Syndicate us! (Learn about RSS here)

About OgreCave & staff

Join the OgreCave team

Mail Sven

Recent Reviews
Goblin Grapple
(Silver Gaming Co.)
Brothers
(505 Games)
Pathfinder Card Game
(Paizo Publishing)
Cthulhu Invictus Companion
(Chaosium)
Boss Monster!
(Brotherwise Games)
Murder of Crows
(Atlas Games)
More...

Interviews
Randy Angle - Gruesome Ghoulies (9/28/20)
James Wallis - Alas Vegas (2/13/13)
Gareth Hanrahan - The Laundry RPG (5/17/10)
Jamie Chambers - Signal Fire Studios (7/21/09)
Darren Watts - Hero Games (5/4/09)
Stan! (11/7/08)
Brendan LaSalle - Pandahead Productions (audio; 9/28/07)
Richard Garfield (10/12/04)
More...

Search

Search OgreCave
Search the whole web

Powered by Google

Support OgreCave!
Help us spend more time giving you what you need! Donate today!

Or, shop at Funagain Games via this link and we get some money when you buy something. (But do support your local retailer too...)

Poll
What's your choice for the best game villain?
Count Strahd - Ravenloft
Raistlin - Dragonlance
Alexia Ciannor - Witchfire Trilogy
Sauron - various LotR games
The Reckoners - Deadlands
Devil Bunny - various Cheapass titles
John Wick (he returned from the dead, you know ;-)

View Results

Features
Christmas Gift Guide 2010 (11/26/10)
PAX East 2010 report (4/9/10)
Christmas Gift Guide 2009 (12/4/09)
Games of the Ninja 2008 (12/5/08)
Christmas Gift Guide 2008 (11/27/08)
Screams from the Cave 2008
(11/7/08)
Ogres' Choice Awards 2008 (9/12/08)
Christmas Gift Guide 2007 (11/30/07)
Ogres' Choice Awards 2007 (8/17/07)
GAMA Trade Show 2007 report (4/27/07)
Christmas Gift Guide 2006 (11/30/06)
Ogres' Choice Awards 2006 (7/28/06)
Christmas Gift Guide 2005 (11/29/05)
Christmas Gift Guide 2004 (12/10/04)
Night of the Living Gamer
(Halloween RPGs)
(10/22/04)
More...


Unplugged Gaming News And Views
 
Thursday, October 31, 2002
11:39 PM: Mike Sugarbaker says...
The Book of Curses Not Foiled, Because How Do You Get Foil Onto A PDF?
So this guy James Stubbs, who does the 1PG games for Deep7, and this other guy Rogan Hanby who did this Ranma 1/2 fan game, sent us an email letting us know that they're now Heyoka Studios and they have a PDF d20 book called the Book of Curses. Their company link has more, but: 65 pages of new spells, fun lycanthropy rules, and prestige classes for vampires(!!!). Check it out while you're in the mood, which is of course now.

Wednesday, October 30, 2002
11:28 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Human Head rolls onto tabletops
Human Head Studios, the company behind the Rune computer game, announced the creation of a new division to create games for the non-electronic adventure games market. Headed by (oof... sorry) veteran game designer Matt Forbeck, Human Head's new division will set plans for publishing role-playing, board, strategy and non-collectible card games. Did the relative success of Atlas' Rune RPG help lead to this announcement? Perhaps.

10:33 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Escape from Monster Island heads to printer
The sequel to Firefly Games' Monster Island is headed for the printer, and should be available by late November. The new book, Escape from Monster Island, will supplement the main game with 32 pages of info on "fighting military units and crushing cities." The expanded rules will allow players to control military forces battling the monsters, so be sure to work on your badly-dubbed Japanese accent. Monsters will have new powers to choose from, since now they'll be dealing with tanks and planes. As with the first book, color cardstock counters will be included, though the plastic toys you've collected over the years will work even better. All this for just $9.95? Get Gamera and Mothra out of the garage; it's time to throw down.

10:10 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
New Review: Monster Island
So what's the giant rubber monster combat game like? Craig gives us the lowdown on Monster Island from Firefly Games. Just ignore the tiny twin princesses next to him.

10:06 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Agents of Gaming shuts down tomorrow night
Just over a day until Agents of Gaming closes its doors. As the AoG website states, the last active Babylon 5 game license has expired, and will not be renewed. Orders the company receives before midnight on October 31st will be honored, but the company -- website, phones, and all -- will shut down thereafter. Some of AoG's product lines will continue receiving support from a new company, Eclipse Games, formed by AoG President Robert Glass. OgreCave wishes all the AoG guys luck in their future endeavors, and hopes Eclipse Games will cast a large shadow across the land in years to come.

Tuesday, October 29, 2002
5:51 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Two Towers spoiler list from Decipher
The Lord of the Rings games just keep coming. Decipher has added another spoiler list to the Lord of the Rings TCG cardlist page: all 365 cards from the Two Towers expansion. Have a look at the list, and even some of the final cards, while you wait for the set to hit stores on November 6th. Meanwhile, you've still got two days to get your free Eowyn card if you drop $10 or more at participating stores.

5:05 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
The Seeker Returns
Troll Lord Games has announced the return of The Seeker, the company's free subscription-based zine. The next issue will feature info on upcoming Troll Lord products, part one of the Winter Goblin race and class (designed with the Legends of Erde campaign in mind), and a preview of Gary Gygax's World Builder. Grab your copy of The Seeker from subscription from Troll Lord's website.

4:47 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Updates from Paradigm
Paradigm Concepts has posted the cover art from three upcoming releases on their site: Unveiled Masters: The Essential Guide to Mind Flayers; a Living Arcanis supplement, In the Shadow of the Devil; and Eldest Sons: The Essential Guide to Elves, which compliments Green Ronin's Wrath & Rage. There's also several samples of the interior art for Eldest Sons, so be sure to head over and have a look.

Sunday, October 27, 2002
1:14 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
All Colonies Must Go! Huge Blowout Sale!
Politically Incorrect Games announced a special deal on The Colonies RPG: get the game now from the RPGnet Mall for a mere $5.00. Quite a deal for all the aliens, psionics, biotech, and mutants you could ever need. The deal is good through Halloween, so buy yours now or miss out.

5:12 AM: Demian Katz says...
New Gamebook Released... In Italy
Once again, I wish I could read Italian. Gaming guru Andrea Angiolino and aerospace historian Gregory Alegi have teamed up to write Il Gobbo Maledetto ("The Damned Hunchback"). In this solitaire World War II gamebook, the reader gets to take control of a Siai Marchetti S.79, the unusual-looking plane nicknamed Il Gobbo Maledetto, and fly a mission against the British. The whole thing is illustrated with historical photos and offers a different perspective on a familiar conflict. An English-language release seems unlikely, but if you happen to know of an interested publisher, it could probably be arranged (and my curiosity could at last be satisfied).

Saturday, October 26, 2002
12:45 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Fast Forward to Publish for Pinnacle
For a day or so now, we've been hearing rumors about Pinnacle negotiating some sort of deal with Fast Forward Entertainment. Now Gaming Report claims to have heard from FFE's John Danovich about the situation. According to him, FFE will now be the publisher for all Pinnacle products, allowing Pinnacle to get back to the work of writing great products. An official press release should be available on Monday. The gradual consolidation of industry resources continues.

Friday, October 25, 2002
3:35 PM: Demian Katz says...
ThreeSixty Publishing Announces OneShot Mini-Adventures
It looks like Deep7's 1PG line is finally getting some competition. ThreeSixty Publishing will be releasing Armada X, the first of their OneShot Mini-Adventures, next month. The 15-page game, a space opera inspired by the American Revolution, will feature point-based character creation, several fast-playing, non-campaign-oriented scenarios, and (perhaps best of all) a really low price tag. More OneShots in other genres will follow. As a fan of one-off RPG sessions, I find this to be a good thing.

Thursday, October 24, 2002
7:08 AM: Greg Kessler says...
New Warhammer CCG Preview
The nice folks at Sabertooth Games have posted yet another card preview for Invasion: Verdicon, the new expansion for their Warhammer 40K CCG. Our new little friend is called Delos Stealers and packs a naughty punch.

4:30 AM: Demian Katz says...
Oh No, There Goes Tokyo...
Firefly Games announced this week the sequel to their giant monster battle game, Monster Island. The sequel, Escape from Monster Island, features more rules for smashing cities, crushing the puny military and generally being large, radioactive and grumpy. You can take a look at the cover and some more information at Firefly Games' web site. While you're there, be sure to hit refresh a few times and enjoy their wacky collection of monster movie quotes.

12:03 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
For Those About to Game, We Salute You
RPGnet is holding their second official RPGnet Game Day, and this time it's near me, in Oakland, CA. Happening this Saturday at EndGame, the event will play host to game industry folks from Chaosium, Citizen Games, Firefly Games, Gold Rush Games, Hero Games, Issaries, Inc., and Wingnut Games. Gamers who show up before 10:25am might get one of more than 25 door prizes. How do I know all this? I'm RPGnet's Game Day organizer, that's how. Drop me an email at my RPGnet address if you have any questions.

Wednesday, October 23, 2002
4:23 AM: Demian Katz says...
My Wishes Have Been Answered...
In my Monsternomicon review, I suggested that it might be useful to have a list of Monster Manual monsters that fit into the Iron Kingdoms campaign setting. It looks like Privateer Press agrees, as they now have just such a list in their support documents section. While you're in the area, you might also want to check out their errata section, which should further improve your Monsternomicon experience.

12:52 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Wrath & Rage Enhancement, for Improved Angry Orcs
Green Ronin has unleashed a web enhancement to accompany the release of Wrath & Rage, the Orc and Half-Orc handbook. The freebie includes a Player's Handbook-style description of the orc race, as well as official errata. Download the PDF now, and feel the anger of the orcish community.

Tuesday, October 22, 2002
5:36 PM: Greg Kessler says...
Free Lightspeed for PSI Rangers
Right now at the Lightspeed web site you can down load a free PDF of the revised PSI Rangers rules for the Lightspeed game. Lightspeed: Psi Rangers requires Lightspeed to play, but can be used with Instant Lightspeed with little conversion. The older version of Psi Rangers, intended for use with Instant Lightspeed, is still available for free download. The new version has lots of cool artwork and all manner of cool stuff

5:24 PM: Greg Kessler says...
It's Here, It's Here
Traveller d20 is now available, bringing the number of Traveller variations to 1012 (the same number of drummers in Spinal Tap).

4:06 AM: Demian Katz says...
Cube Prospecting Grows in Popularity
Invisible City's latest free game of the month is a fast-paced, two-player paper and pencil game which works like a cross between Minesweeper and Battleship. Each player marks a treasure chest and several bombs on a sheet representing a cube. Players then take turns moving on a common board, trying to find each other's treasure chests without being blown up. Numerous variants are provided for those of you who don't think this sounds interesting enough, though we'll have to wait until the year-end review to learn more about the rules for Explosive Mole Launchers.

3:59 AM: Demian Katz says...
Mean Streets Expanded
Deep7 has just released the second supplement to its film noir RPG, Mean Streets. In Concrete Jungle, a 44-page .PDF file selling for $5.95, GMs will learn everything they ever needed to know about the people, places and past of New York City. Considering how interesting the brief New York background material in the main rulebook was, this should be worthwhile.

Monday, October 21, 2002
6:59 PM: Greg Kessler says...
All Drow All the TIme from Goodman Games
The Complete Guide to Drow preview is now available at Goodman Games. In what is just the latest Drow release in a Drow kind of year, The Complete Guide to Drow contains new classes, new mutations, and a detailed description of Subterranean Drow society. New creatures will round out the supplement.

Sunday, October 20, 2002
12:44 PM: Greg Kessler says...
New Monsters at Wizards of the Coast
The Vampire Lord is the latest monster template to be unleashed on the WotC web site. These vampires are faster, tougher, and meaner than your run of the mill Ed Wood vampire. A new friend just in time for the most evil day of the year (aside from whenever System of a Down is in town).

9:16 AM: Greg Kessler says...
How Many Hit Points Does a 4th Level Bum Have?
Well this is just the kind of exciting information that can be gleaned from the new PDF release by Ambient, Inc., Everybody Else. For all those times when you need a quick NPC to fill in a hole in the adventure, Everybody Else has 80 NPC professions and 320 stat blocks. Here is how the company describes its value…Getting hassled by the tax collector? PLONK... level 3 Expert with all the right skills and stats for being a tax collector coming right up. Players decide to complain about the tax collector to the local constabulary? PLONK... level 5 warrior with the right skills and stats for the town guard at your service... Time to go over his head and take matters up with the prince? PLONK... first you have to work your way past the level 1 and level 7 seneschals that run the palace before you can meet... PLONK... the level 5 aristocrat (idle noble) that supposedly runs this town that the players were only supposed to be in to restock their rations... Check out all the specifics and a nice preview of the new cover at the Ambient webiste.

Saturday, October 19, 2002
6:05 PM: Greg Kessler says...
It's All About Homegrown
The RPG business has a lot in common with underground bands. Anyone who wants to get their work out into circulation can find an outlet. While we may have to wait until bands finish their CD's or post a new song, RPG designers are great about letting us see what they are working on. The Yggdrasil web site has some updates on a new system being designed by Christoffer Lernö. If you want to get a look at a completed project, check out a horror RPG just in time for Halloween. The Evil is a short horror RPG where even the players are supposed to get scared.

5:12 PM: Greg Kessler says...
Villains in Your Face OCTOBER 23
On October 23 the new source book for Deeds not Words, Bold Costumes Black Hearts will be unleashed into your neighborhood. Included in this supplement for the game of super hero madness is everything you have ever wanted to know about super villains (like where can you get those costumes dry cleaned and still be inconspicuous?). Deeds not Words is a Super Hero game for the d20 system from Cryptosnark Games. For a free PDF preview of Deeds not Words, check this out.

5:02 PM: Greg Kessler says...
Here come the Devil Dogs
Devil Dog Design, makers of Dogs of War: Modern Skirmish Combat, have officially launched their web site. Since the announcement of this new game all we have had were teasers from places like Pinnacle Entertainment Group, now these folks have their own web site. Check out the page and see their line of WWII miniatures, pre-order upcoming lines and, oooh just lots of things.

Friday, October 18, 2002
3:26 PM: Mike Sugarbaker says...
Monsternomicon Review: Tastes Like Life!
Hey, what's this? Monsternomicon cereal? Let's give it to Demian... aw, he won't like it, he hates everything. Hey! He likes it! Hey, Demian!

Thursday, October 17, 2002
11:18 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
OgreCave Interview: Sean Reynolds
Another big name in D20 gaming, Sean Reynolds, has been cornered by Joe for questioning in our latest interview. Find out what Sean's up to, how he got his start in the gaming industry, and where he thinks things are headed.

Chikeebabe's B-Day
I'd like to say happy birthday to my wife Cheryl, who puts up with the gaming year 'round, and even pretends she's interested (of course, if I ran Hellboy games, she would be). Happy b-day, sweetie!

1:00 AM: Craig Robertson says...
Will Sketch for MechWarrior LEs
Pete Abrams, creator of Sluggy Freelance, has offered to trade original drawings for MechWarrior LE minis. Although the response has been tremendous, you may still have that one unit he needs. Even if you can't work a trade, the comic is still worth checking out, if just for the gratuitous anti-Santa violence.

Wednesday, October 16, 2002
5:54 PM: Greg Kessler says...
Not Authorized, but Real Big
Iron Crown has added a new freebie to their vault. The newest addition is a 108 page fan produced Forgotten Realms conversion for Rolemaster. Written by Christopher Adams this 108-page handbook, Forgotten Realms to Rolemaster Conversion Handbook, is a complilation of basic rules for players on how to play their characters in the Forgotten Realms setting using Rolemaster rules. Included in the book are the Forgotten Realms races presented in Rolemaster statistics. This is not your typical fan boy document, as far as e-books go this is as slick as they come. Download it before Wizards of the Coast gets a whiff of this and shuts it down.

4:59 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Disks, Disks Everywhere
Be sure to enunciate that title, folks.

Fantasy Flight is having a huge sale on Diskwars and Range Wars products. Through October 21st, all products from the two games are 75% off if ordered through the FFG site. If you've ever wanted to try collectible disk combat, or need to fill out your collection, now's the time.

3:56 PM: Demian Katz says...
Rio Grande Reports In
The latest newsletter from Rio Grande Games reports some interesting developments. Forthcoming games include The Bucket King, a strategy game in which players build pyramids out of buckets and knock their opponents' pyramids down with farm animals (!); Hellas, a game of power struggles in ancient Greece; and Odin's Ravens, a two-player, mythology-themed racing game. On a sadder note, a number of games are newly listed as being out of print without any plans of reissue. Collectors should definitely take note!

11:50 AM: Greg Kessler says...
Necromancer Games Turns a Joke into a Tavern
Well I guess if you plan to use the upcoming Book of Taverns from Necromancer Games, you'll have to give some thought to where to locate some of these dives. The Witch's Teat (as in "cold as a...") is the newest preview from the upcoming Book of Taverns, slated to release early next year. The book will includes 10 new taverns for your characters to get thrown out of. It looks like Necromancer is going to be giving us lots of free previews in the coming months, so keep an eye on the page.

7:35 AM: Greg Kessler says...
New Forgotton Realms Perilous Gateways at Wizards
Wizards of the Coast has posted a new free Perilous Gateways. Strongholds of Undeath Portals is an adventure seed designed to drop into any campaign in the Forgotten Realms setting. Check out the fun crunchy bits and a nice map to boot.

Tuesday, October 15, 2002
11:59 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
WotC Setting Finalists Announced
Wizards of the Coast has finally selected the three fantasy setting submissions that will move to the final stage of WotC's fantasy setting contest. As you can see here, the finalists are Philip Nathan Toomey, Rich Burlew, and Keith Baker. Presumably, the three of them will each be receiving their $20,000 for getting this far, and are hard at work on their 100-page "setting bibles" that will be used to narrow the three to a single winner, who will get an additional $100,000. Wisely, WotC doesn't seem to have announced a timetable for this last part of the contest.

11:58 PM: Mike Sugarbaker says...
2003 Games 100 Announced
Funagain Games has on their front page a complete list of the category winners and Game of the Year from GAMES Magazine's annual GAMES 100 holiday buyers' guide. This year's winner is DVONN, the GIPF Project thingy. I've played it, it's good. Also charting are Spiel des Jahres winner Villa Paletti, Spiel des Jahres nominee Puerto Rico, and, uh, something that kind of sounds similar to other Spiel des Jahres nominee Transamerica but isn't Transamerica. Here's the full list of all 100.

12:57 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Atlas Charts Fantasy Beasts This December
During the happy holiday season, Atlas Games will add over 220 original creatures to the D20 System with The Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary. Edited by Michelle A. B. Nephew, the 352-page hardcover book plans to "go beyond the atmospheric description, evocative illustration, and solid stats for which Penumbra is known, providing adventure seeds designed to inspire GMs and players alike, and extras like new gods, new spells, and new magic items." Sound good so far? Well, there's this tidbit as well: through a special arrangement, Lance & Laser Models will release nine custom miniatures of creatures from the Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary. Now there's something every decent creature book should be doing. The Bestiary will retail for $44.95.

Monday, October 14, 2002
7:47 PM: Greg Kessler says...
More Free Dinosaur Thingies
Well I guess I should be more specific. Goodman Games has posted more freebies for Broncosaurus Rex. Check out the:

  • Dinozonian prestige class,
  • New Ways and spells for velociraptor shamans
  • Dinopath Prestige Class
  • New Dino Races.

    Lots of free stuff for a dino-rific time.

    2:37 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    Steve Jackson and the Conspiracy to Make Me Poor
    Steve Jackson Games is releasing what may be the coolest limited edition since the anniversary edition of Call of Cthulhu. SJ Games has gotten together with Traveller guru Marc Miller and produced a faux-leather-bound version of GURPS Traveller to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Classic Traveller. Each copy will be autographed by Steve Jackson, Marc Miller, and Loren Wiseman (GURPS Traveller messiah). At first I was miffed that it was only faux leather, but then I realized that Traveller fans are sticklers for realism - where would you get real cows in deep space or the far future?

    1:28 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    New 0one Adventure in PDF
    0one Games has released their latest PDF treasure. The Minotaur is a new double adventure that can be played as a one-on-one adventure for a 6th level paladin, this adventure is a dungeon crawl, with all the adventuring you need and some mysteries to solve. This adventure may also be played with a standard 3rd level group of characters and can be placed with ease in any campaign world. Check out the page and see some nice artwork and battle maps.

    Sunday, October 13, 2002
    5:12 PM: Craig Robertson says...
    A Sad Day for Lovers of History
    Author and historian Stephen E. Ambrose died this morning at the age of 66. Although only ten years old at the end of WWII, Ambrose became that war's foremost historian with a string of books that focused on the contributions of regular line soldiers instead of their more famous commanders. His most famous works include Band of Brothers and Citizen Soldiers. He will be missed by all who value the sacrifice made by the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who gave their lives for our freedom.

    While you are at it, please remember to take some time to thank any veterans you might know. An event like this reminds us that they are not going to be with us forever.

    3:52 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    Privateers: Races & Cultures Ready to Ship on October 14
    The newest Spacemaster title from Iron Crown Enterprises, Privateers: Races & Cultures is set to arrive at the ICE warehouse on October 14th and ship out to retailers the same day. Privateers: Races & Cultures details folks in the Privateer universe, giving you in depth information on races like the Falanar, the Kagoth, the Oort, the Tulgar, the Valiesans the Xatosians. I'll bet they will even include a few new charts.

    Saturday, October 12, 2002
    7:53 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    Net Book of Classes Comes up with Something new and (maybe) Kinky
    Ok maybe it just struck me that way. Net Book of Classes is a fan run site that strives to give you the best in d20 classes. This week they have added a prestige class called Bonded. Bonded are warriors who train in pairs and become extremely effective at fighting side by side.. This is just a part of this huge and cool site. Give them a visit and maybe you'll pick up some new tips.

    1:39 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    New Star Wars Mini-Adventure Free from Wizards of the Coast
    Bloodhawk Down is the newest Star Wars adventure to be released by Wizards of the Coast. Playable in any era, Bloodhawk Down is for 9th- to 11th-level player characters. It might just be a coincidence but you do need the latest SWRPG book from WotC to play this free adventure. For all the books that WotC have produced for SWRPG, we still only have one full published adventure and more than a dozen free ones. That is an odd business plan, but more free stuff for us.

    12:14 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    Skip Williams Scribes for Malhavoc Press
    Co-creator of d20, Skip Williams, has signed on to Malhavoc Press to write an all new book on war called Cry Havoc. Cry Havoc will be the definitive work on all things war and will include new d20 rules for mass combat. Finally we have real rules for the day when IUZ decides to attack the puny Theocracy of Pale. Besides the Mass combat rules, Cry Havoc will include battlefield maneuvering rules for raising armies, prolonged sieges and lightning commando raids. The book also will include a host of new martial spells, feats, magic items, and prestige classes. The PDF of Cry Havoc will be ready for summer of 2003 with the print version to follow in the fall.

    Friday, October 11, 2002
    8:12 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
    Tyranny Acquires Rights to Terminator CCG
    Like it's namesake, the Terminator CCG is proving hard to kill. Despite Precedence's demise, the game now has a second chance with Tyranny Games, which has just acquired the rights to the game's Game Design System. I haven't tried Terminator, but it uses the same system as Aliens vs. Predator, which was a lot of fun. And with the next Terminator movie due out next summer, bringing back the CCG could be an excellent move.

    Thursday, October 10, 2002
    5:01 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
    New Review: Mean Streets
    Demian gives us his impression of Mean Streets, the film noir RPG from Deep7. Will he tell us to "Play it again, Sam," or will he tell us not to play at all? Find out here.

    2:18 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    Come Chat about Things Vile and Dark
    Otherwise known as The Book of Vile Darkness. Come chat with Uber scribe Monte Cook about his new tome detailing all the disgusting things you and your D&D-playing friends used to have to make up yourself. The Book of Vile Darkness is described by Wizards of the Coast thusly: the Book of Vile Darkness deals with material that has never been explored in the D&D roleplaying game. Elements such as moral dilemma, slavery, human sacrifice, and other sensitive issues will be treated in a mature fashion to allow players to add a level of complexity to their campaigns". Anyone remember how Mazes and Monsters and Tom Hanks nearly got us all sent to a therapist? Well if you have a desire to ask Monte why he's written such a Vile book, check out the Monte Cook chat on the WotC site Friday, October 25, 2002 Time: 5pm PT/8pm ET.

    1:58 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    A Free Gift from the Prophet
    Mongoose Publishing has posted a free PDF enhancement for the Gary Gygax supplement, Slayer's Guide to Dragons. This six page supplement is comprised of information that was cut from Ravage of Gorkai to conserve space. You get some additional background information and other goodies all for free. Make sure to check out all the other freebies on their downloads page.

    Wednesday, October 09, 2002
    11:29 AM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
    Interview: Goodman Games
    We put a few questions to Goodman Games in our latest interview. So how'd the idea of deep-space Confederates with laser guns and giant lizards come about? Find out more about the company that's bringing dinosaurs, Aerial Adventure Guides, and more to the d20 industry.

    Tuesday, October 08, 2002
    3:23 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
    Z-Man to Bring Cartoon Action Hour RPG to Print
    Z-Man Games just announced plans to publish its first roleplaying game, Cartoon Action Hour. Sound familiar? That's because CAH was originally designed and electronically published by Spectrum Game Studios. Z-Man President Zev Shlasinger is confident people will enjoy the game, stating "I think people are going to be surprised at how flexible this system is, while retaining the flavor of the various 80's style action cartoons." For the print release, set for next February, the rules will be expanded and released as a 192 page softcover book. "It's really two books in one," said Eddy Webb, Spectrum game designer, "the complete game system, which is massively expanded from its original electronic release, as well as a thorough series sourcebook for GMs and players to dive into called 'Warriors of the Cosmos'."

    Additional support for the game will come in the form of a quarterly PDF magazine called After These Messages. (I might have gone with And Knowing is Half the Battle, but that's just me). A simpler version of the rules is also underway for Kids' Action Hour, a sourcebook with simplified character generation rules and ideas on how to play the humor-based cartoons of the 1980's. To paraphrase Homer (Simpson), "RPGs: is there anything they can't do?"

    8:02 AM: Greg Kessler says...
    Old Tunnels & Trolls Adventure Returns from Beyond
    Flying Buffalo Games keeps chugging on, and this week the company re-released a Solo Adventure for their long surviving game, Tunnels and Trolls. The reprinted adventure is called When the Cat's Away by Catherine DeMott. The book also includes New Sorcerer Solitaire by James Walker, and the Solo For The Intellectually Challenged by Flying Buffalo founder and play-by-mail prophet Rick Loomis. This is book #24 for the folks in Arizona. With the publication of the mythic 6th edition of Tunnels and Trolls on the horizon, check out this adventure and reacquaint your self with a legendary game.

    5:17 AM: Demian Katz says...
    Ultimate Lone Wolf Rulebook Released
    Project Aon's latest release isn't a Lone Wolf solo gamebook; this time around, it's the start of a comprehensive compendium of all of the rules used in the series and its spin-offs. Although the Rules Handbook is not yet complete, it contains enough information to help answer any questions that arise while you play the books currently available online, and it should also serve as a good introduction to the rules if you've never seen them before. Hopefully, it will continue to grow as the rest of the site's collection does.

    Monday, October 07, 2002
    1:46 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    Chaosium is Back Online and Ready to Torment Dunwich All Over Again
    Chaosium announced this weekend that their web problems are behind them and they are ready to return to the 21st century. Chaosium has a new DSL provider and is again receiving emails. If you emailed them in the last two weeks of September, go ahead and resend just to make sure. Also it looks like the Dunwich book, H.P. Lovecraft's Dunwich is on its way from the printer and should be shipping to distributors soon. Check it all out at the new lickety-split Chaosium site and tell 'em Yig sent you.

    1:28 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    Abashima Brings You Cheap Feats For A (Not So Cheap) Good Cause
    Abashima Press will be posting a new d20 feat each Friday for their Feat Friday. This week they posted their first, Tend to the Wounded. This handy little feat would go a long way in keeping any unlucky roller (or just plain reckless and careless player) like myself alive. They are also celebrating the first Monday Monster. "The Blight Tick is a disease-spreading horror that can bring a town to its knees!" Sounds nasty. Abashima Press seems committed to running themselves out of business by giving away so much free stuff. These two only scratch the surface, slide on over and see for yourself.

    1:23 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    Dragonlance Comes to YOU!
    After months of anticipation you can finally visit the new Dragonlance D20 site. Over the weekend the owners of the new site opened their doors to the gaming public and revealed a site full of information on the upcoming Dragonlance D20 game and lots of fan information. The site is looking for submissions, written and drawn. There is already a nice collection of fan art decorating the page. Check it out.

    Friday, October 04, 2002
    11:56 PM: Allan Sugarbaker says...
    Interview: Revisiting Green Ronin
    Blame it on an email glitch, Chris Pramas' busy schedule, or the usual luck around here, but we've finally got follow-up questions to our Green Ronin Publishing interview. It took a while to get the answers back, so we've got the latest news on several GR subjects. Check out the new interview, and refresh your memory if needed with the first interview from a while back.

    Thursday, October 03, 2002
    5:06 AM: Greg Kessler says...
    Deadlands D20 Freebies and More Savage Worlds
    Pinnacle Entertainment has posted their latest column on the making of Savage Worlds. In update number seven, Pinnacle lets you in on the mechanics of playtesting, group dynamics and the like. It's a really interesting article and there's a nice photo of the playtest work space, along with some good advice on game design. In addition, they have posted a PDF skills chart for Deadlands D20. Happy gunslinging.

    Wednesday, October 02, 2002
    10:38 PM: Mike Sugarbaker says...
    Battle Cattle 3 Cover Looks Cool, Area Artist Held In Suspicion
    That Wingnut Aldo alerts us that you may now preview the cover, created by our own Colin Adams, of the third edition of Battle Cattle. You can also peep out a PDF of the new Bovine Record Sheet. The cow on the cover is meant to resemble one of the official BC minis, and the whole thing is a bit on the cartoony side of Colin's style, but check out his site for the full proverbial monty. He represents. [By the way, as a bonus for OgreCave's audience, here's an exclusive look at the rough pencil sketch that led to the final cover art. Looked cool from the word go. - Allan]

    7:23 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    Be a Groupie...Or Just Play one in your Basement
    Third World Games has posted some previews of cards to be included in their forthcoming expansion, Back Stage Pass for the Battle of the Bands game. Battle of the Bands is a card game where you get to play one of a set of messed up music folks. Until the game is released in November, Third World will be posting previews of the cards. This week you can get a look at The Geezer Card (can anyone say Jagger)?

    6:44 PM: Greg Kessler says...
    Playtesters Needed for Unbidden
    Three Sixty Publishing is ready for some serious playtesting. Three Sixty is now accepting applications from groups to playtest Unbidden, "a role-playing game of horror predicated on secrets, legend and myths as perpetuated by a displaced people seeking a sense of mission." There's supposed to be more information on the site, but it seems to be under construction. So if you're interested in playtesting, drop the folks an email.


     

  • Browse the archives
      Powered by Blogger

    Site copyright 2001, 2002 Allan Sugarbaker. Trademarks and copyrights mentioned on this page owned by their respective owners.