PRIMAL

Genndy Tartakovsky is a freaking genius.

Samurai Jack is such an incredible work of philosophy, action, art and story telling that nothing else animated (save the recently redone Star Blazers series 2199 and 2202) has grabbed me and made me want to binge every episode.

Well Mr. Tartakovsky has a new series on Adult Swim (I just discovered) called PRIMAL.

For anyone playing BLADES it is filled with inspirational content and I want to write up a whole supplement for BLADES set in this sort of PRIMAL setting.

There are so many scenes that recall CONAN to me within PRIMAL that my poor mind was just gobsmacked by inspiration and entranced by the animation.  I binged all 5 episodes last night and am still mentally swimming in the PRIMAL landscapes Mr. Tartakovsky and team have created.

Oh and one other note--THERE IS NO DIALOGUE. 100 animated minutes within 5 episodes and outside of grunts, growls, roars and yowls--NO DIALOGUE and it is an EPIC STORY because of it.

The music and sound are so critical to pulling off a story like this. The mood, the rise and fall of action and the intensity created are so well done through the visuals and sound and music that it all bleeds into your spirit simultaneously.

Most movies and studios never achieve this same level of spirit or involvement--so doing it through an animated story with no dialogue but music and sound is an unbelievable achievement.

Did I say Tartakovsky is a genius? Sorry I meant supra-genius.

Judge for yourself.

WATCH IT HERE

Adversity = Opportunity

Due to COVID 19 concerns my final business trip (for the next few weeks) occurred this past week. In short I saw things I have not seen since 9/11 including aircraft less than half full.  At the local airport where TSA lines are many and always long-- absolutely NO ONE was waiting--there were no lines! I had to take pictures as I do not know if I will something that odd ever again. In addition my office is currently having everyone work from home for the next few weeks. I am blessed and lucky enough to be able to do my job remotely so will be home for a couple weeks.

Now despite the challenges and difficulties that are going to be upcoming for the next few weeks managing business via emails+calls, it is also an opportunity for me to try and finish all the spells for Black Magic game book.

I am my own worst critic in that, there are "enough" spells to make the book work as is.  Even so, I am not happy as I know I can do more and add more interesting spells so that you do not need to own any other spell books. You could work right from the Black Magic book and (ideally) be happy. 

Now of course I'd love it if you bought other stuff I make (and thanks VERY MUCH for doing so!), but I hope you do it because you like it and want it--not because I short changed you when you invested in the original work.

Adding on to a game is a choice you make because you like it, not one I should force you into because I short changed you in the original work.

Shakespeare wrote King Leer while quarantined, so if he can produce a masterpiece in a time of quarantine I am hopeful my little scribbles can simply be completed during our own difficult times.

My sincerest best wishes for good health to you and yours during this challenging time. I hope you too find some silver lining during a difficult period of time.   Turn these challenges and obstacles into new and unexpected ways of continuing your own journey.

Not Necromancy...

I am indeed alive!  AN incredibly busy year of travel just got more crazy as the year ended. In between I continued to work and play-test a different magic system based on power words.  Sadly it was a lot of time and effort that did not come together as I hoped.

In a short take, what was fun for an experienced gamer was confusing and off putting for new or "lite" gamers.  Gaming is very much changing and to make it as enjoyable as possible to as many people as possible, there is an element of ease of play that takes precedence.

So to get Black Magic back on track and completed, I am going back to just include a fixed/preset spell list (like HOW)

That is not to say that "alternate magics" is not still an opportunity for BBM I want to create--it just means I can't make it work and serve the needs of a new player and an advanced player. Trying to do so is

1) Delaying Black Magic
2) Making me crazy

So the black ship is changing course to be spell list only so I can work to get it done.

When?--This year is the best I can provide for now.  Often my time is not my own (went from 2 trips scheduled in Q1 to 5 in the span of a day--and more are in discussion. So I write where I can when I can.

Appreciate your kind patience, I too want this done and out there as soon as possible!!

Keep the faith true believers, and happiest of New Year to you and yours!

Wizard's work continued: ANIMALIA

Artist Matt Cavotta

Following up on the post from last week, I though it would be good to provide a short and broad snapshot of how this Black Magic spell system could work.

First I'll start with the ANIMALIA spell concepts. There are two basic header columns to start. The first is a TYPE and the second column is the EFFECT.

The TYPE choice will be limited/ impacted by the sorcerer's IQ.  Insects and rodents require a low IQ to manipulate and it gets harder to effect (requiring higher sorcerer IQ) these animals as the Animalia types get smarter and or larger.

So the base ST of a spell is 1 ST to cast. Then it becomes more expensive with the spell shaping (range, time, power of effect).  You can cut the cost and time of casting by writing it all down in a scroll or spell book and then casting from it, but of course scrolls and spell books can be stolen or destroyed. That sort of arcane knowledge would be very valuable...the work continues.

ANIMALIA
TYPE	EFFECT
Insect	Calm
Rodent	Enrage
Avian	Shrink
Aquatic	Grow
Bovine	Banish
Reptile	Summon
Canine	Speak with
Feline	Silence
Equine	Control
Ursine	Sense
Pachyderm	See like
Simian	Shape Of

Wizard's work

May or may not be actual photo from my writing and game room

Well I hope with your BLADES you have done a little FROSTCRAWLing. Behind the scenes I have been noodling the BLACK MAGIC.

Some very fine suggestions have been sent to me regarding looking at some unique magic systems that offer some creativity to spell casting.  Notably the ZERFS system, but I also looked at Fantasy Hero which sort mimics CHAMPIONS for Fantasy.

Herein lies the struggle though, as to my knowledge none of the "make your own spell" systems have had much traction.  Absolutely they have fans and are good and creative systems--yet with the standard set by D&D and its follow on clones--it seems more player friendly to simply pre-create the spell lists.

This has all been in my mental blender for months and I have read multiple RPG book magic systems to the point where my lovely wife is finding 4 or more RPG books open on the kitchen table at a time like place settings for warlocks.  Except it is just me jumping chair to chair reading them and scribbling notes.

In the end I think I have determined I like both concepts.  I think it is necessary to have a predefined list of ready made (common) spells.  I also like the creativity of the player in the moment giving rise to something unique--and thus memorable.

I can hear it now, "Okay fantasy heart breaker game dumb-ass nerd--how do you plan to do it?"

Glad you asked! (Though your manners could use a little refresh my friend!)

First I am looking at there being 3 broad schools of magic (working names not final):

Animal (spells targeting/effecting natural living creatures: growth, speed, healing, increased ST, etc)

Elemental (spells using & effecting water, fire, wind, earth, wood and metal)

Spectral (spells effecting the strange, undead and space/time like teleport, raise dead, speak to dead, mutations, etc.)

In BLACK MAGIC a Sorcerer can learn and use spells from all 3 schools--BUT One spell school is advantaged when rolled to cast, one is normal and one is disadvantaged when rolled to cast.

A Mercenary could learn a spell from any school, but all rolls are always done (regardless of school) as disadvantaged.

Within each school is a list of common spells, plus a list of power words or power symbols for a sorcerer to get creative with in conjuring their own unique spells.  The cost of casting a unique spell is based on a combination of power words used and desired effect (time/range/power)

I am working to make this as EASY and fast playable as possible and not devolving figuring out the cost to cast a spell "on the fly" into a Squad Leader consultation of charts, tables and modifiers. I know that some of you LOVE that idea, bless your hearts, but that's not what I am making.

So for better or worse, that's where the magic system currently stands in structure. Filling in the details is the challenge, but nothing good came from anything easy--so the work continues.

As always your feedback is welcome--even if you think I am way off base, that's no problem

Side note: My lovely wife is working on her own covers for both BLADES book and for BLACK MAGIC book--and has a unique idea for a cover for the eventual "one book to rule them all" BLADE + BLACK MAGIC hardback

When Black Magic is finished and up for purchase then both of her covers (BLADES book + BLACK MAGIC book) will be made available simultaneously.

Entombed

Chris McGill

And like that, the pocketbook Frostcrawl guide is gone for now.   I may offer a different version sometime in the future but for now, you can still download Frostcrawl as a free PDF! I do intend to include Frostcrawl in the hardback combined version of Blades & Black Magic.

THIS WEEKEND ONLY

Now is your chance to purchase a printed pocketbook version of the freely available FROSTCRAWL PDF. This is made available at print production cost, I make absolutely NO profit/money from your purchase.  Keeping my word to make FROSTCRAWL free to you as a thanks for your patience and support!

Sorry, this opportunity has expired you can still download the PDF of Frostcrawl for free!

FROSTCRAWL Updates (again)

UPDATED DOWNLOAD

Thanks to some kind feedback, I have gone through and tried to fix some wonky text issues as well as adding a terrain key.

Hopefully these are minor but important improvements, thanks to Jeff V and to Pastor Beau for the constructive criticism and for providing editing opportunities to improve FROSTCRAWL!

FROSTCRAWL AVAILABLE NOW

DOWNLOAD FROSTCRAWL

Frostcrawl is a hexcrawl for use with Heroes & Other Worlds or Blades & Black Magic.  The map coves 441 hexes to explore, and I put in an entry of some sort for all 441 hexes.

NEXT WEEKEND: I will make a pocket book version of FROSTCRAWL available to order at cost, it will only be available next weekend so set your reminder!! (Pocketbook size is the same as the BLADES rule book)

Frostcrawl is my small way of saying THANK YOU for supporting this one knucklehead endeavor and sticking with me while life kept throwing curve balls.  My hope is Frostcrawl is a solid base hit, and not a foul tip!

Next up, I'm working to complete the BLACK MAGIC book!