Geek debauchery

So, the boss is away at Gencon and I have a 12 pack of Corona and a Babylon 5 DVD from netflix.

Party.

Chuck

Another taste of Feeding Grounds

The "big event" at Gen Con this year (for me anyway) will be the Feeding Grounds Darwin's World adventure, which will be run by Chris Davis, owner of RPGobjects and writer of DW 2nd edition.

In honor of the upcoming debut of the adventure, here's another taste of flavor text:

Seconds ago you were laying down in the cryo-capsules at the heart of the Chicago Special Research center, a military force tasked with testing new weapons and tactics. In the armies formed in the days leading up to the war, robots and androids took over more and more of the dangerous field operations, while units like the 3^rd Special Research, nicknamed “the Specter” worked out tactics under controlled conditions that the robot units would perform in the field. Even more secret than its usual activities was the Cryo-Preservation Research (CPR) program that would put soldiers and citizens to sleep in case of a war or natural disaster that threatened humanity.

Summoned by your superior in the 3^rd Special Research, “Top”, the unit’s top sergeant, you immediately see on the secure news how grave the crisis is, much worse than what the bubbleminds are being fed on the vids outside. As you head for the nearest weapons locker to join the fight, Top orders you to stand down, “Nice idea but wrong play. Eve is ordering us to stand down. This is what we’ve been preparing for. We’re going to save the world. Save it by being the ones who live.”

As you lay down you heard the voice of Eve, the AI computer that coordinated the CPR program. She would also assume control of all robots in the city in the result of an emergency and use them to defend the sleeping soldiers, scientists and workers who would rebuild. As the mindless animal hordes of the enemy closed in on the city and missiles began being fired in earnest, you lay down and watched the tub slide closed above you, listening to the end of the world on news broadcasts drowned out by Eve’s soft, lilting voice “All members of 3^rd Special Research to your tubes for commencement of CPR procedures. This is not a drill. Assuming control of robot defense forces in Chicago Dome immediately per Project: Brave New World protocol. I repeat: All members of 3^rd Special Research to your tubes for commencement of CPR procedures. This is not a drill. This is not a drill”

Now seconds later by your reckoning, the tube is opening again, “Up! Up! Up! Move soldiers! Haven’t you slept long enough? Need another little 500 year nap?!? Let’s move! Let’s move! Let’s move!”

Everything light seems bright. Too bright. Every sound seems loud. Too loud. A part of your mind whispers that this is what being born must feel like. You wish you could cry as shamelessly as that child. But you are too well trained. Pulling yourself free of the sticky amniotic fluids in the tanks you walk, naked to the nearest shower, one thought sticking in your mind as you slowly return to full consciousness: “500 years”.

Sneak Peek: The Feeding Grounds

Welcome to a world gone insane.

Once brave soldiers ready to fight and die for America, you and your unit have awoke from cryosleep to find centuries have passed and the devastation of the Great War irreversible.

Intended as a cradle of humanity in case of a natural disaster, the facility where you have slumbered for centuries, where thousands others sleep and await to awaken and rebuild the world is being preyed upon by hideous cannibals. They’re farming the future of humanity, men women and children like corn. Only one thing stands in their way: you and your unit. Outnumbered a thousand to one.

They call it the Feeding Grounds. You are the food.

Monte is hanging up his spurs

From his site:

When I left Wizards of the Coast in 2001, I did so primarily to write fiction. I had some ideas for novels and other work, but I wanted to keep my foot in the gaming door as well. (Lots of you have read this story before, so I'll try to be succinct.) I lined up some freelance work to tide me over and started doing some of my own stuff as well. "My own stuff" quickly turned into Malhavoc Press, which blossomed suddenly and dramatically with a life all its own. Very quickly, it became clear that Malhavoc was something that I should focus all my efforts on, and that Sue should as well. Although not without a few bumps, it went wonderfully and it's still going wonderfully. Malhavoc has afforded me the freedom to do every game book I've wanted to do. Ptolus, in my mind, rivals 3rd Edition itself as the coolest thing I've ever produced.

But over the last five years, there's been a little nagging voice in my head. "Hey. Hey? This is great and all, but it's not why you went out on your own. What about all that other stuff you were going to do?" And that voice has only gotten louder as the years have passed. You see, I've worked on game material professionally since 1988 (in fact, it's all I've ever done). And it's been a great 18 years. But there are other areas I'd like to explore creatively. And in the last year or so, various doors have begun to open that have made some of my other goals suddenly a lot more attainable.

I have to say I greet this news with mixed emotions. Monte is one of my heroes, one of the only two game writers I go fanboy over. The other is Aaron Allston, who has also left the industry. I've had the chance to talk to both and they're exactly like you hope a professional role model would be when dealing with a fan: cool.

However, when I spoke with Aaron Allston via email, when I first started out and asked him for any advice as I was getting my writing career off the ground, he said "explore other possibilities, I don't think the RPG industry can sustain a career".

And now that Monte is leaving, I find myself wondering how long I *can* in fact continue in this industry. It's gotten me thinking. There's a lot (and I mean a lot) of things I could do and make more money. I love the creative outlet, but even that has diminished over time.

I dunno. Maybe it's time to "take steps" as Michael Beihn's crazed SEAL would say while cutting himself under the table in "The Abyss".

Chuck

I... might have spoken... too soon

Remember when I blogged about my non-d20 game saying it WOULD happen this time?

Man hubris sucks. Just ask Oedipus.

So after a chat with the boss, in which he actually confronted me with some design goals (as opposed to stream of consciously looping kewl mechanics together until it coagulates into a goopy game), the heart got ripped right out of my beautiful, innocent little non-d20 game.

That said, it seems to be rising from the grave as a lean mean vampire, so stay tuned.

Whoa- we're back

Dr Forester: "So, how did you fare going through the asteroid belt?"
Joel (rubbing his bottom): "Jeepers, don't remind me!"

16 days without an update. I think that might be a personal record for me.

So I've been a busy little writing bee of late, here's the highlights:

Updated Blood and Vigilance to version 1.1 with a tweak of the origin no one liked (Advanced Training) some new powers and stunts (you can play Rogue now- if you have the points anyway) and some little balance tweaks to Regeneration and Healing.

Blood and Vigilance: Mystic Arts, which allows you to play Doc Strange type characters. It also gives you the tools you need to play Thor, Crow or Angel. I really like this and it has sparked a full-on Buffy campaign using B&V here at Chateau Chuck.

Vossberg: Superhuman Max- I've taken the old-school prison sourcebook I did and reworked it into a new jack super-prison sourcebook. Never let it be said I let any cliche go unused.

And at the moment, I'm writing a non-d20 game.

No really this time! I think this one might actually get released and everything.

Chuck

Another perspective on adventures

From Lloyd Brown's excellent freelancing column at RPG.net. He agrees with the points I made fairly extensively which makes me think he must be a wise, sage observer of the market indeed.