Dig where you stand.

Over on G+ a Swedish larper by the name of Elin Dalstal of recently mentioned something in one of her posts that I really liked.

This is where the digging comes in. ”Dig where you stand!” is Swedish proverb. It means sort of ;”Start with your own community's knowledge and skills”, ”“Start with what you have skills for, with what you know!”, ”Take charge of the problem yourself” or ”Work with the local community”.

This struck me as something the RPG community could learn from.  Especially when it comes to local real life communities and not just the ones that have developed online.  Not to mention showing support for those who are already doing this.  Hell it's something that I need to do more often as well.

With the advent of the internet and it crawling into everything we do I've noticed the collapse of old fashioned local gaming communities.  While in no way am I saying doing things online is bad, I don't see going that direction as your only outlet a healthy way of doing things. The close knit feelings that used to develop among gamers seems to be fading out more and more.  Something that I feel needs to be fixed.

Even I'll admit to slowly pulling away from the locals and being more at the keyboard in the last few years.  Now I've managed to keep some ties nice and strong as well as helping promote the local game scene as best I can.  Pushing local game publishers online, attempting to bring a local game con back to the area, things like that.  But its not nearly as much as I used to do, and I miss that.

There needs to be an effort, a movement, to get gamers back out in the local communities.  After all that is where many of us started and its where we can still bring several more back into the fold.  Forming local communities, keeping in touch with each other and building a strong local base.  Revive small local cons again, use the online tools at our fingertips to create contact points for locals, promote each other and what they are good at.  Rebuild a strong base community from the ground up once again.

So what can you do to 'Dig where you stand' in your local community? 

Eoris Essence saved from the shredder

Back in 2010 a RPG called Eoris Essence was released.  It was two very nice looking hard cover books in a slip case.  The art was pretty damned high quality and the overall appearance of the books was jaw dropping.  A lot of work had gone into producing this game and you could see it dripping off of each page.

For some reason I had never heard of it until recently.  Apparently it got some talk when released but just didn't catch on.  From what I've heard there was a price tag of somewhere around a hundred bucks attached to it (no proof just what others have told me) and that would definitely keep a game from selling in the RPG market.

So on rpgnet the people who own the game made the following post:

"We are very sorry to inform that on February the 15th 2015 the remaining books of Eoris Essence will be destroyed. We simply do not have the resources to keep the books in storage anymore and have no alternate choice.

This is the last week to get a copy.

We love and appreciate those who followed us during these harsh years and apologise to those who could have gotten a book but will not be able to.

Sincerely,

Daniel Torres "

The thread on rpgnet can be found here.

Of course I went and took a look at what they were talking about since this was the first I had ever heard of the game.  Just judging from what they have up on their site I was impressed.  Then I clicked over to Amazon and checked out the price and they had reduced it to 30 dollars.  So I picked up a copy.

Find the Eoris website here.

Find Eoris Essence on Amazon here.

Having received my copy I will say that this is a hefty pair of books.  Solid production with quality above and beyond just about anything else on the market.  A bit of fast reading gives me the impression that the base mechanics are a bit similar to early Storyteller from White Wolf except using D20's.  While the setting is really detailed and would probably take a good while to be absorbed.  That's my quick impression.

Evidently enough people went and bought books that the folks behind the game could rent the warehouse space from Amazon for another semester.  So I'm guessing they still have quite a few books on hand to sell.  So please go give a look to what they have up on their site and see if' it's something you would like to add to your collection.  If anything just the visual appearance of the book alone is something nice to have around.

Kickstarter: City of the Lich

Second Thought Games has their third Kickstart project up and live now.  It's about at the half way point time wise and is about 75% funded.  So lets hit up on some of the details that have been revealed.

Find the City of the Lich Kickstarter page here.

First off I asked about the map.  After looking at the provided link to the person who they have hired to create it and their samples I was impressed.  So I enquired if they were going to be doing a full poster sized map as was done with Ryubix Manor.  The answer was no, but they were going to do something better.

" City of the Lich will be printed in the style of the OSR modules of yore: The cover will not be attached to the manuscript, allowing the GM uninterrupted access to the City Map printed on the inside left cover. The inside right cover includes the Location Key, names of all Clans, Clan Elders, and Random City Encounter Tables. Stand it up and use it as a impromptu GM Screen! The map inside the cover will be in full color, while a b/w Player's Copy is included in the manuscript (without location key, of course) to be laid on the table. "

Ah sweet some old school goodness in the style.  Afterwards somebody asked if the image will be provided to backers so they could have it printed out poster sized if hey wanted.  Their answer, again, was one that we wanted to hear as backers.

"Sure! We'll provide a link to an .eps image of the City Map to all digital/physical backers at fulfillment. My wife (the technical half of STG) tells me an .eps image can be blown up without losing definition."

Second they have been providing images of some of the work being done by their artists. This has been shown in the updates section.  Allowing you to get a good idea with the over all 'look' the book is going for. 

Hopefully for a project with a low funded amount, that is already fully written and is from some folks who have a track record for getting their electronic rewards out on time and the physical rewards only slightly behind, they can get a full funding on this.  With only one stretch goal to reach as well, they should do well.

You can find their previous books available in pdf at the usual places.

Ryubix Manor at DrivethruRPG.
Ryubix Manor at RPGNow.

Liber Elixirium at DrivethruRPG.
Liber Elixirium at RPGNow.

You can also find them in print at the Second Thought website.

Ryubix Manor in print.
Liber Elixirium in print.

Tabletop RPG Kickstarters - Things to do part two

For the second piece of advice for those wanting to start up their own RPG Kickstart project is a bit of what you want to do and what you DON'T want to do.  Let's talk about something that can make a project soar at the backing stage and then sink unbelievably at the delivery stage.  It's time to talk about stretch goals.

Everybody seems to like stretch goals.  It adds more in for the backer and it can create a much better product in the end.  But if you unfamiliar with the costs and expenses of doing some of these it can utterly ruin your budget.  There have been plenty of folks with stretch goals that include game screens, extra books, all sorts of swag and what not.  All these cost extra money, most will budget that out and figure up the numbers they need.  What many forget is that if you can't get all of these physical rewards done at the same time you may end up delaying and delaying shipping anything out until they arrive.  I mean if you try to send them out as you get them then you are doubling or even tripling your shipping costs PER BACKER. 

This can be especially bad if one of your stretch goals is another physical book being promised.  The weight can increase shipping costs.  Also if you didn't follow things to do part one with your stretch goal as well then your backers are going to have to wait for you to write it as well.  Not a good thing. 

Another thing many of us Kickstarter fans have seen is the swag stretch goals backfiring.  Again, could delay shipping, or the quoted costs you get could change over night.  Most companies that produce these aren't bound by their quoted estimate.  They can change things up if they feel the cost to produce a mold is more costly than they thought.  Those pins may have been a quote for a size you didn't want or even worse the quote could be for if you order over a certain amount.  An amount you may not even get close to needing.

What are some good goals for an RPG book?  Upgrading the actual material quality of the book.  Better binding, going hardback or even leather bound, better paper, things like this can make your product look and feel better when it hits the backers hands. 

Also if you insist on extra material, companion guides or what not then make them a non-physical reward.  A pdf that will be sent out when its completed and ready to go.  So you can ship the book when you get them in without having to worry about extra shipping costs.  Be sure to tell your backers a rough estimate of when they'll get them... give yourself plenty of time if you insist on breaking the 'write it first' rule. 

Now most of this advice is for small start up companies and the people publishing books out of their homes.  The bigger companies already know most of the costs in printing, shipping, etc from years of experience.  They also know how fast they can get extra material written using freelancers and have a game plan for using extra swag to sell or as a promotion at conventions... so they can order the big amounts. 

Part three coming ... eventually... sometime... someday.... (see why I don't do my own Kickstarter project).

Cyberpunk 2020 Valentines Sale

You have to love it when game companies run sales.  Right now over at Drivethrurpg R. Talsorian is having a Valentines sale on what are considered a few of the essential books for Cyberpunk 2020.

Included in this sale is the core rulebook of course, then the two combined Chromebooks and finally Blackhands Street Weapons.  For those who don't know they combined Chromebooks one and two into one volume and three and four into another volume.  So go get them while they are cheap.

Find them at Drivethrurpg here.
Find them at RPGNow here.

Now while they aren't on sale I would also recommend Night City (at six bucks it's a deal) and Listen Up You Primitive Screwheads (for only seven bucks).  Night City just being a great resource guide and just brimming with NPCs, locations and adventure hooks galore.  While Listen Up is a damn good GM's guide by just about any standard. 

The Essential Guide to Potions and Oils.

Second Thought games recently complete their second Kickstarter and delivered the pdf and print copies to their backers.  Liber Elixirium: The Essential Guide to Potions and Oils is now available to the general public (they like their backers to have it first). They have really gone out of their way to make this book as good as they could. 

The book is a made to resemble a text book for student potion makers.  Covering the necessary tools needed to do the work, information about the ingredients and plenty of potions and their recipes on how to brew them up.  There are no game system mechanics present as it's meant to be system neutral.

Here is the original Kickstarter for the book.

They did a lot right on their Kickstarter.  The book was written before they started, offered a nice preview, constant contact with backers and listened to their feedback, some of which changed the appearance of the book.  Also they went with sensible stretch goals in the form of upgrades to the printing quality of the book.  Then delivered the pdf on time and the print book was only a couple weeks late.  Which might as well be considered early when it comes to RPG projects.

It's available in pdf at the usual places.  Also the special edition leather bound version is available at their site.

Find it on Drivethrurpg here.
Find it on RPGNow here.
Find the print copy here.

They have also released some alternate potion affects and list showing the potions OGL equivalent on their site for free downloads.  Along with doing a video on how to 'age' your book to make it look worn and used.

Find the downloads here.
Watch the video on Youtube here.

Not to be setting on their haunches and enjoying the success of a Kickstarter they are working on more future releases.  The first is an adventure called "City of the Lich" which can be used as a follow up to their previous release "Ryubix Manor" or dropped into any existing campaign and is already up on Kickstarter.  Along with a companion book to go beside Liber Elixirium called: Liber Venificii: The Essential Guide to Poisons and Venoms. 

Find the City of Lich Kickstarter here.

Looking forward to seeing both of these products in the future.

Dirty Six Pack - Six magic items from the naughty side of things.

Dirty Six Pack

Six modern magic items that fall into a bit of the naughty side of things.

Presented with stats for the WaRP system.

Strippers Dollar

Looks like an ordinary dollar in every fashion, a bit worn and well used. These are specifically made for businesses of erotic natures, almost always strip clubs. The staff are immune to the effects and the dollar loses all power if removed from the premises for more than a day.

Usually handed out a change or in requests for ones at the bar. What this does is make the person who possess it want to spend all their money at the location. Including withdrawing cash from their checking accounts at a convenient nearby ATM and every cent on them. The main urge for spending is on either the strippers for any activity they can purchase or for more alcoholic beverages to drink.

A completely sober person can roll to resist this urge with a difficulty factor of 7. But the more they drink the harder it is to resist. A few drinks raises it to 11, a good buzz raises it to 14t and getting full drunk raises it to 18. For this reason the staff are instructed only to give them out to patrons who have already been drinking (and preferably very wealthy).

Ballgag of Silencing

Very elegant looking ballgag. The ball is made of solid black rubber, the straps are polished leather that lead back to a set of adjustable rings and a small silver lock. Along the straps are the words 'Silence is Golden' on both sides.

To activate it cannot be put on by the wearer and instead has to be done by another person. The wearer must be kneeling facing away from the person attaching it and must be completely silent as it is done. After locking the gag on the person who attached it must take the key. Once in place any noise that the wearer creates, from vocal, to footsteps and even shooting a firearm is completely silent.

There is no roll for anyone or anything to hear the wearer as the sounds are not just muffled but eliminated completely.

Oil of Deftness

Another item that the wearer cannot apply themselves and must have another do it for them. This is a very slick oil that is poured from a decorative clay jar. It only requires a small amount of oil as it will spread rather easily. The person applying it must then rub it over the persons entire body, every single bit, yes even those bits. It must be massaged into their skin over the course of about an hour.

Afterward the wearer is then much more nimble and dexterous than before. They gain a bonus die for any physical action that requires dodging, squeezing through narrow areas, and moving out of the way of danger. Also any person attempting to engage in hand to hand suffers a penalty die to hit or grapple a person wearing the oil.

Collar of Obedience

A metal collar of simple design. A polished black metal ring with a hinge in the back and a lock that fastens in the front with a loop for a leash to be attached. It only works when attached to somebody beaten in physical combat by the victor. Once locked in place it is very difficult to remove.

The wearer is forced at the mercy or the victors commands. Resisting the orders have a difficulty factor of 18. Also the lock itself is hard to undo without the key with a difficulty factor of 14.

The collar also creates a subconscious feeling of submission to the victor. Responses to orders are usually ended with a 'Yes Sir (or Miss)' unless ordered another form of address. The longer the collar is on them the more ingrained this feeling becomes until it is second nature and the will of the wearer is completely drained away leaving a completely loyal servant even if the collar is removed.

The Truthful Lash

A well worn riding crap made of leather. Anyone with knowledge of determining such a tools age would be able to tell it is quite old. The use is rather simple whenever you ask somebody a question and then strike them with the Lash they have to roll if they don't want to answer with the absolute truth. The difficulty factor is 11 for each question. If the person doing the striking is within the victims sexual preferences then they get a penalty die to their roll to resist answering.

Obscuring Mask

A leather fetish mask complete with zippered mouth. The person using the mask simply has to pull the zipper shut to activate this object. When active nobody can remember any specific details about the person wearing it, voice, what they said, what they wore, tattoos and will not entirely be sure of what they were doing. Most people simply overlook the presence of the wearer completely. Anybody with a specific trait around having a good memory can make a roll to remember with a Difficulty Factor of 11.