Friday, June 28, 2013

The Demolished Ones Backer update.



Shipping Print Copies
I wanted to let you know that I have around 40 print copy of The Demolished Ones that still need to be ordered and set up for shipping. I plan to have all of this done before the end of Sunday. These are being done in the order that surveys were completed. 

When you get your print copy I would appreciate a email letting me know you did receive it and if you want to make my day include a pic with you holding your book (the image would go public so if you don't want your pic out there don't send a pic :) 

You will know yours has been set up because you will get an email that will show 

Order #XXXXXXX (Paid For) 
Order Date: 06/XX/2013 XX:XX:XX 
Delivery Address: 
Name, 
street address, 
City, State/Provice, Postal Zip code (note it will never show country); S
hipping Method  

First Supplement
Bill Collins the editor of the Demolished Ones were just chattign the other night and he let me know that he has completed nearly 6,000 words on your first supplement. My focus right now is on getting your books shipped so I have no more info than that at this point but I thought you should know. 


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

[LoG&S] Icon Deck art descriptions.

This is to help my high level backers Icon Level and higher send me art descriptions.


Illustration by Ian Greenlee

I want this one to look like a portrait of a mix of Hiro from Heroes both his future scarry and adorkable version. He should be in a cramped dorm room with a Japanese nerd paradise in the background (looks like Godzilla, anime [ghost in the shell], manga [Bleach], Kendo mask, a bit of kawaisa [take something usually mundane and boring and making cute]. A mix of feudal japan and modern japan he is bare chested with yakuza style full body tatoo from writs to neck to waist. He is wearing a daisho pair of swords, and holding a Mikoru MK 38 shotgun in his hand. His pants should be traditional kendo (If his pants are shown at all). 


Illustration by Gordon Napier,

"Jessamyn stood at a crossroads, pondering which road might lead to the most interesting adventure and discovery. She was a lovely young woman with hair and eyes as dark as her skin was fair. Her long hair was pulled up under a  white wide-brimmed hat that matched the stylish coat she wore unfastened. Her blouse was simple and white. Her pants were black and her boots knee-high and leather. She wore a gold ankh about her neck. Her smile was bright, and perhaps mischievous and a bit quirky. The Crossroads sign points to helldorodo, Shatterlight and maybe London


for actress reference, Jessamyn is somewhere between Mila Kunis [specifically her look in "Oz, the Great and Powerful"; and Kate Beckinsale [specifically in "Much ado About Nothing"] and Kat Dennings in just about anything as she has that quirky but pretty look.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Lost in Dream: A Novel; June Update & "Doji" Character Preview (Matt Banach)



May and the first half of June have been very productive. Things are coming along, and the great creative process churns and churns. Chapters 4 and 5 are now complete, taking the point-of-view character and his dangerous comedic foil through the wondrous Halls of Painted Heaven. It was, if anything, a struggle to write my characters a way out of that part of the setting without leaving too abruptly, but now it is done, with what I hope is the proper amount of foreshadowing for future events and grand twists.

As a special treat, I present the description for "Doji", included in Chapter 4. Doji is the character submitted by high-level back and creative godfather Clinton J. Boomer, and for a character I'm contractually obligated to include, I could not possibly be happier with the addition Doji has made to this effort. 

***excerpted from Chapter 4 of Lost in Dream***

The thorny little man remained so still, at first I thought him a statue.

Brother Hobb and I had come across him in the hallway, kneeling before a massive painting. The work was pleasant and beautiful, but typical of so many I'd seen before – an expansive pastoral landscape with rolling green hills and flowered meadows stretched out beneath clouds full of beneficent angels and old people in long comfy tunics. The foreground of this one seemed to focus on several crook-wielding shepherds and their flocks of fluffy white sheep.

He was small of stature, with the slim build of a teenager. His garb was similar to the monks I'd seen on the beach, though in different hue – a simple red robe draped over one shoulder, belted with a faded yellow sash knotted on one side. He wore loose red pants cinched at his calves with wrappings of cloth and leather strap. His feet were bare, folded perfectly beneath him so that the tops lay flush with the white marble floor. His arms hung relaxed at his sides, his hands cupped neatly in his lap. With his head bowed and eyes shut, he appeared to be meditating.

I was glad his eyes were closed, because I was staring. He looked like a demon.

Black thorns covered his tightly-muscled body, sprouting prominently from his joints, spine, and knuckles, giving every angle of his wiry frame a wicked point. He was completely hairless, with nothing atop his bald head except more short, horn-like thorns spaced out in such a way that they formed an almost-crown. A tangled rose-vine tattoo wrought in black ink spiraled and coiled around every limb, covering every inch of his olive-toned skin with stems, leaves, and brambles. On his right shoulder, an inky rose blossomed. I saw the petals moving, even though his body wasn't, blooming and folding as if gently breathing on its own.

On his left side lay an immaculate coil of steel chain augmented with nasty-looking hooks and barbs, ending in a long triangular spike.

On his right side lay a broom.

***  ***

'Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!   
~Matt Banach, author


Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Talking Monster Books part I


Illustration by Nicholas Cloister

I was talking with a friend about what we wanted to see in new Paizo Bestiaries and it made me think. What do I want to see in Adventure Quarterly and other Rite Publishing products, so I thought I would share my personal feelings on what are some good monster books and what are some really fun monsters to loot from other peoples books.  

Some of these references require conversion to Pathfinder Rpg. 
  
Books you should be using already if you are writing for Rite Publishing (and yes I am totally biased)

  • Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 1-4
  • Advanced Bestiary by Green Ronin Publishing
  • Tome of Horrors Complete by Frog God Games
  • Forgotten Foes by Tricky Owlbear Publsihing
  • Monsters Unleashed Vol 1-5 by Purple Duck Games
  • Book of Monster Templates by Rite Publishing
  • 101 Not So Simple Monster Templates by Rite Publishing
  • 101 Variant Monsters by Rite Publishing
  • Pathways #1-27 free e-zine by Rite Publishing (there are monsters and monster templates in nearly every issue).
  • Legacy of the Dragons by Malhavoc Press 
  • The Iron Heroes Bestiary by Malhavoc Press/Fiery Dragon
  • Deluxe Book of Templates by Silverthrone Games/Mongoose Publishing
  • Template Troves vol 1-4? by Siverthrone Games

I am now going to make a list of monsters (this is a work in progress) from various books that I think are cool, the monsters are are evocative in appearance, have well written flavor, and have mechanics that surprise and challenge players.  This is just a quick run at this list as I will be adding to it as I run through every OGC monster book out there.

Creature Collection III by White Wolf/Sword & Sorcery
Dirgewood tree
Golems (amalgam, amber, bramble, coral, ember, hive, moon, penumbral, sand)
Spontaneous Golems! (Gallows, Hide, Hoard, Plague)
Hiveskin
Love-Scorned soul
Pain Doll
Paitient Doom
Phase Mass
Hydran Creature Template
Infested Creature Template

Denizens of Avadnu by Inner Circle Games
Carcaetan
Ethereal Adder
Goldencrest
Inscriber
Kei-Ehri
Kulumar
Madrir
Nightmare Collector
Vacuous Engulfer
Warding Visage

Strange Lands: Lost Tribes of the Scarred Lands by White Wolf/Sword and Sorcery
Unholy Chorus

Monday, June 3, 2013

101 Not So Random Encounters: Winter (Designer's Notes)


Designer’s Notes


When Steve Russell tapped me to work on this book, he kindly pointed me to his previous work, 101 Not So Random Encounters: Urban, as a template. Based on the title alone, I figured I would have to create some interlinked encounters, and, for the few stand-alone encounters, I had to provide justification for their interaction with the party. Cracking open the urban encounters book dispelled all those notions; Steve had created an entire campaign from start to finish with plots and subplots based on the encounters contained within the book. This book humbly tries to duplicate that, but for a winter setting, with one main driver in Harbin Brindlefrost, but with plenty of supporting characters that could potentially steal the spotlight away from the druid. Whether you end up using this to provide a campaign through-line, or to augment your favorite winter-themed adventure path, I hope you find plenty to use from this book.

Mike Welham

Find out more HERE