Scribbling away

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While I have wrapped the writing of Magi Carta, my wife has spent the week editing it...and has only made it halfway through.  I wish I could say it was due to being overwhelmed by the awesome inside, but that would not be true.  So there is quite an editing task ahead and I am taking the first half of her corrections and working away on it.

In the back of my mind is an idea to create a "Savage Sword" adventure series each which consists of nothing more than linked combat scenarios.  I always liked the Orcslayer concept from Man to Man...

Sneak Peek

Here is a preview of the back cover, over the weekend I added spell gems, cartomancy and Dermal magic.  I am now NOT adding anything else and am pulling it all together in a nice little book.  It's about 130 pages with no art and not including the spell index.   The PDF will not have any art, but will be $10, the physical book with cover and art will be $20.  I am going to get a print test done on the physical book before it all goes up for sale...but the Magi Carta is coming soon!

Please note the Heroes & Other Worlds rule book (print edition) is back up on Lulu!

Questions?

Hey you have got some questions and I have answers!

Q) Where is the physical print book on Lulu?
A) Lulu had a printing problem and they took it down temporarily until they can figure out the issue. Should be back up in a few days.

Q) How many pages is the Magi Carta?
A) before la out its about 120, and there are some bits left to add in so without art, I am goign to say around 130pgs. With art? around 140-145 I think. It should be ready to roll at the end of this month

Q) When is Cauldron #1 coming out?
A) At this point I have to say June.

Q) Anymore Hexcrawls coming?
A) Absolutely! I have a hexcrawl Barrowlands project in the plotting stages and am happy to say AJ Stone of Stonewerks fame is handling the Barrow Cartography!

Q) What else is coming?
A) REDWALD! A Dark Ages setting by Lee Reynoldson which he has graciously allowed me to convert into a HOW "Otherworld" book!  This is going to be a great and gritty setting perfect for the HOW system!

Q) is that it?
A)NOPE-I still have plans for Blades & Black Magic which will have hexcrawl/outdoor adventure rules as well as some other neat bits...AND Grim Venture is an adventure homage to the old Death Test adventures!

LOTS of plans and lots of work to do, its just finding "free time" to get them all done and out to you!  I very much appreciate your interest, patience, and support for HOW!

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Worth your time

I am picky.  Very picky when it comes to books, TV, movie, comics...I can't really enjoy something unless I am over the moon for it.  To that end, I don't recommend too much unless I think it is really worth your time to check out.  To that end I will share some of the books and comics that have a strong influence on my gaming and adventuring.

Let me start with Hercules.  Nope not the Marvel one, not the Disney one, and not the TV one.  I am talking about this one, Hercules from Radical entertainment's comic series. 

This Hercules is a bad hombre, not to be trifled with and not someone who epitomizes the classical hero.  He is grim, bloody, world weary and has no illusions about the world.  I hesitate to call it bronze age Conan because its more nuanced than that.  Yes there is blood, treachery combat, and everything else you want from a grim sword and sandal comic, but there is more because the characterization is outstanding as well.  

There are two Hercules series, the first is the Thracian Wars set in...well Thrace. This series will be made into a film with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson playing Hercules.  The second series "The Knives of Kush" is set in Egypt immediately after the events of The Thracian wars.

The effort that went into insuring the equipment used by forces in the books as well as the architecture is accurate historically is very impressive.  Add on a grim story line, lots of tension and combat as well as twisting the notion of a classic greek hero, well its a fantastic way to spend an afternoon engrossed in a great story. 

Curious?

Here is a download of the nearly complete master spell list for the Magi Carta!

 I have some double checking to do, but it is very nearly complete.

Sorry so slow

Everything is still happening but a nasty cold still lingers and business trips have taken much of my recent time.

Magi Carta is still coming fitst followed by Cauldron #1.  Unfortunately there will be no swashbuckler article in this issue.  I have written two, hated both, and deep sixed them.  So there will be good stuff, just not a swashbuckler article.  I don't want to put something out I don't like or can't stand behind just to say "I did it"

 Also on the forge after Cauldron #1 is the continued conversion of Lee Reynoldson;s Redwald to HOW.  I have some art commissioned by Luigi "artkid" which will go into it!

The AJ stone of Stonewerks fame is working on some Barrow mound geomorphs for an outdoor exploration adventure I have on the drawing board for HOW.

LOTS of plans and projects, just wish I had more free time!

Thanks very much for your patience and support, hope you are getting some good gaming in!

Rejoice!

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. John 3:16-17

Happy Passover to my Jewish friends, and to those who have a different faith or none at all, I wish you and yours a wonderful and peaceful day.

Other World Spirits: Herne the Hunter

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ST60 IQ17 DX17 EN60 MV12, AR-4, DM 3d6+3 via bow or 5d6 via spear 

Herne rolls 3 dice in any tests and is immune to fear, sleep, paralyze and any immobilizing magics.

Herne the Hunter is a spirit of justice, order and fair play.  He is associated with forests, elves, rangers, druids and is seen as a protector of forest dwelling creatures. Herne appears a tall (7') burly wildman with heavy beard, braids in hair and stags antlers sprouting from the sides of his head.

Herne walks the woods without leaving tracks or making noise and deems any who enter the woods as subject to his judgement. Herne rarely aides those who request it, instead Herne judges on his own when his help is necessary to restore balance, order, or to right a wrong and deliver justice. Nature takes its course and those who seek to interfere with that path or twist it for their own needs are subject.

Followers of Herne
Those who seek to follow the same path as Herne often dress in forest colored hues of green and brown and shun settlements larger than small villages and farms. They will not ventures out into areas more than a days ride away from a forest.  Followers favor bows, spears and short swords or long knives as weapons.  They wear nothing heavier than studded leather armor, and do not use shields.  Followers of Herne are experts with bows and do +1 damage when they hit with a bow.

A group of followers of 7 or more will have a leader often known as "The Hood." The Hood is the one who will often receive communications with Herne but is also held to the highest standards of justice and fair play.

Herne's Favor
Herne is known to speak to favorites in their dreams often rewarding them with special knowledge to aid them in righting wrongs or even superior classed (though not magical) weapons. 

After feedback

Freezing Sphere (T) IQ14 EN4 R:IQ

Freezing sphere creates a frigid globe of cold energy that streaks from your fingertips to the location you select, where it explodes in a 10-foot-radius burst, dealing 3d6 points of cold damage to each creature in the area. An elemental (water) creature instead takes 8d6 points of cold damage.

If the freezing sphere strikes a body of water or a liquid that is principally water (not including water-based creatures), it freezes the liquid to a depth of 6 inches over an area equal to 100 square feet. This ice lasts for 12 turns. Creatures that were swimming on the surface of frozen water become trapped in the ice. Attempting to break free is a full-turn action. A trapped creature must make a 5/ST test or a 5/DX+ Escape Artist check to do so.

You can refrain from firing the globe after completing the spell, if you wish. Treat this as a touch spell for which you are holding the charge. You can hold the charge for as long as 1 turn per IQ point, at the end of which time the freezing sphere bursts centered on you (and you receive no test to resist its effect). Firing the globe in a later turn is a standard action.