4am and I am working on the USHER Dossiers, my upcoming ICONS superhero setting.I paused for a moment to fire off an email about art, and when I closed that tab, I noticed I had the following google search tabs open:1. Natty Bumpo2. Dime Novel3. Colorado Territory4. Trail of Tears5. American Civil WarI don't know about you, but seeing those open tabs involved in writing a supers setting

Blitzkrieg London (ICONS) WWII adventure

2010-10-24T19:17:00.002-05:00

Spring, 1944. The war is going very badly for the 3rd Reich and Nazi commanders decide the only hope lies in a daring raid conducted by their elite Eugenics Brigade. The target: British and American commanders conducting planning sessions in the heart of London. Your goal: defeat the Eugenics Brigade and protect Allied commanders, regardless of the cost.Check it out!

USHER Dossier: Old Gods

2010-10-20T02:07:00.002-05:00

You often hear superheroes referred to as "new gods".In fact, during a period after he co-created the Marvel Universe, Jack Kirby went to DC and created a group called the New Gods.I knew for my upcoming ICONS campaign setting, the USHER Dossiers, I would be treating the "old gods" as supers (not that original) but I decided to lay down some ground rules to give it an earthier and more realistic

Public Enemies (ICONS)

2010-10-17T18:15:00.002-05:00

To all law enforcement agencies: this confidential profile of offenders incarcerated in USHER's Rock City facility is provided in case of escape. These criminals are superhumanly powerful and should not be approached without assistance from USHER, the Crown Guard, Aegis or the New Coalition. After these agenices have been notified, assist in clearing civilians from the area and setting up a

Confession: Fallout 3 is the best Fallout game

2010-10-13T21:44:00.002-05:00

AKA The Bed Under the BridgeLike all right-thinking gamers of a certain vintage, I am completely in love with the Fallout series. I played the crap out of1 and 2, played through the "Tactics" game just to see how it furthered the story, and even suffered through (all the way to the end mind you) the bad, bad, verybad action RPG on the PS2, which I bought sight unseen because- dude it said Fallout

Review of Civ 5 up at Suite 101

2010-10-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

Check out my review of the latest installment of the Civilization series here.

People's Revolution for ICONS

2010-10-10T23:59:00.001-05:00

The Soviet super-team, the People's Revolution, was formed by the Kremlin in 1941 in response to demands from the Red Army for an organized force to counter the Nazi's super soldier forces. Although the British and American super soldiers receive the most attention and glory (at least in Western histories), the WW2 era People's Revolution team fought arguably the hardest, bloodiest and most

Huh, I guess I like Civ 5

2010-10-09T13:44:00.003-05:00

So... this game has been out... 18 days. In other words, I've been playing an average of 4 hours of Civ 5 every day.

Chuck is moving- so a special, probably once in a lifetime sale

2010-10-08T17:32:00.006-05:00

Ok, as some of you may know, as I've mentioned it on Facebook, I am moving from Massachusetts to Florida in a couple of months.So I need to get rid of some stuff, and raise some cash.So, I am selling some things that are near and dear to my heart, that might have some appeal to you folks.I am going the PBS route and offering autographed author's copies of books I've written over the years. I'll

Battlescenes: Undead Stormtroopers for ICONS

2010-10-07T23:43:00.003-05:00

That's right, the fall of ICONS-y supers-y goodness from Vigilance Press continues with Battlescenes: Undead Stormtroopers!What's more guilt free than killing Nazis? Why killing Nazis that are already dead of course!As the Allies close in from the East and West, Nazi mad scientists and cultists at Castle Grunerwald have unlocked dark secrets and are raising undead legions to save the Reich from

Pearl Harbor December, Villains of WWII for ICONS

2010-10-06T15:51:00.001-05:00

We have driven your navy from the seas. We have seized all strategic points to allow us to project power over waters that will belong to us for 1,000 years. Soon, we will unite Asia and the South Pacific into a Co-Prosperity Sphere. And we know of the force you are training, the so-called Vigilance Force. Do not bring this force, or any of your ships into the Pacific or they will be

Crown Guard, Heroes of WWII for ICONS

2010-09-27T01:53:00.001-05:00

On the eve of the Battle of Britain, it was time for Churchill to pay the price for his defiance of Hitler. For the glory of the Thousand Year Reich, Hitler had decreed that his enemy, the British "warmonger" must die at the hands of his "children of the Aesir". Once this was done, and fire rained from the skies courtesy of the German Luftwaffe, Hitler would order Britain to surrender or the

Zero Hour

2010-09-21T04:23:00.002-05:00

GHKSSJKLAHKCKKDS (Civ 5 head explosion edition)

2010-09-20T14:40:00.003-05:00

So yeah, Civ 5 goes live in 19 hours.Is anyone else rolling their head on their keyboard while they drool in excitement?That's normal right?

Eugenics Brigade (ICONS) released

2010-09-20T02:33:00.002-05:00

New for Steve Kenson's ICONS superhero roleplaying game.In 1938, Germany had the world's first team of meta-humans at their disposal, aiding the fascist regime in its rapid climb to dominance over Western Europe. Capable of teleporting anywhere in the world, they could assassinate the head of foreign governments who failed to capitulate to Nazi demands and often killed enemy generals on the

For some reason this is exactly how I picture a day at the office for Stan Lee

2010-09-18T03:27:00.002-05:00

Geek and Gamer Girls Song

2010-09-18T02:24:00.002-05:00

EMBED-Geek and Gamer Girls Song - Watch more free videosI love this.I mean, it's a video with hot dames talking about questing in Hyrule and when they said "Where Rand al'Thor still reigns supreme" I thought I was going to choke on my coffee.

Brainstorming next OSRIC book

2010-09-17T02:40:00.003-05:00

I am working on my next Old School _____ book.In that exciting phase where things are being thrown against the wall, and I get to watch what sticks.Still too early for me to really talk about it, though like all the Old School books it will be meaty.