Slaying the Hydra

Holy crap the monster section is complete.  I now have to tackle the treasure portion but it will feel like vacation compared to the hydra like battle to get through all the critters. Then comes editing the whole thing...

I am too blurry eyed to count how many different beasties are in this thing, but between animals, dinosaurs, demons, devils, hydras, hippogriffs, swarms, slimes, serpent men, yeti's and zombies? It's going to be one heck of mega monster-pedia!

These projects always feel like fighting a hydra in that as one task is done, two more crop up. I finished the monsters I had originally wanted in, but then kept on adding new foes.  Why? Because I cannot see myself doing a Tome of Terrors 2 so they need to be in here now. Enough typing, time for a beer and some baseball play-off previews! Game on true believer!

Everyone into the ark!

This is kind of what I feel like as work continues on the Tome of Terrors & Treasures. I really want this to be a pretty complete book with regards to creatures contained in it. While not every possible creature is in here, I think there is a damn fine assortment. For example in Animals I have 60 critters, 8 different creature swarms, 12 Dire creatures, 12 Dinosaurs, 16 vermin, and then there are humanoids, devils, demons, giants, undead and more!

So you can (hopefully) see that this will be quite a complete volume and also why its quite a labor to put together. In the end, I want you to feel like you are getting a great resource and something worth your hard earned money when it releases.

Avast ye scurvy dog!

In celebration of talk like a pirate day, this weekend Lulu is having a 25% off sale on print books  through 22nd of September with promo code MATEY25.

Code may not work in all regions so I apologize if it does not in advance!

In keeping with the pirate theme of this post, if you can find it, watch the 1990 version of TREASURE ISLAND! This version features a young Christian Bale, Pete Postlehwaite, Christopher Lee as Blind Pew, Oliver Reed and Charlton Heston as Long John Silver! Musical score by the Chieftains and enough adventure and heart to make Robert Louis Stevenson proud.

 I watch this at least 2x a year and it released on DVD (finally) about 20 years after it aired on TV.  I nabbed 2 copies because I want to have a bullpen ready when I wear out the first one. Fantastic fun and adventure for the adventurous soul  in us all!

Chaos to Order

Image Source

Work is still cooking right along on the Terrors and Treasures book, and I wanted to get your input on arranging the creatures and adding some order to my chaos.

Currently I have separated out some creature types:

Insects + Vermin
Animals
Dire Animals
Dinosaurs
Swarms, Flora, fauna and fungi, Oozes & Slimes
Demons & Devils

Then other creatures Abolteth, Minotaurs, Orcs. Lycantheropes, Skeletons etc. are  all i the Terrors section.

Okay why do it this way? because when I design adventures and stuff I just want to find a slime, or some vermin, or a dire animal and I like to be able to see them all at one time and not flip through pages and pages trying to compare them....but that may be my own hang up.

So I can either continue to section out by types (Aquatic, Undead, Humanoids) or scrap the whole damn thing and just alphabetize it all from A to Z regardless of type.

Thoughts and opinions are most welcome!

Moving right along

Quick progress report, I am 2/3 done with the new Terrors and Treasures book.  My goal is to have it done and out in October--no trick, just treat!

I also plan to have Cauldron #2 out by Christmas this year. 

Feels like a long way still to go to the summit of this trail, but its a fine trip.

With the release of the monster book--the "core" books are done (Basic Rule/ Expanded Magic/ Monsters).

Then for 2015 the Blades & Black Magic book of options will come out as well as the "Grim Venture" ode to Death Test module and another Cauldron issue.  Further on I have 2016 as the "Revised Rules" release year, but take heart it is not a ploy to make anything obsolete! The revised core rule book will only clean up, revise and combine some features from all the previous works.  Lots of ideas, but its a bit further off so no rush to decide now.

So that is a "best laid plans of mice and men" look at what's to come from where I see things today. As always, thanks very much for playing and for your support!  Game on!