The gift of the Magi

 

My wife finished the cover for the Magi Carta!

She is about half done with Cauldron #1 cover as well.  

Now I am under the gun to get it all done!

Players handbook?

Originally I discussed releasing a "Players Handbook" version of the rules with just the non referee bits.

 Per a request I had, I'd like to invite you to opine on revisiting it. 

I am considering a $6 PDF only version, and it would be an art free, just the facts ma'am version of the player's portion of the HOW rules.

Alternatively a print version of the first section,with art, at a higher price is also a possibility.

Thoughts and opinions are solicited and welcome.

Your Kingdom to Dust

The awesome contributions going into Cauldron #1 continue to amaze me! E.P. Donauhue's art and adventures are going to be outstanding as are Sean "Geordie Racer" Wills adventures.

In fact Sean just dropped a an incredible "one on one" adventure on me entitled "Your Kingdom to Dust."

This is quite an incredible little adventure with lots of potential creativity for a Referee to play on and its a head to head with a single Player! Opportunity is there to expand it to more players, but my wife is already having her character Valeria sharpen her blades and make ready to explore it tomorrow! Lots of new creatures and  I think it could be very re-playable.

With Sean and E.P. creating such great material, I am feeling a bit under the gun to insure my own contributions don't stink on ice!

Cauldron #1 should be a hell of a brew! Image Source

Bricks are heavy

So  I am wrestling with a quandary.  I have additional character bits that flesh out players from backgrounds with starting skills and potential "career relationships" to faults and favors which allow players to pick advantages (ambidextrous) or disadvantages (Missing hand).  This further makes characters unique, adds options for players and in general adds more fun. I always think of character building like laying bricks, you are making something.  So while I feel HOW gives you some mortar and a basic start, I think these additional sections really add creativity and individuality.

I've been holding these back for Blades & Black Magic, I am considering adding some of these in the first couple issues of the Cauldron, then expanding them, combining them and adding them into B&BM.

Thoughts?

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New Review

Jeffro has just posted a very detailed review of Heroes & Other Worlds.  He does an excellent job of of highlighting differences of HOW and Legends of the Ancient World as well as other incarnations of this system. It is well written and a very thorough breakdown of the game.  Well done Jeffro!

and now more...

I feel like that cat with the shovel today, IQ 14 & IQ 15 spells now complete as well.  

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Lucky 13

Lucky IQ13 spells are complete, now its all downhill from here. With IQ14-IQ18 the spell lists get shorter by each higher IQ...but the spells get a bit more complex.  I am really excited to get the spells completed so I can work on the other bits like spell books, casting colleges and such.

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Cauldron is coming

Here is a work in progress sneak peak from my wife of the Cauldron #1 cover!  Also a quick Magi Carta update, IQ8-IQ12 spells are done..and the cover is 98% done!!

Now just IQ13, IQ14, IQ15, IQ16, IQ17 & IQ18 to do...holy cow almost halfway done!

Things & Stuff

What a busy week.  Spent most of it traveling then 4 hours sleep, a shower and back in the office.  All of it worth it though as I finally (after 6 years) got to spend Valentines day with my wife and had today off to spend with her. No work on Magi Carta on my end, but while I was traveling my wife almost finished the cover and has started the cover of Cauldron #1! Clearly I need to get my stuff together and get cracking again on spells!

A personal recommendation from me to you, DUNGEONSTONE!  I have, as ducats allowed, built up quite a bit of dungeon bits.  It is very hardy resin, and damn easy to paint!  I just ordered some additional bits and really need to keep painting up what I have already...man I need more hours in the day!  Anyway, it's good solid material and at some point, maybe when I am play testing Grim Venture, I'll post some picks of it in action.

A bit about Grim Venture.  Not sure if you've played the video game Dark Souls (see my take here) or know much about it, but it is very unforgiving.  While I do not plan on making it Grim Venture an unplayable, room 1 your dead experience, I do plan on making it tough.  Bad or dumb decisions will kill.  Exploration and searching will be important.  In all honesty its probably a 2014 project at this point, but I look forward to making it happen and my wife's already done the cover, so I am on the hook to make it happen.

Game on!