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October 31, 2005: Coming on Friday to a Screen Near You

In Nomine fans rejoice! We're publishing new supplements on e23, and the first one goes up this week!

In Nomine Superiors: Lilith

I know what you Need.

Enigmatic. Immortal. Selfish. Mercurial. Human. Love her or hate her, the Princess of Freedom is a mover and shaker of In Nomine's Hell. Underestimate her, misunderstand her, and she'll take advantage.

What's it like to know your only safety is in your net worth? How do the Free Daughters stay that way when their Mother's protections are thin and tenuous? And what happens when a Daughter of Lilith redeems?

With information about the Princess and her plots, her servants and Daughters, as well as Geases and GURPS, 3rd Edition conversions . . .

You Need this. You Need . . . Lilith.

On Sale November 4!


-- Scott Haring

Warehouse 23 News: Good Advice Is Seldom Cheap

So crack open that wallet, Dungeon Master, because the Advanced Gamemaster's Guide is a veritable cornucopia of advice, variant rules, roleplaying guidelines, and other assorted thingamabobs that will help you be a better DM. You may think your "Lair of Big-Nasty Thingies And Stuff" campaign is perfect, but your players might just beg to differ.

October 30, 2005: Powers Bibliography Available!

Want to see what inspired GURPS Powers? You can check out the bibliography here, complete with Amazon.com links for ordering the books, comics, and videos on the list.

We also have the GURPS Fantasy bibliography up here, should you want to fill out your fantasy collection as well.

-- Chris Aylott

Warehouse 23 News: Contents Under Pressure

All the danger and intrigue in the galaxy isn't strictly limited to the Babylon 5 space station. If you're looking for a little fun off-station, you may want to expose your players to The Athena Strain.

October 29, 2005: We Have A New Office

The final paperwork has been signed, and we have a new office.

The new address, as well as photos, will be broadcast shortly in the official announcement. But right now, I'm just too happy to not let everyone know!
-- Paul Chapman

Warehouse 23 News: This Little Die Of Mine

Most everything reflects light. Chessex's Lustrous dice are no exception. In fact, they do it very, very well. We're sure you'll enjoy looking at them. We certainly do. We could just stare at them all . . .

October 28, 2005: What's New At SJ Games!

Yes, the time-honored tradition, sadly fallen silent of late, has returned. On Friday, November 4, 2005, Chris Aylott and Sean Punch will be in the Pyramid Auditorium. They'll discuss the recently released GURPS Banestorm, the recently at-the-printer GURPS Powers, and the soon-to-be-upcoming GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars. Plus, if asked nicely, they may also talk about GURPS releases scheduled for May, July, and September 2006!

Ask these two forces of nature about all aspects of Steve Jackson Games! What's next for e23? How is Skype working out? What are the differences between the retail work schedule and the Managing Editor work schedule? Who gets the biggest office in the new building? What is in store for Munchkin?

Stop by Pyramid Friday November 4 at 7pm Central (8pm for you East Coasters) and experience the all-new "What's New at Steve Jackson Games!" And if you're not a Pyramid subscriber, now is the perfect time to become one!

Pyramid is our online zine, featuring Ken Hite's Suppressed Transmission, weekly comics (including John Kovalic's Dork Tower and Murphy's Rules, drawn by Greg Hyland), and reviews from every area of gaming. Click here to subscribe!


Warehouse 23 News: Play Dead!

Never again shall you sit at the gaming table thinking "Oh great, we're out of zombie dog miniatures again." The Zombies!!! Bag o' Dogs!!! has 100 tiny, plastic, undead canines that are sure to come in handy while playing Zombies!!!, but will certainly work with any miniatures system. And here we thought wet dogs smelled bad.

October 27, 2005: Now Shipping!

This is the latest release from Steve Jackson Games, now available on the shelves of a game store near you:

Munchkin Bites! 2 - Pants Macabre
Munchkin is about beating up monsters, taking their stuff, and sequels. Munchkin Bites! is no different. Thus were born . . . the Pants Macabre.

The World of Dorkness has been busy in the past year. Can you face the sonic stylings of Ten Inch Tacks, the annoyance of the Gnat Bats, and the chilling waddle of the Were-Penguin? Will you wield the might of Power Piercing and revel in the Huge Dice Pool, or will you be bludgeoned by Bad Fiction? And do you dare play the new Race . . . the Mummy?

In addition to the always awesome art from John Kovalic, we have two guest artists: Pete Abrams of Sluggy Freelance and Maritza Campos of College Roommates from Hell. The jokes can be blamed on Steve Jackson.

It's got 110 shiny new . . . no, not shiny – dark! It’s got 110 dark and evil new cards, plus two blanks to create your own. And of course, like all other Munchkin releases, this supplement is completely compatible with the original Munchkin and all its supplements and spinoffs. Of course, since Pants Macabre has powers, it will work especially well with Super Munchkin.

112 cards in a clamshell display pack. Stock #1443, ISBN 1-55634-747-2. $16.95.

Warehouse 23 News: Pay No Attention To The Man Behind The 'Mech

The Inner Sphere is ruled by the Great Houses and the Clans. Right? Well, as always, it turns out things are more complicated than they first appear. Classic BattleTech: Interstellar Players looks at the puppet masters of the BattleTech universe. You didn't really think the Secret Masters would just disappear some time in the next millennium, did you?

October 26, 2005: Edible Ogres . . .

We received a batch of tortilla chips with our most recent Ogre Ornaments order. They were mysteeeeeriously cute, so we asked Richard Kerr, the creator . . .

"It's something I've been meaning to try out, a silly idea, mostly. Next will be the 'mysterious image on a piece of toast' trick. That batch isn't edible because the chips are old, but another tortilla I sampled turned out to have a very nasty 'charred' taste to it, so we can't do real edible food with it."

Genius or madman? I do not know - but here at the office we've been daring each other to eat laser-etched chips all day.

-- Thomas, Warehouse 23 Assistant Manager

Warehouse 23 News: A Tale Of Souls And Swords

Arthur had Excalibur. Gandalf had Glamdring. Yamato-Takeru had Kusanagi. But what does Skullcrusher the Mighty, your level 14 fighter wield? A "+3 sword of orc slaying"? How. . . bland. Face it, an epic character needs a cool sounding weapon. A catalog of weapons ancient and powerful, Dungeons & Dragons: Weapons of Legacy ought to have just the thing to appease any adventurous ego.

October 25, 2005: The Powers Is In The Proof

The proof pages for GURPS Powers arrived in the office today, giving me my first chance to see the book's art in its natural habitat -- on the page and in color. We've got some excellent pieces in that book, and looking at them on the monitor screen just didn't do them justice.

We're still on schedule to ship this one in late November, so in a few more weeks you'll be able to judge for yourself. We're looking forward to your reactions.

-- Chris Aylott

Warehouse 23 News: One Hell Of A Setting

Fire, brimstone, . . . and a d20? Infernum proves that there is, indeed, life after death for d20 characters. It's not very pleasant, however. Still, as long as you're there, you may as well make the best of it. To rule in Hell, after all . . .

October 24, 2005: So When Do We Get Warp Drive?

Because according to the Air Force, we are rapidly catching up to Star Trek on the transparent-aluminum front. (Now you know what the windows are made out of in Car Wars . . .)

Warehouse 23 News: Mandatory Minis

Humans follow The Computer. Bots follow humans. Humans love The Computer. Bots hate humans. This is probably because humans are very, very stupid. That is, after all, why The Computer looks after them (and occasionally kills lots and lots of them). These Paranoia XP: Paranoia Bots, however, are simply metal miniatures. They do not move or think. Unfortunately, it is likely they also think you are stupid and repulsive. Buy them today!

October 23, 2005: Watching As We Descend Into Babble

The Eggcorns site collects and discusses linguistic train-wrecks of a certain type. Worth a visit if you're one of those people who can hardly bear to look at blogs, CNN.com, and other demonstrations of public illiteracy.
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: My Name Is Copyrighted. Very Copyrighted.

Okay, so we can't mention the world's greatest spy by name, but if you feel the urge to bond with non-stop action, pulse-pounding espionage, and a dry martini or two, we suggest you get your hands on a copy of Spycraft 2.0.

October 22, 2005: Credit Where Credit Is Due

There's a mistake in GURPS Banestorm. Somewhere in the layout process, we dropped the credit for the Lead Playtester, Stephan Pennington.

Please accept our apologies, Stephan. You and your playtesters did a great job on the book, and we are noting your contribution in the errata so that we can do it right in future printings.
-- Chris Aylott

Warehouse 23 News: You Will Have Fun

Fun is mandatory. Paranoia XP: Mandatory Bonus Fun Card Game is very fun. Put two and two together before your friend The Computer decides you're not worth the oxygen you keep sucking into those lungs of yours.

October 21, 2005: Peace On Earth, Goodwill Towards Giant, Nuclear, Self-Aware Tanks

Few things say "Christmas" like depleted uranium shells.

Well, the color they tend to make things is pretty Christmas-y.

Celebrate the holiday season with a bang. A very big bang from the main batteries of an Ogre Mark V. These high-quality ornaments, etched from maple wood by laser, are sure to delight that wargaming fan in your life. If you find that you are the wargaming fan in your life, well, what are you waiting for? It's a tiny, laser-etched Ogre you can hang on the tree!
-- Wayne


Warehouse 23 News: Complete Your Collection

Don't just be a fighter, rogue, sorcerer, or paladin. Be an Occult Slayer, Nightsong Infiltrator, Fate Spinner, or Holy Liberator. If your game is feeling less than whole, come take a look at the Complete books for D&D.

October 20, 2005: Sharper Than An Editor's Tooth

I'm always on the lookout for books giving good advice to writers, mostly so I can inflict that advice on the writers around me. 78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published (and 14 Reasons Why It Just Might) doesn't just give good advice, it's funny and snarky too. Read it, laugh about it, live it.
-- Chris Aylott

Warehouse 23 News: Celebrating Half A Score Of Vague Roleplaying

You know it, you love it, you wanted a new edition. Fudge 10th Anniversary Edition, for those of you unfamiliar, is a roleplaying system that encourages focusing on the game world and keeps the game mechanics out of the way of having a good time. It also has really weird dice.

October 19, 2005: Coming In February!

Steve Jackson Games is proud to announce this new product for February, 2006:

Munchkin 4 - The Need for Steed
Munchkin 4: The Need for Steed is the latest expansion for the original Munchkin – 112 more John Kovalic-illustrated cards for killing monsters, stealing treasure, and backstabbing your fellow players. This set introduces Steeds, the trusty mounts of legend . . . Oh, wait – this is Munchkin! So these Steeds include not just the Dragon and the Tiger, but the Giant Mutant Gerbil (drawn by guest artist Shaenon K. Garrity of Narbonic), the Chicken, and Big Joe, who might be a Steed or might be a Hireling. It’s hard to tell.

Hireling? Yes indeed, The Need for Steed has lots and lots of Hirelings, who look quite a bit like Sidekicks from Super Munchkin, or Minions from Munchkin Bites! Add these valuable characters to your retinue, use their special abilities, and sacrifice them without a thought to save your own skin! Or, better yet, kill somebody else's Hireling. That's the way a Munchkin does it!

Feel the need . . . The Need for Steed!

112 cards in a clamshell display pack. Stock #1444, ISBN 1-55634-749-9. $16.95.



-- Paul Chapman

Warehouse 23 News: Character Creation Without Calculus Courses

Creating a character for GURPS would be a snap if it weren't for all those pesky numbers getting in the way. As it turns out, there are these neat little devices called computers that can handle that sort of thing for us. You might like them. If you're a GURPS fan, you might like GURPS Character Assistant even more.

October 18, 2005: Chaos Strikes

A few days back, Evil Stevie put out a call for musical bits for his Chaos Machine. But Chaos being the harsh mistress that she is, there was a small glitch in the announcement: The PO box you should send goodies to is our good ol' standard 18957 box, the same one we've had for years and years. We have not set up a new box for this project (or any other Sekrit Projekt you're not cleared for fnord). That is all. All is well. Nothing to see here. Move along . . .

Warehouse 23 News: You Know 'em, You Love 'em

Well, you love to kill them and take their stuff, at any rate. They're monsters, and they can be found in Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual III. If you've gone through all three Monster Manuals and you find your players still haven't had enough, we recommend that you remind them that the DM has an infinite Challenge Rating.

October 17, 2005: And Then There Was Time Off

I had just about forgotten what "vacation" means, but I'm trying to re-learn.

Over the last week, I have done precious little in the way of real work, except for checking the GURPS Powers pages before they went out and keeping up with UltraCorps development. I have, however, read more books than in the previous two months, bought and played Civilization III, and watched a couple of movies. I have a stack of boardgames that may get played before I come back to work at the end of the month. Or they may not . . . we'll see. I think vacation means that I don't HAVE to do the homework.
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: Huggable Hazmat

Show your loved ones you care by giving them diseases! No, plush diseases. Put down the syringe! We're talking about GIANTmicrobes' Plush Giardia, Plush Pimple, Plush Clap, Plush Louse, and Plush Pox. All the cuteness of a real disease, now in a noncontagious form!

October 16, 2005: Writely

Writely is a handy-dandy little online word processor, with about the equivalent functionality of WordPad. What makes it useful, though, is how easy it is to swap files around with other people, either for collaboration or just for showing off. Set someone as a collaborator, and they can edit the document from wherever they happen to be. Or decide who can see what you've written, and pass around the URL as appropriate.

Why do I mention this website? Because it's become enormously useful for me in the few weeks since I started using it, especially for RPGs. I do most of my roleplaying online these days, and it quickly becomes annoying to keep e-mailing updated versions of character sheets. At the moment, I can head over to the character sheets my players put up in Writely, and see the most recent version they've chosen to update. Like a really quick-and-easy website that only does lightly-formatted text! My character sheet for another game is up there, and I set the GM as a collaborator so that he can make adjustments as needed. Another project I'm working on has been set to collaboration with people I want comments from, so that they can write into the text any questions they have about what I've done so far.

In short: if all you need is text-editing you can access anywhere and pass around to other people quickly, with the option to let others edit what you've written, it's a handy tool. Currently technically in beta, but it seems quite stable. Check it out.
-- Fade, Warehouse 23 Clerk

Warehouse 23 News: Shop Till You Drop Dead

Normally, it's a bad idea to break into a mall at night and loot the place of any food or weaponry you can hold. Tends to peeve the owners a bit. Of course, if you're being chased by zombies at the time . . . Maul of America (and its two supplements) provide a less than accurate but highly entertaining simulation of such an event.

October 15, 2005: Help Me Make More Chaos . . . Please!

Does anybody have any dead/trashed percussion instruments, or pieces of them, lying around? I want to build some more Chaos Machine noisemakers, and I could use:
  • Drumheads, or pieces of drumheads
  • High hats, cymbals, gongs - in ANY condition
  • Chimes (metal wind chimes, xylophone keys, triangle, whatever)
  • Metal guitar strings - broken is fine!
  • Or anything else that might make an interesting noise when struck!
For little stuff, the best way to get it to me is just to stick it in an envelope and send it to "Steve Jackson - Personal" at PO Box 18957, Austin TX 78760. For anything bigger and heavier, email me at sj@sjgames.com and we'll sort it out and ship it on my dime.
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: That You Do So Well

Come to the Caribbean! See exotic marine life! Enjoy the golden beaches! Get shipwrecked! Have an ancient voodoo curse cast upon you! Run from zombies! Lose your soul! Buy a copy of Fright Night: Voodoo Island and plan your vacation today!

October 14, 2005: Off To The Printer!

A few weeks ago we set a deadline for ourselves: GURPS Powers was going to the printer on Thursday, October 13. It did, and that means we're on track to ship the book in late November.

Monday we dive into finishing GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars. The deadline for that book isn't far away, but we're going to hit it too. I'm looking forward to the day when hitting the deadline isn't news anymore.
-- Chris Aylott

Warehouse 23 News: Illuminate The Room

Fan of Deluxe Illuminati? Buy the Deluxe Illuminati Cover Poster! Enjoy just weirding out guests? Buy the Deluxe Illuminati Graphic Poster! Either way, when the blue elephant fills the septic tank with cognac in Cincinnati, the Secret Masters will know to give you the hall pass for Valhalla.

October 13, 2005: e23 Hits 500 Milestone

We're pleased to announce that e23, our PDF sales site, passed the 500 product mark yesterday.

If you haven't visited e23 recently, it's high time you dropped by. In addition to products for over 50 game systems from over 20 different publishers, we also have reprints of some of your favorite out-of-print Steve Jackson Games products, and new, original material for our games available only on e23. Drop on by!

-- Scott Haring

Warehouse 23 News: 136 More Things To Kill

From ash rats to yak folk, Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual II contains even more monsters for adventurers to dice, dash, decimate, destroy, dismember, dissect, defile, and otherwise rip apart in the name of honor, glory, and treasure. Provided, of course, the monsters don't get the drop on the adventurers and do a little facial redecorating of their own.

October 12, 2005: Banestorm Art Comments

Now that GURPS Banestorm is in stores and on your shelves, we're looking for reactions to the art. What pieces do you love? What pieces do you, er, love least? Post your reactions in this forum thread!

-- Chris Aylott

Warehouse 23 News: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Darkun

Charts and graphs and lists and tables, Cursed Empire: Darkun Sourcebook has what you want- nay need to know about those lovable, huggable Darkun. It's got all the usual stuff you need, like classes and weapons and races, as well as stuff you didn't yet know you need. Sure, we could tell you what those things are, but then that would ruin the surprise, and you might not buy the book. Hey, we've got bills to pay!

October 11, 2005: And Lo, There Was Much Graph Paper

. . . of many varieties . . . and it was set up as free downloads from Incompetech. And there was much rejoicing.

Warehouse 23 News: A Lighter, Darker Champions

Like creamer to black coffee, Dark Champions: The Animated Series takes the grim, down-and-dirty setting of Dark Champions and makes it a little more TV-PG. It's got all of the vigilante-style, street-level "superheroics" you love without all that lying face down in the gutter, clutching a gunshot wound stuff.

October 10, 2005: That's A Super Idea You've Got

. . . so why not share?

The next Munchkin release I work on will be the first supplement to Super Munchkin. No, we don't have a name yet. If nothing really, really dumb occurs to me, I might ask for suggestions. But just now, the name "Cheese Wiz" passed through my mind, so I'm thinking about super-foes . . .

Obviously, Cheese Wiz is a sorcerer whose powers involve cheese. Come to think of it, Pyramid published the Cheese College for GURPS . . . So we have a precedent here. How terrifying.

At any rate: I'm inviting suggestions for super-baddies. You can send 'em to me via the regular Munchkin card suggestion page. Note, though . . . what I am looking for here is the clever and original NAME that will inspire John Kovalic to heights of cartoon madness. You don't have to supply a game mechanic to go with your name. If you do that's fine . . . but if I see a name I like, I will invent something to go with it. It's what I do, after all . . .

And, as always, if your suggestion is used, you'll get your name in the credits and - provided you leave contact information - we'll send you a copy of the finished supplement.
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: "My What A Big Axe You Have"

All the better to- thwack! Mine! What can we say about the Munchkin 2: Unnatural Axe Cover Poster that isn't amply laid out by the poster itself? Indeed, a picture is worth a thousand words, and we certainly don't have that much room here. So what are you waiting for? Buy the poster! Gloat to your friends! Frighten your enemies!

October 9, 2005: Links Beyond Mere Humanity

Link collection pages tend to be rather dry, and give a lot of 404 errors unless they're given a regular update. However, calling what Kenneth Peters did to the Transhuman Space links page a "regular update" is a massive understatement.

If you're a fan of Transhuman Space, sf gaming, or just the science part of science fiction, there's a plethora of pointers. Of course, there are links to Transhuman Space, articles from Pyramid, the Designer's Notes, and the personal sites of various authors. But he's also linked to sites with detailed, real-world info on all known planets -- including the extrasolar ones, my personal favorites -- and the technologies that will take us into the next Tech Level.
-- Paul Chapman

Warehouse 23 News: Creep. Crawl. Crush!

"At the end of the hall you see a . . . um . . . well, it's big. And kinda bug-like. And, er, it's drooling. What do you do?" Stuck for ideas? As much as your players might appreciate a dungeon that's full of nothing but treasure, putting monsters in it will help hold interest. We recommend the Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual v.3.5. Now when your critters pull that poisonous stinger out of nowhere, the players can be certain you're not cheating. Again.

October 8, 2005: The Maps Of GURPS Banestorm

We're all very proud of the beautiful maps that J. Kovach created for GURPS Banestorm. From the threads on the forums, it sounds like some of you are pretty enamored with them as well.

Wondering what all the fuss is about? We've collected the maps from GURPS Banestorm into one file, for easy reference, and to allow anyone who hasn't picked up the book a look at how gorgeous the interiors are.

The maps in the PDF are larger than those in the book. While they're not full-blown poster-sized, this does sometimes make them easier to refer to.-- Paul Chapman

Warehouse 23 News: The Shadow Returns

Fantasy Flight Games has edited, revised, updated, and otherwise polished the excellent Midnight d20 setting. This brand new edition of the core setting book takes you back to the fading world of Eredane where evil holds dominion and would-be heroes face the greatest challenge of all: surviving the everlasting night.

October 7, 2005: Delightfully Dark

Need a horror fix? Looking for something creepy and thematically appropriate to play at your Halloween party this year? Just looking for something a bit dark? Why (insert evil chuckle) . . . you are in luck!

Warehouse 23 has put together a new Halloween Browse Page to make it easy for you to find that treat to terrify the tricksters this year.

Escape the zombie hordes (or join them), combat vampires and other nasties, torment your family, or learn secrets man was not meant to know.

And that's just the beginning.

-- Shadlyn


Warehouse 23 News: They're Bags. For Dice.

Marsupials don't have any trouble carrying their dice around. You and I, however, don't have any place to put them. Except our mouths, and that's hardly conducive to eating. Does keep other people from touching your dice, though . . . Anyway, Chessex appreciates our pouchless position and has a line of suedecloth dice bags available in a variety of colors that do the job rather nicely without involving any bodily fluids.

October 6, 2005: Smiling In The Face Of Danger

. . . is Tim Emrick's excellent article about miniature gaming with Lego. You can read it on Lugnet.

October 5, 2005: Illuminati Rules Change?

As I work on the new expansion set, I'm thinking seriously about modding the basic Illuminati rules a bit to decrease the chance that the game will essentially be decided in the first couple of rounds. If this interests you, read the forum post.
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: A Guide For The Guide

Any D&D game begins and ends with the Dungeon Master and his trusty guide. But what about the bits in between? Well, they tend to be a little . . . messy. Thankfully, there's a big roll of paper towels called the Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide II. There's something here for Dungeon Masters of every level! Unless you're perfect. In which case, come run games at our table!

October 4, 2005: Not So Lost After All

Marcus (Forgotten Futures) Rowland advises us that the 1923 silent version of The Lost World is (a) out of copyright and (b) available on line as an MP4 video, here.

Warehouse 23 News: Another Issue

Signs & Portents #23 is available for purchase. There is nothing particularly special about this issue. Certainly not the fact that it is issue number 23. That is all. Move fnord along.

October 3, 2005: Linucon Report

I spent the weekend at Linucon here in Austin. This is a general geek convention - Linux, SF, and a bit of gaming and anime and so on - somewhat modeled after Penguicon.

I had a good time. The convention deserved to be better attended, but those of us who were there had fun. That included me, and the fun I had included . . .

  • I got to spend some time (not enough, darn it) with Howard Tayler (Schlock Mercenary). We talked about the Schlock book that we both want to do through SJ Games . . . and this is not an announcement or anything, but if you're a Schlock fan, there's a certain big comic convention that you might really enjoy next year. Stay tuned. We also talked about a possible Schlock game, and the future of webcomics, and snack foods of the future, and all KINDS of other stuff. Oh, and during his first-in-his-life game of Illuminati, he had a card idea that is going straight into the new supplement even if we have to bump one of the other cards. I wish there were a wormgate between Salt Lake City and Austin, I do, I do.
  • I talked about games - what else? - with James Ernest of Cheapass Games. And I got to learn Kill Doctor Lucky from its creator. KDL is one of James' best-selling games . . . maybe his #1 . . . and it's fun. The players are the houseguests of a nasty old man whom they all, unbeknownst to each other, wish to kill. Since they don't realize they ALL hate him, they work very hard to get out of sight of the other guests while close to the bad doctor, the better to do him in. We played it live-action style, on a room-sized map. In the first game, I got to be Dr. Lucky. In the real game, he's represented by a pawn who moves according to strict rules and cards played by his would-be killers. In the live version, Dr. Lucky still has no volition, but can taunt the players. Hee hee. In the second game, I got to play, and I killed Dr. Lucky! More hee.
  • I talked computer games with Eric S. Raymond. Turns out we think alike on some things . . . perhaps Good Stuff will come of that. I also gave the "What's New at SJ Games" panel audience a sneak preview of some UltraCorps progress that has not been announced. No, I'm not telling you what it was. You should have been there!
  • And we had perhaps the best iteration yet of the Chaos Machine. The con gave us a wonderful space, and lots of people dropped by to help with Chaos Engineering. We built a BIG machine. There should be photos later at the conchaos.com site. What can I say? I love it when people help me play with my toys . . .
There WILL be a Linucon 3. I expect most everybody who attended this year will be back. If you're not one of those people . . . see you next year?
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: Legendary Laughs

Yet another long-lived, much-loved legend is pulled off the pedestal and stomped into mush in the name of having a good time. You may not learn much about the Round Table in Tom Jolly's Camelot, but you will have a good time around a table. Unless you're playing on the floor or something. You'll still have fun, but the joke doesn't work any more.

October 2, 2005: Illuminated Site of The Week: I Left It Right Here A Moment Ago

Illuminated Site of the Week: Remember Find A Grave? There's even more life in the death business than that. See what the more generic-sounding Findadeath adds to the necro-fan pot, including death certificates and links to other folks in the business of liveliness after death. Even with their dark sense of humor, they treat dead people better than most folks treat the living.

-- Suggested by W. Blake Smith

Warehouse 23 News: Your Guide To The Dungeon, Master

A level 20 fighter with every Feat in existence can be rendered helpless if he lacks one simple thing: a DM! A dungeon master is nothing without his rules, however. Don't run headfirst into the world of Dungeons & Dragons (or any d20 game, for that matter) without the Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide v3.5.

October 1, 2005: Hospital Chemsniffer

Chemical detection technology of the type David Pulver wrote about in GURPS Ultra-Tech is becoming commoner. Here's a New Scientist article about a chemsniffer that can quickly detect some types of hazardous microorganism . . . so it's a "biosniffer." Watch for these to get cheaper and more flexible . . .

Warehouse 23 News: Warehouse 23 Top Ten

Check out Warehouse 23's top selling items for September at the Warehouse 23 Top 10 page.
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