First I needed a break from producing HOW material--the Terrors & Treasures book really burned me out. That creative burnout combined with a real job workload that is even crazier this year than last and of course making time with family and friends...the result is we get less output this year.
So to clear my head for HOW projects--I chose to finish revamping my ode to Star Trek...Far Trek RPG. The new revised version has been in the on and off again revising stages for years, but I took the time on flights to grind it out and complete it.
It's being edited now so my hope is the revised edition Far Trek will be out by the end of July. It's will be a free PDF download...and for a VERY limited time (less than 24 hrs) I will make a print copy (at no profit) available on Lulu. I'll post here when that goes up in case you want one.
So my hope was by "turning some different gears" I could unstick the creative HOW gears and get them turning again. I'd say it is working.
So what I am currently at work on is Blades & Black Magic--I've torn down the work I already did on this and am doing a lot of revising and additions. B&BM will be a gritty S&S style sourcebook and in fact have a basic set of HOW rules in it--think of it as Melee+Wizard type of rules. The biggest change will be the elimination of EN as an attribute in the B&BM setting. Magic will be cast as blood loss/wounding --and there is no EN stat to absorb damage.
There will be a complete setting, countries, new "black magic" spells and character creation will be different--I'd say it would be more like Traveller in concept. You pick (or roll) for your home land, then pick or roll for your class (adventurer/sorcerer) then you roll on a chart for your skills or attribute upgrades.
So what's my goal with this? one word--Conan
I want to create a Conan type setting and world book that will allow for S&S style gaming and world with the HOW system. For the current HOW player--it will have new spells, a setting and a different take on character creation. For a new HOW player, it's all the basic nuts and bolts needed to game out of one book but can be expanded with the full rules book, Terrors & Treasures book, Magi Carta book etc.
So while I know it's terrible to have to wait and (just like you) I'd like to have something new in my hand right now--these things take time.
As a one knucklehead operation, done in the strange times when inspiration and opportunity intersect, I hope that despite the gaps and waiting you find the results worthwhile. As always, and as always truly meant, I very much appreciate your patience, time and support.
Love the cover! A Conan HOW feels a perfect match-up, looking forward to it (and Far Trek, of course)
ReplyDeleteThanks Tim!
DeleteTo be clear this is not the real cover--just something for fun and inspiration!
Always worth the wait
ReplyDeleteAppreciate you your continued support Sean!
DeleteSweet! This sounds so cool. I've been waiting for this and am willing to wait longer. I'm glad to hear that it will be self-contained and "tuned" for S&S/Conan. I know S&S can cover a range but in my mind I always think Conan. Oh, and if you could pull off a cover like your sample, that would be the icing on the cake.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I have "Fly Like an Eagle" stuck in my head!
DeleteThanks Narmer, yes there are some things I want to try and see how it works--and Blades & Black Magic lets me do it. Now whether its good or not?? Well that's for others to say--I will be biased in the extreme.
DeleteOh and you are welcome for the Steve Miller Band "mental music" it's summer time and Steve Miller Band--as well as Boston--are just the right stuff for those long commutes home!
DeleteI do have a question about the magic system. Will it be modified at all to take into account the S&S sensibility? In my mind that means less directly offensive spells and more ritual type magic.
ReplyDeleteI still have to work out the magic spells, but at this point the spells are probably 80%-90% new and I think of them as more summoning, area effect sorts of things than "fireball/magic missile" stuff.
DeleteSecond there will be the chance of spells causing mutations or chaos marks. The more powerful the spell the more likely it is to cause some kind of mark or penalty on the caster.
There are--no healing spells, no healing potions--although wine and maybe some mushrooms will aid in or create restorative effects.
That sounds great. Exactly the type of thing I was thinking of. Thanks for the info.
DeleteThis looks very cool, the prefect setting for the HOW ruleset.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris-- Blades will be far more deadly (not a lot of room for "shock absorption" like in HOW or in higher fantasy RPGs) but that's the nature of S&S in my opinion and why characters such as Conan stand out--because they do survive when anyone else would die. Not every character will be a Conan--but the ones who survive will become legendary.
DeleteI dig it.
ReplyDeleteWhere does the work on B&BM leave Cauldron #2?
STILL want to get Cauldron #2 out this summer!
DeleteVery cool.
ReplyDeleteI realize it's probably too early to ask, but I'll do so anyways...what is your anticipated release date?
Goal is Q4 this year!
DeleteThat's even better news.
DeleteWill the rules in B&B be how you see the new edition looking? And when would you hope to have that done?
There will be clarification/edits from the work on the revised edition that will appear first in B&BM--but B&BM will be a playable and more limited rule set (again thin melee/wizard style). So I have to think the full revised edition would be 2016 at this point.
DeleteThank you for the info! I'm really looking forward to both games.
DeleteLove S&S style, I'm playing Beasts and Barbarians, Barbarians of Lemuria, Conan (GURPS) with my buds. I'm waitin' impatiently for next Conan-creation :)
ReplyDelete