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Illuminated Site of the Week
The Illuminati: Crime Lords rules . . . the last component . . . have now gone to press.
This will now be a March release. It had been planned for February, but it didn't quite come together in time. Playtest, playtest, playtest . . . and then it DID come together, and now I'm quite happy with it. Illuminati fans should like it, but it is very definitely NOT just "Illuminati with mobsters." A lot of things are different . . . some to fit the gangland flavor, and some just because there are more than one ways to skin the proverbial cat.
The Crime Lords web page is now up; you can see several pieces of art, four sample cards, and my design notes (plus a couple of outtakes from the rulebook, which now become Official Optional Rules).
-- Steve Jackson
In Babylon 5, the Humans and the Minbari never quite saw eye to eye. But now with the Earth Alliance and Minbari Federation fact books, you can see the universe from either point of view, from the complexities of Earth cultures in 2258 to the subtleties of the ancient Minbari caste system.
January 30, 2004: Illuminated Site of the Week: Batter Up
Whalers and holes in the ozone aren't enough. If we're ever to wipe out all the wildlife at the South Pole, we're going to have to bat some penguins around. -- Suggested by Andrew McFarlane
Warehouse 23 News: Profession: Adventurer
Dive back into the dungeon with the Dungeoneer sets Tomb of the Lich Lord and Vault of the Fiends. These card sets work as standalone adventure games, or can be combined for even more lich-whomping fiend-slaughtering dungeon-crawling action.
January 29, 2004: If The Errata Are Gone, Are We Perfect Now?
You remember the story about Clerical Errata. We packaged up the misprinted decks from Munchkin 3 - Clerical Errors, along with rules to make the improperly-backed-up cards playable, and put 1,200 sets in Warehouse 23 . . . just enough to let us recoup what we had to spend to reprint the Clerical Errors cards and get them RIGHT.
I am delighted to report that we have sold them all. No more Clerical Errata. I suppose that it is now, Heaven help us, a collector's item, and will be appearing on eBay for the next decade at ever-growing prices.
No, we will not reprint it. (Twitch.)
-- Steve Jackson
Bring the King of Monsters home to cuddle . . . the Plush Godzilla! For decades, Godzilla has menaced the cities of Japan and fought off many seemingly unbeatable adversaries, including Plush Ghidorah and Plush Rodan.
The folks at news.com.au have put together this retrospective of the most spectacular pictures taken by the soon-to-be-decommissioned Hubble Space Telescope, complete with music.
Check it out here.
Warehouse 23 News: Take Your Campaign To The Next Level By Dropping It Down Below!
Beneath the waves creatures monstrous and unfamiliar swim everywhere in primal hunger. Will you feed? Or will you feed something else? The Deep: The Underwater Adventure Sourcebook is an aquatic campaign guide and sourcebook offering comprehensive rules for underwater adventuring.
The following are on their way to distributors everywhere. Okay, only on this planet. But we're working on it. So if you live on Earth, look for them on your local game store shelves in the very near future:
The Awful Green Things From Outer Space
(Reprint)
Monsters Everywhere!
The crew of the exploration ship Znutar just wanted to cruise around the Galaxy, discovering strange new worlds and playing pool. But then their ship was invaded by the Awful Green Things . . . and suddenly they were fighting for their lives!
In this wacky two-player game, one player controls the Awful Green Things. They grow and multiply every turn... especially if they can gobble up a crew member! The other player commands the crew, frantically trying weapon after weapon (pool sticks, fire extinguishers, cans of Zgwortz) in hope of finding something that kills the monsters.
This great game was created by Tom Wham. It first appeared in Dragon Magazine, and was later released as a boxed game from TSR. When they let it go out of print, SJ Games picked it up! This edition includes Tom's "Outside the Znutar" rules and counters, for going out the airlocks and fighting on the surface of the ship.
Boxed, with full-color map, rulebook, die-cut counters, and five GREEN dice!
Stock #1335,
ISBN 1-55634-094-X.
$19.95.
Snits
The tiny Snits have been persecuted for ages by the huge Bolotomi. Then, one day, inspiration strikes! A few brave Snits run inside a Bolotomus, and attack from within. Can they kick the snot out of their foe's internal organs before the Runnungitms get 'em? It's the Snits' Revenge!
This wacky classic was one of Tom Wham's very first games. Now it's back . . . along with the prequel, Snit Smashing, which previously appeared only in magazine form and has been unfindable for almost two decades. Snit Smashing explains why the Snits are so upset. They just want to run back and forth, to and from the ocean, reproducing. The Bolotomi smash them for fun (hey, it's boring on that beach). No wonder the Snits want revenge . . .
Snit Smashing is for 2 to 4 players and takes about an hour. It's a game of outguessing (or psyching out) your opponents.
Snits' Revenge is basically a 2-player game and plays in about a half-hour. It's more of a traditional wargame (if you can imagine a wargame where the board represents the insides of a huge imaginary creature). However, the attacking Snits can be divided between up to four players, who fight it out if they defeat the Bolotomus . . . making it a 5-player game which takes an hour or more.
Two insane little Tom Wham games in one box. Under $20. Truly, life is good . . .
Rules, die-cut counters, a two-sided full-color map, and two dice in a 6" x 9" box.
Stock #1421,
ISBN 1-55634-548-8.
$19.95.
Cardboard Heroes Castles: Walls and Towers
Put a castle in your backpack!
Cardboard Heroes Castles are great-looking 3-D structures that fold up for play, and fold down again for travel and storage! They're heavy cardstock, but they're die-cut and pre-scored to make them easy to build, and they're designed to fold and unfold without damage.
This set continues the Cardboard Heroes tradition of great miniatures and accessories at a low price. Each set gives you four towers and four walls (plus assorted castle goodies) -- set them up as a full castle or two smaller strongpoints. And you can add sets to make your fortress the envy of the surrounding kingdoms!
Cardboard Heroes Castles: Walls and Towers are full-color (of course), gorgeous, and totally portable. When the game's over, just fold 'em up and go!
16 die-cut cardboard pages plus instructions.
Stock #2150,
ISBN 1-55634-695-6.
$24.95.
Munchkin Monster Manual 2.5
Contains 150% more than the first volume! (Just don't ask 150% more what.)
The twisted geniuses behind the first Munchkin Monster Manual are back! The Munchkin Monster Manual 2.5 contains 3,905 monsters -- of which only 3,872 are orcs -- including such fell nasties as Auntie Paladin, the Misplacer Beast, and the dreaded Thing With a Name So Long There's No Room for a Picture in the Book. It also includes new monster templates, guidelines for updating your Munchkin campaigns to the 2.5 rules, and the wit for which the Munchkin RPG has become (in)famous.
More creatures to slay . . . more treasure to plunder . . . more levels to gain . . . the Munchkin Monster Manual 2.5 has it all!
48 pages, hardcover.
Stock #3407,
ISBN 1-55634-722-7.
$14.95.
GURPS WWII: All the King's Men
Winston Churchill promised the British forces would "never give up, never surrender." Now you can fight as one of His Majesty's own in GURPS WWII: All the King's Men! Watch as the storm clouds gather over Europe in the late '30s . . . and an unprepared England declares war against Germany in its fighting prime. Experience the fear and heroism of Dunkirk, the sweltering seesaw of Africa, and the final triumphs of the Anglo-American campaigns as a battered British Empire pulls victory from the jaws of darkest defeat!
All the King's Men describes soldiers from all around the British Empire, the way they were recruited, trained, and sent to war, the men who led them, and the battles they won and lost.
You'll also find a cross-section of British weapons and equipment -- from the very good to the very bad, from sidearms to the battleship King George V -- and a host of campaign and adventure ideas for GMs.
So, keep your chin up and get your lads in the thick of it -- sharpish!
128 pages.
Stock #8009,
ISBN 1-55634-640-9.
$24.95.
I S S A R I E S
Masters of Luck and Death
This book takes the hero band rules from HeroQuest and puts them into practice. Each of the 27 hero bands has a purpose for being in the Dragon Pass area, where the Hero Wars will start. Most are drawn from one of the ten Homelands featured in HeroQuest, thus allowing new players an immediate home for their heroes. Five additional sections give tips about how to play in a campaign oriented around a certain type of hero: fighters, healers, scholars, wanderers (merchants, entertainers, etc.), and
magicians.
This book has something for everyone: Donandar entertainers, Lunar tax collectors, draconic scholars, feuding healers, Imperial magicians, Geo's Inn, and the Slayers of Harrek. Old fans will recognize bands such as the Comet Seers, Sword Brothers, and the Temple of the Wooden Sword, old favorites given new life in this book. Old and new fans alike will enjoy the new information presented here on Dragon Pass, Glorantha, and their
inhabitants.
72 page softcover, 8-1/2" x 11", color cover.
Stock #ISS1303,
ISBN 1-929052-17-0.
$15.95.
Warehouse 23 News: Mad Science Rules The World . . . Poorly
Issue 10 of Phil & Kaja Foglio's Girl Genius comic series is now available. Follow the continuing adventures of Agatha Clay, a young lab assistant with rotten luck and a mysterious past.
I'm rereading Guy Kawasaki's Selling The Dream, a marketing book about "evangelism." I've always felt that our best salesmen were the people who play our games, so this book has a lot to say to me. But here's one particular quote worth remembering:
"You can be rich, you can be powerful, and you can be famous, but you won't amount to much of anything until you change the world."
-- Steve Jackson
The Rifter #24 is a vehicle to numerous Palladium roleplaying worlds. It is a tool for Game Masters and players alike, a place to showcase new talent and exchange ideas for the entire Palladium Megaverse.
Our new Las Vegas warehouse is up and running. The games that are shipping now were shipped from Vegas. In the long run, we expect this setup to save us both time and money; believe it or not, there were real advantages that made it seem very worthwhile to get our new warehouse space there rather than in or near Austin.
But setting up the new facility hasn't been an easy job. By far the worst problems came in trying to get phone service. Sprint missed their original installation date; rescheduled several days later without even offering an excuse; missed that date with an excuse that we don't believe . . . and then refused to expedite a third installation date. They did it when they got around to it.
And "no phone line," of course, means "no net connection," which means "no automated link to FedEx and UPS," as well as "our staff there have to talk to Austin via cell phone, and faxes have to be sent to home numbers." It was NOT a picnic, either for the Las Vegas contingent or for the business staff on this end.
I was already unimpressed with Sprint; they're my cell phone provider until the contract runs out, but they spam me with repeated junk phone calls trying to get me to "upgrade" my service. (Yeah, the no-call rules let them do that, as long as they pretend they don't have any record of my request to THEM not to be called. They're my phone company so they get to bother me.)
Vegas good. Sprint bad. Thank you for letting me vent.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: The Wanderers Guild Guide To Aquatic Organisms
Wanderers Guild: Monsters of the Boundless Blue includes dozens of previously undocumented creatures, with detailed illustrations. Also covered are related topics, such as the expertise of the Sea Delvers and the fantastic environments beneath the waves.
Hellboy fans, prepare for a new take on your hero. Joe Acevedo has created custom Playmobil versions of the Big Red Guy, as well has his friends and foes. Isn't it great to live in a world where people do things like this?
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: You've Been Here Before.
Every night, in fact, you visit this while you dream, your Dreamscape floating in the clear, infinite ocean that is the Periphery, Hod's borderlands. But there's more to Hod than the Periphery. Explore a world where fantasy and reality are not so different with WitchCraft: The Book of Hod.
January 23, 2004: Illuminated Site of the Week: Lemony-Fresh Mythos
An assault by mind-blasting creatures from beyond space and time would go over much better if it came with a fresh, clean scent. A Horrible Lovecraft/Woodring Mutant Lemon sounds like just the thing. -- Suggested by Stefan Jones
Warehouse 23 News: Who Knew Plush Could Be So Menacing?
Toy Vault has created the Plush Troll for fantasy fans who want a little more mayhem in their lives. But for those who prefer the unknown, and perhaps an abduction or two, the Plush Alien might be better.
January 22, 2004: There Are A Million Stories In The Virtual City
. . . and a lot of them are pretty nasty. Who knew that "The Sims" would become such a sink of simulated depravity? Read the story in The Independent.
Warehouse 23 News: Nothing Is What It Seems
Dungeon Crawl Classics feature bloody combat, intriguing dungeons, and no NPCs who aren't meant to be killed. Each adventure is 100% good, solid dungeon crawl. In the latest volume, you can delve into The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho.
The folks at Science@NASA have this close-up of the face of the Wild 2 comet that has taken scientists completely by surprise. Read the details here.
Warehouse 23 News: An Adult Gamer's Guide To Sexual Situations
Sex is a topic rarely discussed in most roleplaying games, yet it can be as much a factor as combat or magic. Naughty & Dice provides an overview of sex in history, mythology, and folklore, rules for factoring a character's Sexuality statistic, adventure ideas, and more.
Comments are being solicited here on amending the sentencing guidelines in the new federal anti-spamming act. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that they can be e-mailed.
I don't suppose they'll consider "Painful death," no matter how many of us write in.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: For The Fans, By The Fans, And Of The Fans
The EN World Player's Journal features no news, no reviews, and no excerpts or previews. It's all original material focused on the one thing you want: usable gaming material. Each issue includes contributions from fans and articles from professional publishers.
Okay, this gets beyond egoboo and all the way to "scary."
Google for "Jackson" . . . (isn't it cool that "Google" is a verb now?) When you get past the day's headlines, who is the top entry?
It gets worse. Google for "Steve" . . .
-- Steve Jackson
Sky ships, flying castles, cloud cities, and airborne monsters await you in the Aerial Adventure Guides. Sellaine: Jewel of the Clouds describes aerial settings, including the sky elf city of Sellaine. Monsters, Magic, and Sky Ships includes everything needed to populate the sky lanes of your campaigns.
Next weekend -- Jan. 22-25 -- I will be in the wilds of New Jersey at the Dreamation 2004 game convention. Pyramid editor Steven Marsh will also be there, along with quite a few other folks bent on a ton of gaming fun.
I'll be running Evil Stevie's Gaming Lab, where you'll get the chance to try out some games that are still being developed, plus a big Car Wars tournament (with a trophy and everything!). And Mr. Marsh and myself will be sitting on a panel or three, talking about game magazines, company plans, and other exciting topics.
And if you play your cards (or dice, or character, or . . .) right, you might get a chance to play against me, as I'm sure I'll try to fill the empty spots in my schedule with whatever's handy.
You can get more info on Dreamation by visiting their website. See you there!
-- Scott Haring
Warehouse 23 News: Bring The Mechanized Action Genre To Life!
The d20 Mecha Compendium: Deluxe Edition delivers the firepower that players need to deal with those awkward situations where the party is running for their lives. Control a towering magical knight that can go toe-to-toe with dragons, a transformable superpowered aerofighter, or anything in between!
January 17, 2004: Illuminated Site of the Week: Pellucidar On $789 A Day
Do vacations leave you feeling empty inside? Fill those vacant places in your life with the trip of a lifetime. Steve Currey and his expedition are taking a Voyage to Our Hollow Earth. Sign up now and you can see the proof of the pudding under the crust. -- Suggested by Marcus L. Rowland
The Fantasy Hero Grimoire unleashes the full power and potential of magic in a Fantasy Hero game. Monsters, Minions, and Marauders provides complete game information for nearly a hundred monsters.
Steve Jackson Games will release the following products in April, 2004:
GreedQuest
Greed Is Good!
. . . and it's especially good in the dungeon. In GreedQuest, four to six players race to the bottom level of the dungeon to grab The Hoard. Now all you have to do is get out of the dungeon with it . . . and everyone else is between you and the exit!
Each player has his own deck of cards that control movement. Bluff, scheme, and strategize your way to the head of the pack . . . but some cards will change the rules when you least expect it!
This is a fast, unpredictable game, easy to learn and fun for all ages, with lots of quick replay value. And it's illustrated by Phil Foglio!
168 full-color cards, six stand-up color figures with bases, color map, and rules sheet in a 6" x 9" x 1-3/4" box.
Stock #1435,
ISBN 1-55634-727-8.
$24.95.
GURPS Greece
(Reprint)
The land we call Greece was the home of one of the greatest cultures the
world has ever known. With GURPS Greece, you can experience
the challenges of the heroes of myth:
Contend with the love and the wrath of the gods as you set out on epic
quests. Fight for loot and honor, or earn a bitter death on the plain
before the gates of fabled Troy. Win prestige as a statesman in the city
Assembly - or lose everything as the people turn against you and send you
into exile.
GURPS Greece includes detailed timelines and maps describing
the world as the Greeks knew it, information on their religion, rules for
the magic of the Hellenic myths, and a Bestiary describing the monsters
and animal foes faced by Greek heroes.
128 pages.
Stock #6075,
ISBN 1-55634-096-6.
$24.95.
GURPS Low-Tech
(Reprint)
From the dawn of civilization to the Middle Ages . . . or in any
fantasy game . . . GURPS Low-Tech is a universal resource for any
campaign set before the age of gunpowder and the printing press. It's 128
pages of detailed research and game ideas:
- Weapons: Cleave an enemy's skull with a stone axe, stab him with
a bronze sword, or impale him on your obsidian-tipped spear.
- Armor: Whether it's the crudest leather or the finest iron chain, any
armor is better than none. Plus new rules for piecemeal armor!
- Vehicles: Steer a dogsled across the Arctic, sail a trireme
across the Mediterranean, or ride your chariot over the battlefields of Asia.
- Equipment: Yokes and plows, adzes and hammers, sundials and locks;
everything it takes to build a town or a nation.
- Plus shelter, science, and civilizations . . . from the Stone Age
to the Middle Ages.
Whether you're playing cavemen fighting to stay alive, armored knights
jousting for honor, or time travelers searching for the truth about
history, GURPS Low-Tech brings the past to life!
128 pages.
Stock #6526,
ISBN 1-55634-343-4.
$24.95.
GURPS Traveller: Star Mercs
(Reprint)
A Sourcebook for Military/Mercenary Operations in the Far Future
Everything you need for a military-oriented campaign in the
universe of Traveller! This book covers combat (and a
soldier's life) in the 57th century; how to recruit, organize, and equip
a mercenary unit; and the Imperial rules of war. There are descriptions
of how armies are organized and equipped for Tech Levels from 5 to 12,
discussions of strategy and tactics, and a comprehensive rundown on
weapons and the other tools of the soldier's trade. In addition, deck
plans for the 800-ton Broadsword class mercenary
cruiser are included.
Star Mercs also includes templates for military and
mercenary soldier characters, sample missions, and a variety of units and
NPC personalities your mercenary group might encounter, including the
famed and feared Imperial Marines.
128 pages.
Stock #6604,
ISBN 1-55634-364-7.
$24.95.
GURPS Traveller: Far Trader
(Reprint)
Next to the mercenary game, the "independent trader" campaign is the most popular among Traveller players. This new book is the complete support volume for the Trader campaign. You can:
- Develop sector-wide trade routes, following the demands of
commerce on an interplanetary scale.
- Start your own character-run business, raise capital, and finance
your money-making ventures.
- Make contacts, find niche markets, and exploit opportunities the big corporations miss.
- Learn what it takes to run a successful commercial starship.
- Expand your world with 15 new character templates.
- Run entire mercantile campaigns, including free traders, smugglers, and pirates.
Far Trader complements the GURPS Traveller volumes on
Starports and Starships. It is also fully compatible with GURPS Space, and a useful supplement for any science fiction campaign.
128 pages.
Stock #6606,
ISBN 1-55634-373-6.
$26.95.
Transhuman Space: Toxic Memes
Believe It Or Not . . .
Though you might not have a choice. 2100 is ruled by memetics -- the science of analyzing, engineering, and manipulating ideas. Memeticists know how to get into your head for power, money, and religion. Or just for the fun of it.
Transhuman Space: Toxic Memes explores cults, conspiracies, urban legends, and fads from around the world at the end of the 21st century. In a world where belief, fear, and ideology can be sculpted like clay, how does anyone know what they really think?
Transhuman Space: Toxic Memes is a sourcebook for the Transhuman Space setting, and includes detailed rules for the creation and propagation of memes, technologies for controlling information and managing reputations, new characters, new templates, campaign ideas, and over a hundred cults, movements, conspiracies, myths, and fringe sub-cultures to use as adventure seeds, background flavor, and to enhance your game's sense that the world of Transhuman Space is a very strange place indeed.
144 pages.
Stock #6712,
ISBN 1-55634-726-X.
$26.95.
GURPS WWII: Motor Pool
By Land, Sea, or Air . . .
World War II raged from the deserts of North Africa to the jungles of the South Pacific, the mountaintops of the Alps to the beaches of Normandy, to the high seas, the undersea depths, and the skies above it all. And everywhere were the machines of war -- the bombers, fighters, tanks, jeeps, ships, submarines, landing craft, and more, thousands of designs built by dozens of different countries.
GURPS WWII: Motor Pool is the definitive sourcebook for it all. Using the WWII Modular Vehicle Design System from the GURPS WWII Core Rulebook (itself derived from GURPS Vehicles 2/e), Motor Pool has complete stats for combat vehicles of all types, from all theaters and combatants, in mankind's greatest conflict.
No matter what type of GURPS WWII game you're playing, Motor Pool has the info you need to ramp up the action!
128 pages.
Stock #8011,
ISBN 1-55634-642-5.
$24.95.
I S S A R I E S
Gathering Thunder: Sartar Rising Volume 3
The Lunar Empire has been defeated at the Battle of Iceland. Orlanth is free, and across Dragon Pass and the world the winds have been released. This is the time to strike, the time for heroes to raise the rest of the land against the Empire, begin quests that will take years to bear fruit, and finally to aid Kallyr as she returns a lost planet to the sky and upsets the plans of the Empire.
Gathering Thunder is the third book of the Sartar Rising campaign. It continues the epic struggle of the Heortlings against the Lunar Empire, building on the events and information provided in Barbarian Adventures and Orlanth is Dead!, the first two books of the series. This 80-page book includes six scenarios set in Dragon Pass, each a testing ground for heroes as they rise to become leaders in the rebellion:
- The New Breathers, by Martin Hawley
- Sheep, Clouds, Thunder, by Jeff Kyer
- The Other Side of the Dragon, by David Dunham
- Kill Wasps! by Ian Cooper
- Final Days at Skullpoint, by Ron Edwards
- Ship of the Sky, a heroquest by Greg Stafford
80 pages.
Stock #ISS1403,
ISBN 1-929052-17-0.
$19.95.
Warehouse 23 News: Starship Miniatures Game
Command frigates, destroyers, or dreadnoughts to carve a fiefdom from the stars! Fading Suns: Noble Armada Basic is a unique miniatures experience: a game that appeals to beginners and veterans alike - and it's fully compatible with the Fading Suns roleplaying game.
January 15, 2004: Getting In The Spirit: Free GURPS Mars!
By the time you read this, if all went well, Spirit is off its lander and sitting on the surface of Mars . . . to check up on it, you can visit NASA or that excellent news site, Space.com.
To celebrate . . . and believe me, we're a bunch of space fans here and we ARE celebrating . . . GURPS Mars will be free, until the end of January, with any Warehouse 23 order of $100 or more. (That size order gets you free regular shipping in the US; if you're ordering internationally, read that as "$100 before shipping fees.") And that is all orders PLACED between now and the end of January, regardless of when they actually ship.
If you don't need $100 worth of books right now, call the people you play with and do a group buy, and then start an "Exploring Mars" campaign. Looks like you can set it within our lifetimes . . .
Now cross your fingers for Opportunity . . .
-- Steve Jackson
For too long, a misfeature of our wonderful website was the grossly out-of-date Our Games page, which needed SO much update work that it never got any at all.
This has been corrected. Check it out. And now that it's all fixed up, we will be maintaining it.
Of course, we might have missed something, so if you look at it and there's a game you can't find, tell the webmaster!
-- Steve Jackson
The T-Shirt Info Page shows Warehouse 23's full selection of T-shirts, including five recent additions: two Lunch Money (Freedom and Headbutt), two ps238 (I Use My Powers For Good and I Use My Powers For Evil), and Squidbob 'Thulhupants.
January 13, 2004: Do You Want Weapons of Mass Destruction With That?
Having seen what the government did when we published GURPS Cyberpunk, we won't even try to order a known terrorism tool like a PDA.
However, the good folks at The Register were brave enough to test a terrorist filter for on-line shopping. Read about it here.
Warehouse 23 News: Cartoon Could-Have-Beens
Get in on the cartoon show that never was with Cartoon Action Hour: Metal Wars, the Transbot Series Book! Or, if transforming robots aren't your thing, Darkness Unleashed is set in the militant Dark Brigade cartoon series.
Now, where would this cammo job be effective?
I particularly like their FAQ . . .
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: And Now For Something Completely Different . . .
If you're tired of the same old toys, then the Monty Python line of plush might be just what you're looking for. The Plush Black Knight and the Plush Live Parrot (Sleeping) are soft, silly, and just plain wrong.
January 11, 2004: Curses! Foiled For The First Time!
Aren't you glad you don't have friends like this?
Warehouse 23 News: The Dawn Of A New Age Is Upon Us . . .
The Xro Dinn Chronicles: Book One - Awakenings is a far future science fiction roleplaying game. Play one of the up and coming races within the galaxy, each of which is richly detailed to bring out the flavor of the race - even the technology is tailored to fit the their physiology and culture.
The GURPS Dragons Playtest will begin Monday, January 12th, on Pyramid.
Throughout history, people
around the world have told tales of dragons. Now playing dragon characters is
an option in GURPS. Terrify enemies with fire, claws,
and teeth. Gather your hoard. Study ancient lores and magic from your irascible
draconic ancestors. And take human form to walk in the world of men!
The files have already been posted so playtesters can "read ahead" this weekend. Click here for playtesting details.
Warehouse 23 News: The Most Powerful Magic . . .
. . . is sometimes the most ancient. Drawn from the sweltering rainforests and dangerous savannahs of Nyambe, Ancestral Vault brings gamers a rich hoard of African-flavored treasures and equipment.
January 9, 2004: Illuminated Site of the Week: Get A Load Of This
It's a gas. Methane, that is, and it's the energy source of the future since everything dies and decays. Flatulent Technologies is breathing life into this idea, along with tangential, bean-based projects like confections and, er...stuff for guys. -- Suggested by Brian E. Thompson
Warehouse 23 News: Step Beyond The Light
Nightbane: Nightlands takes a closer look at the nefarious Nightlords, their minions, and the legendary force of evil behind them, The Dark. Meanwhile, Through the Glass Darkly explores exactly how magic works, and what happens when magic goes wrong.
I just got off the phone, and it was the kind of call that makes me shake my head. This is the sort of thing that put Harlan Ellison off fandom.
I was returning a call from an individual who had left a message claiming to be "working with" a very well-known miniatures company. I won't mention the name; it's not THEIR fault.
At any rate: He turned out to be "working with" them in the sense of being their self-appointed booster. He used the word "facilitate" a lot, but mostly he just explained (as if to one unfamiliar with the concept) the benefits of licensing, told me what a great job Company X would do, and asked me if I'd heard from their owner.
Folks: Don't do this. This is the kind of thing that makes creators and business-owners hide behind three layers of secretaries. This wasn't just fanboying . . . this was namedropping to get me to return a call so he could goober at me on my dime. This was not what I needed to end my day.
-- Steve Jackson
Adepts are the heroes and legends of Earthdawn, fighting to reclaim their Scourge-ravaged land with the magic they wield. Some of these Adepts find their path defined by conflict and blood, a path known as the Way of War.
January 7, 2004: We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do . . .
NASA has created a photojournal for the pictures coming back from the Spirit rover. Go here to look at the latest images.
Warehouse 23 News: Every Superhero Deserves An Arch-Enemy!
Kick any Mutants & Masterminds campaign into overdrive with this comprehensive guide to Crooks! Assume the role of a supervillain or do battle against the nearly 100 foes detailed within!
We've all been watching Spirit with glee and admiration. Isn't it wonderful when something works? Especially something that important and that downright COOL.
NASA's self-coverage has been good, too. The animations of the landing sequence were excellent . . . and by the day after landing they'd intercut them with scenes from the control room to create an instant documentary. The way they caught the hush when Spirit bounced and went silent . . . and the joy when it started broadcasting again 15 minutes later . . . was incredible.
Those of us hanging out in Pyramid chat spent a lot of time thinking of names for future pairs of landers, but in the spirit of post-holiday benevolence I won't share any of them.
-- Steve Jackson
In Morningstar, the world has become a beacon to those who wish to destroy, subvert, or conquer. Celestials, demons, devils, gods, and The Strangers compete with men, elves, dwarves, and halflings to recast this idyllic planet in their own images.
The makers of the Historic Tale Construction Kit have taken various bits of art and lettering from the famous Bayeux Tapestry, and loaded them into a web-based application that lets you use the elements to create your own story. No, really.
If you need some inspiration before beginning, the site has a gallery of other visitors' works, or you can check out this recent installment of Irregular Webcomic (as seen in Pyramid!)
Warehouse 23 News: Join The Archers Of Legend!
Races of Renown: Bow & Blade offers the terrible secrets of blood magic, the deadly grace of the speardance, and other innovative options to customize an elf character.
When it comes to starships it just might . . .
While it might be interesting to the geekier among us whether or not a Star Trek photon torpedo could take out a Star Wars Imperial Star Cruiser, there's really no way to compare entirely fictional technologies.
But you can compare sizes . . . and that's exactly what uber-fan Jeff Russell has done with his Starship Dimensions web page.
Warehouse 23 News: Lights, Camera, Wait For The Bus...
Man, as if the gig at Deadwood Studios wasn't bad enough, now you're working On Location.
As the comet-exploring spacecraft Stardust approaches the Wild 2 comet's nucleus (closest pass will be Friday, Jan. 2), it has positioned itself with "shields" up to protect it from stray bits of high-velocity dust and rock. SpaceRef.com has the story.
Warehouse 23 News: Top 10 For December
Check out Warehouse 23's best selling items for December on the Warehouse 23 Top 10 page.
January 2, 2004: Illuminated Site of the Week: This Alert Brought To You By The Letters "Uh" And "Oh"
Just how bad are things? Ashcroft can tell you - or rather, his pallor can. His color-coded terror alerts are waiting for you here, and he's spreading his brand of alarmism to the kids as fast as the Internet will carry it. -- Suggested by Lynette R. F. Cowper
Warehouse 23 News: Unending Adventure
The world of Glorantha continues to expand with the Convulsion 4 Program Book, The Zin Letters #1, The Shadows of Pavis, and the Gloranthan Map Set.
, , , and never the twain shall meet, the saying goes. But you just can't be sure of anything anymore, as the north magnetic pole has been wandering around, as much as 40 kilometers a year.
So is your trusty compass about to become a useless artifact of camping trips gone by? And what do the Secret Masters have to do with this? Science@NASA doesn't try to answer those questions, but they do take a crack at explaining just what's going on.
-- Scott Haring
Warehouse 23 News: Mechanized Excitement!
d20 Mecha provides a detailed d20 system point-based creation toolkit for all things mecha, while the BESM d20: Character Folio keeps the complete story of any BESM d20 or d20 Mecha anime character in one place!
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