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Illuminated Site of the Week
April 30, 2008: Zombie Munchkins Or Munchkin Zombies?
Widgett over at needcoffee.com has written up his house rules for bringing zombies into Munchkin. As player races.
He describes it as a "you got your chocolate in my peanut butter/you got your
peanut butter in my chocolate" moment. Besides a hearty "ew!" for the visual of zombies, peanut butter, and chocolate, I agree. I have no idea how balanced they are, but they sound like a ton of fun.
-- Paul Chapman
Biblio Update
Thanks to everyone who sent me KWH info. Got it nailed down: 1979!
Sadly, nobody seemed to have any copies of the magazines in question. Maybe we should get more serious about saving magazines around here . . . they are an interesting part of our hobby's history.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Reach Out And Horrify Someone
Get in touch with your inner Cthulhu by touching someone with your outer Cthulhu. Don a pair of Cthulhu Gloves and find yourself a conveniently available yet completely unwitting victim (or "friend") and the restraining order will only be moments away! Er, "fun." We mean "fun."
The annual trek to Las Vegas went astonishingly well -- no misplaced pallets, no misprinted handouts, and no last-minute illnesses in the booth crew. All in all, our little corner of the tabletop gaming industry's largest trade show operated very smoothly.
Our primary goal was to get information into the hands of the retailers, and we succeeded quite well, I think. Our traditional "retailer packet" was chock full of information and liberally laced with fun stuff, including a Munchkin Silver Piece. We answered questions and showed off the nigh-final prototype of Munchkin Quest. Demos were also run; the playtest set of Munchkin Booty got the real workout there.
But it wasn't all give and no take. We had questions, and our friends in the distribution and retail tiers were happy to share their opinions. We got solid answers on two new product lines, which we'll undoubtedly be discussing in much greater detail in the upcoming months. And we chatted with our publishing peers . . . but that's all I'm going to say about that for the moment.
At the end of the week, GTS was a good experience. We're very tired, but we've got piles of notes and business cards. Assuming the post-con funk hasn't laid anyone low, this week will be about following up on leads, writing reports to get the stay-at-home staffers up to speed, and, of course, trying to catch up on the bloated email inbox.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Magical Mutants Master Minds
Mystics, magicians, and masters of mythical manipulation: Mutants & Masterminds: Book of Magic may materialize much mirth in mostly magically-minded men. Might money move to a most modest merchant?
The bibliography on my personal web page says it's six years out of date, and that note was made about four years ago. Pathetic.
Soon, a better one will be posted. But I have not found complete info on a few articles. If you have copies of the following magazines around, would you kindly drop me a note giving me the missing bit(s) - the issue number, and/or the title under which the article appeared? (Magazines often don't use the title the author originally hangs on the submission, but in some cases that's all I have.) Game magazines, especially trade magazines, are ephemera, but I bet somebody saves them. We used to. We quit . . . You can reach me at sj@sjgames.com.
- A Game Trade Monthly article on flooring, in 2004.
- An Undefeated column on conspiracies. Almost certainly 2004, but I don't know the issue number.
- Something in Games Quarterly Catalog #51.
- Something in Games Quarterly Catalog #52.
- Something in Games Quarterly Magazine #3. I'm pretty sure it was a pirate article, arr.
- Something in Games Quarterly Catalog #55.
And now the HARD one: Does anybody have a copy of the first edition of the SCA's Known World Handbook? It was released in A.S. XIV, but the SCA's years overlap those of the mundane world, and I'd really like to know what mundane year is in the copyright notice.
Thanks!
-- the bibliographically challenged Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Would You Like Friiiiiiies With That?
Some in the fast food industry may seem, at times, a little brain-dead. In Lord of the Fries, this idea goes one step further. The employees are dead-dead. Which, when you think about it, is much more efficient than only being brain-dead. Now the whole dang body is involved! Of course, that really just means they're more efficient at getting your order desperately wrong . . . but, hey, some food is better than no food!
We're still adding entries to the big list of GURPS bibliographies. With a couple hundred books' worth of novels, movies, comics, and other reference material to link to, this task is taking us a bit of time. But Loren and Fade are plugging away on it.
Most recently, we posted pages for GURPS Dragons, GURPS Cyberpunk, and GURPS Greece from our Third Edition catalog, and GURPS Supers from Fourth Edition.
-- Paul Chapman
As a thinly veiled front for the Secret Masters and their terrible agendas for world domination, we're all too familiar with keeping secrets. We can't tell you about [REMOVED] or [DELETED]. Not only would it get us disappeared, it would completely ruin the surprise ending. And the Secret Masters hate spoilers. So we hope you'll understand when we tell you nothing about RuneQuest: Hawkmoon - Secrets of Tragic Europe. With the word "secrets" just, like, right there, there's little we can do.
There are a ton of webcomics out there, and there are more webcomic readers than not here in the office. Oddly, by comparison, I fall into the "not" category, as I have less than a dozen in my bookmarks list, and I occasionally go entire days without checking for updates.
One that has caught my eye of late is kukuburi, by Ramon Perez. Not only is this beautifully drawn, the style, the action, and the plotline all have a flow that keeps me coming back every Tuesday. It's surrealistic, it's a little Narnia and Alice's Wonderland, it's got a large story arc that we're only getting the beginning glimpses of.
The page navigation isn't the best in the world, and you're better off bookmarking the front page, then navigating to the most recent update, than you are attempting to jump directly to the "newest" page. But there's the usual "previous/next" arrows for actually reading the story, and that's what you're there for, right?
Check it out.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Children: Not Just For Snacking Anymore!
Turns out kids make for more than just monster bait. Indeed, any time there's a haunted house to explore, any time there's a monster in a closet, any time a wolfman's got nards, pint-sized prepubescents are there to tackle the problem. Thus it is that World of Darkness: Innocents exists. After all, why should grown-ups be the only ones who get to go crazy and die?
April 25, 2008: Illuminated Site of the Week: Never Infringe On Someone Who Has Nukes
It is not recommended you attempt to recreate any part of the country's nuclear arsenal. Why? Because you'll bring down the full wrath of the patent office. Alex Wellerstein points out that the United States tried for a lot of Atomic Patents while working on the Manahattan Project. Bad enough to be tagged for stealing state secrets, but pirating the technology is just uncalled for. Remember, those before you have already built these things. -- Suggested by Ed Elder
Warehouse 23 News: Sky And Sea Sold Separately
RuneQuest: Land of the Samurai gives ol' RuneQuest a little Bushido booster, summarily statting samurai for use in those runey quests of yours. There's also some handy Heian historical bits to help guide you through The Japan What Was. Oo, and hey, ninja! "Apocryphal?" Who cares! Ninja are so cool, they can even kill logic.
Uh . . . that earthquake last week? That wasn't us.
Just thought we should clear that up, you know, before rumors started flying.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: The Better To Understand Your Complex Motivations With
There's more to werewolves than being 8-foot-tall piles of muscle, teeth, and grumpiness. Not . . . not much else, and indeed, being The Walking Personification of Killin' Stuff is the first bullet point on the "What's Cool About Werewolves" list. That doesn't mean they don't have feelings and motivations and so on. (Like, "I feel like eating someone," and "my empty stomach is motivating me to do just that.") So let us sell you Werewolf: The Forsaken - Tribes of the Moon before you sell the nice doggy people short.
Frankly, I don't really know what to say about this photo. Those are exactly what they look like -- plush versions of Chibithulhu from Munchkin Cthulhu.
We're toting these fuzzy bundles of cute chaos around GTS, to test their sanity-blasting abilities . . . er, to judge retailer interest. We'll be doing at the very least a short run for all of you who immediately reached for your wallets; hopefully we can get them into wider distribution.
Because the world needs more cute. It has nothing to do with Plans for World Domination. Nothing at all . . .
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Wherein We Approach A Silly Game With Complete Maturity
Squirrel Attack: Shaolin Squirrels - Nuts of Fury. Hee. Heh hee hee. Tee-hee-heeeee! Nuts. Gee-heh-hee-hee-hee!! Nuts of fury. Bwah-hah-hah hee-hoo-hoo-hoo!! Aaah-heh, ah-heh-heh, hooo . . . Nuts. Heh he he.
We like In Nomine. Playing angels, demons, and . . . well, angels and demons are quite enough, actually. And as much as I personally enjoyed the original system, I do recognize the awesome that comes from getting nitty-gritty with the details, you know?
And that's why I'm so happy we did GURPS In Nomine. Warriors of Light, singing Songs that literally rock the house and kicking demon tail, with all the crunchy details of GURPS. Alternatively, you could be fallen angels, just looking to make a buck and stay out of the way of your Boss. Either way, having a wide variety of skills and advantages at your disposal to personalize exactly how you're doing whatever you're doing for eternity is, to my mind, Darned Nifty.
Of course, now that it has been released on e23, my excuses for not re-igniting my Austin-based game grow ever small. So much gaming; so little time!
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Warehouse 23 Top Ten
Warehouse 23 has posted an updated Top 10 Page for March. Check it out, and see what all the cool kids are buying . . .
I'm pulling together everything that I need for the show, including tiny games that don't require much room in my luggage. Why take games to a game convention? So that we can play games, of course!
So far I've packed Thugs, Comrade Koba, No Thanks, Chaos Progenitus, and Hive. Now I'm trying to decide if those will be enough or if I should grab a few more games (just to be careful, you know).
-- Phil Reed
Warehouse 23 News: Buy Somthin' Will Ya!
Need some Song of Ice and Fire miniatures? Of course you do! Why? Don't ask silly questions! Because they're miniatures you can use for A Game of Thones stuff! Like the board game, or the roleplaying game, or the "I really like the books so I bought these tiny people" game. What do you mean "I don't have any Thrones stuff?" Well then, you've got a lot of catching up to do, mister.
Getting ready for GTS is always . . . odd. Sure, you pack the normal things you would for any trip, like clothes, toothbrush, and a book to read on the plane.
But then you remember it's a business trip. So into the suitcase go the dress slacks, the staff polos, and the gel shoe inserts. Oh, and double up on the grooming supplies -- scruffy is fine when you're touring Chicago, but when you're meeting industry peers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as the hours in-between, you need to look your best.
Finally, this is a trade show in Las Vegas, which sits in the middle of a desert. Even though it's only April, it's still hot, and no-kidding dry as heck. So you start drinking an extra gallon of water every day -- right now! -- just to be hydrated enough when you get there.
And then (You thought "finally" was it? Ha!) you grab those last few prototypes, or signs, or demo sets that were finished just after the pallet left, and stuff them into your already straining luggage. Oh, and forget about the book; you'll use the flight to brush up on the demo scripts and playtest rules.
At the end of the week, though, even though you're exhausted and your voice is giving out, it's all worth it. Retailers are geeks, after all, and so we're among friends at these shows. The folks you talk to are eager to hear what you've got coming out, not just because they want to sell it, but because they want to play it. And you get to see the other publishers . . . your "opposite numbers" . . . doing the same thing, and getting you excited about what they're releasing through the rest of the year.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: How To Not Lose A Fight
Legend of the Five Rings: Masters of War is all about wars. How to fight 'em, how to win 'em, and why you're going to lose if you start one with the Unicorn, the Lion, or (gods help you) the Crab. It doesn't talk about much else, but that's okay. We're pretty sure the pen is only mightier than the sword for as long as the pen stays out of the sword's reach.
April 19, 2008: Results Of Last Friday's Playtest
Everyone saw the Munchkin Quest Progress Report on Monday, so we won't go over that again. We will, however, give a big "Thank you!" to Great Hall Games, the host of the Friday night, more-rare-than-they-really-should-be, outside playtest. The staff was great, and the volunteers gave the game a good shakedown.
Closer, ever closer . . . .
Warehouse 23 News: Well, Our Ears Were Virgin
This **** sweet new book, The Esoterrorists: Profane Miracles is so **** ****. It's a **** cool scenario for an even **** cooler game. All the **** hard **** is done for you, so you don't need plan ****. Your **** just needs to scare up some **** players. And then scare the **** out of them.
April 18, 2008: Illuminated Site of the Week: Old Books Best To Read, Old Wine Best To Drink
The Secret Masters really have it in for you. Mind-altering drugs have undisciplined effects, torture is inefficient, and the orbital mind-control lasers sport a power bill that will make your head swim. (Ahem.) The solution? Nostalgia by the bucket. Retro Thing is one of those sites that grabs hold of you, fires your imagination, and refuses to let you go. Days later, you realize you forgot about the wedding and have in all likelihood been unemployed for over a week. Board games, computer consoles, books, movies, comics, fashions . . . they're not old, they're retro.
Ooo, Micronauts.
-- Suggested by Michael Kerney
Warehouse 23 News: Good. Better. Bestiary.
Conan can't just punch pirates, bandits, soldiers, sorcerers, other barbarians, evil kings, traitors, cowards, the elderly, assassins, people who look at him funny, children, and mimes all the time. He needs to break up the monotony. Also, he's punched everyone, and they need time to recover before he comes back. So for an alternate outlet for that barbarianism, Conan: Bestiary of the Hyborian Age is your guide to other things to put between yourself and an angry man in a loincloth.
At OrcCon, I was interviewed with the tape running . . . and you can hear the result on Eric Burgess' Boardgame Babylon podcast. It was fun. Eric and co-host Paul Tevis asked some good questions and did the best that they could with my loquacious answers.
If you have as much fun listening to it as I had recording it, then . . . Hmm. In that case, then I got gypped, because I had to go all the way to California to record it, and you got to listen to it sitting at home in your boxer shorts.
Though the convention was fun. There was sushi and Tribes-playing and little Lego spaceships. All of which you CAN do in your boxer shorts, I suppose, but perhaps we should draw a merciful curtain over that mental image before it's too late.
Whoops, too late. Ug kill mammoth with Lego spear. Ug make fur boxer shorts with picture of Smiley the Smilodon! Ug got too much mammoth, trade you four Food and two Grain for one Sushi . . .
But I digress! The point is, you can comment, and read the comments of others, on this Boardgamegeek.com thread.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: More Ways To Be Killed And Eaten
Yeah. Your doom? Pretty much sealed. Last Night on Earth: Growing Hunger brings more zombies, more scenarios, more zombie fodder, and more . . . well, just more to the core game. Including peril. So, uh, start running.
April 16, 2008: Them's Fightin' Words . . . Foam Fightin', That Is
No, these aren't currently available; what you see here are prototypes from a very skilled manufacturer. We're quite happy with them, because no matter how cool they look in this photo, they're cooler to hold, and to whack the table with. The noise from the hammer is loud enough to get heads poking into the room from halfway across the building.
"If they WERE available, what would they cost?", you ask. The best answer we can give is "not cheap." Google for stores that sell foam weapons for LARP and cosplay, and you'll see what we mean.
Nevertheless, we anticipate a certain amount of "Must Have!" from you, our loyal readers. We will have these at GTS next week, and will get a feel for the demand in the retail sector there. If your FLGS is sending a representative, encourage them to stop by our booth (#506) and check them out.
If you'd like to voice your desire, nay, your demand for weapons carved from mighty foam, designed by the legendary forge of Jackson and Kovalic, let us know on the forums,
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Earth Just Can't Catch A Break
When it's not us blowing each other up, it's the Zentradi. When it's not them, it's the Robotech Masters. Not them? Must be the Invid. It naturally follows, then, that the very second we deal with that little problem . . . well, we wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, but let's just say that if Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles has anything, it's evil aliens to struggle against.
Steve Jackson Games announces for release in August, 2008:
Munchkin Quest
Kill the monster, grab the treasure, stab your buddy. That's what it's all
about. Now, Munchkin comes to the boardgame.
Cooperate with the whole group, adventure with a partner, or strike out on your
own. You don't know what's behind a door until you open it . . . then another
room is added to the dungeon. Battle monsters for power and treasure, or send
them after your friends. Reach Level 10, and then get out alive if you can!
Designed by Steve Jackson, and illustrated by John Kovalic, this boardgame
doesn't take itself seriously. Except for the loot - munchkins are
always serious about that!
Coming in August to game rooms everywhere . . .
11.75" x 11.75" x 3.5" box, with two dozen 3.5" square heavy cardstock room tiles, dozens of link connectors, 170 full-color cards, over three dozen monster standies, dice, rulesheet, and enough tokens, level counters, and sculpted plastic pawns for four players.
Stock #1470,
ISBN 978-1-55634-767-2.
$49.95.
GURPS Thaumatology
Feel the Power!
Fantasy settings are defined by their magic . . . so different worlds need different magic systems. GURPS Thaumatology has GURPS Fourth Edition updates of the best Third Edition magic variants, plus many all-new options. This mighty tome includes:
- Minor tweaks for the spell-based magic of the Basic Set: restructuring prerequisites and colleges, modifying Magery and mana, new magical energy sources, adapting spells on the fly, and more.
- Radical revisions of spell-based magic, including detailed versions of the clerical and ritual magic options hinted at in the Basic Set, and the return of that Third Edition classic, "unlimited mana."
- Traditional alternatives to spells, such as ceremonial, spirit-mediated, and runic magic.
- World-shaking freeform magic.
- Magic as inherent powers.
- An in-depth look at material magic, with new alchemy, herbalism, and enchantment options; rules for free-willed items and magical gadgets; and guidelines for "the stuff of raw magic."
- Notes on adapting real-world occult concepts – such as the Laws of Magic, astrology, and traditional material components – to any magic system.
- Guidelines for running magic-oriented games, advice on combining magic systems, and detailed outlines for four distinctly different fantastic campaigns.
GURPS Thaumatology requires the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. GURPS Magic is recommended but not required. The discussions of different magical styles would enhance any game that features magic.
272 pages. Hardcover.
Stock #01-0107,
ISBN 978-1-55634-758-0.
$39.95.
Warehouse 23 News: Cape, Cowl, And A No. 2 Pencil
Superheroes, larger-than-life though they may be, are human. They have the same reproductive urges most of us have. The natural conclusion of this is that pint-sized powerhouses will start storking their way into existence. Kids need structure, and if anyone needs structure it's a 5-year-old that can vaporize a city-block. The ps238 Roleplaying Game tells of the world's first school for "metaprodigies" (read: the aforementioned vape kid): a place where they can direct all that energy. Like, say, away from our city blocks.
So when we last tuned in, Munchkin Quest hadn't yet gone to press, SJ had had to more or less cancel his time off to keep working on it, and Little Suzie was tied to the railroad tracks.
As we rejoin our cast . . .
- Munchkin Quest is a game now. Fun is had, and it feels like the classic Munchkin in a really spiffy rearrangeable dungeon. Which, after all, was the goal. It really will go to press as soon as we finish reorganizing the rules. They're long enough that we're going to add an actual (small) table of contents in front, and a glossary/index in back, and a lot of cross-references. Because you don't want to be looking for rules when you could be cheating and killing things.
- SJ is pretty toasted, but post-GTS, he really is going away for a while. In fact, if he's not up to GTS, he'll skip it, because the crew can handle it just fine without him. All Steve was going to do was demo Munchkin Quest and wander around the exhibit hall, smiling glassily. Both these functions can be performed quite competently by others.
- Little Suzie untied herself and ran off with a used car salesman.
And that's the way it is. Courage! Be sure to tune in next week, same munchkin time, same munchkin channel.
If you have one pie and five people, then the fair thing to do would be to split this hypothetical pie into equally hypothetical fifths. But perhaps a fifth of pie isn't sufficient to sate your hypothetical pie needs. So the pie is cut into hypothetical fourths. This is when guns get drawn. Or, in the case of CA$H'n GUN$: Yakuza, knives. Hypothetically.
For those of you who don't know, the GAMA Trade Show is the largest trade show in the tabletop gaming industry. For the past seven years or so, it's been held in Las Vegas. Each year, retailers come for the seminars, learn what's coming up, and to give the publishers feedback. We publishers bring our newest prototypes and fanciest demos, and put on a little song and dance number. We all try to have some fun, and play some games.
It's one of the few times of the year when almost all of the publishers get together in one big room, and we take the opportunity to swap stories (and lies!) over drinks and dinner, and generally socialize with internet friends. We make deals, get ideas, brainstorm, and just enjoy each other's company.
More formally, we'll be showing off Munchkin Quest or at least the final playtest prototype. We'll also have copies of Lord of the Fries hot off the boat. (By the way, this game looks amazing. Phil pushed the boundaries of "what we can do" and took a classic game with minimal components -- heck, it was a Cheapass game, remember! -- and made it into something with components to rival games on any shelf.) I'll be running sessions of Munchkin Cthulhu Cursed Demo, and Will has a stack of top secret playtest sets.
If your retailer is going to GTS this year, tell them to look us up. We'll be hanging out in Booth 506!
-- Paul Chapman
Bloodthirsty, pillage-inclined, horse-riding types are noted by history for their grumpy disposition. What with the whole "putting people on the end of spears" thing. Very grumpy. So when an opportunity comes along to pick which end of the spear you're on (an opportunity like, say, Battue: Walls of Tarsos Expansion), we recommend you take the less pointy choice.
April 12, 2008: Illuminated Site of the Week: Data, Data, Data, I Cannot Make Bricks Without Clay
A lot of these sites tell you they'll help you see past society's hooey, but at Cutting Through the Matrix with Alan Watt, they take their time. He lists his three book titles, and that's about all the direct information you get until you work your way past the ads. After that, you can download audio recordings of his appearances and slowly build up a picture of where he's coming from. It's hard to say whether he's working with or against the Masons, but he draws the line at Reptile People. Let's not get nutty. -- Suggested by j.
Warehouse 23 News: Descent: The Ascent
Descent is, by its very nature, a subterranean affair. Descent: The Road to Legend, however, says "Nuts to you, convention!" and throws that idea right out the window. In fact, it didn't even open the window. We need a new window. So buy a copy of Road to Legend. We're cold and very sad.
Are you in Austin, or the surrounding area? Are you free tonight? Do you love Munchkin? Can you find Great Hall Games?
Actually, I can help you with the last one. Well, Google can. The short version is: a block south of Lamar and Koenig. It's a great store for all you boardgame needs, from chess to Settlers of Catan. And the Austin Boardgame Group meets there every week.
Tonight, Friday April 11, at 6:30, Munchkin Quest will get a very public playtest, as run by Will. The components aren't perfect, but they're in color, and they're very, very close to the files we'll be sending to the printer. The rules are even closer; there are a few tweaks to be made, but this "build" is stable and fun.
We only have slots for four players, and we'll want to start as close to "on time" as possible, so don't be late! Of course, if you don't get a seat, spectators are definitely encouraged -- the more eyes, even if they're not playing, the better. And we'll have the newest edition of Lord of the Fries for showing off; check it out before it hits store shelves!
If you have more questions, contact Will.
-- Paul Chapman
We're following the Trail of Cthulhu today, a right nasty beast. You can tell he's been through here by all the gibbering lunatics and hooded cultists. Also, these really, really, really, really, really big footprints. Oh! There he is! Right, now I'll just go poke him with this sharp stick twenty or thirty times and then wrestle him to the ground. Only be a moment.
When I ran across the story, I thought it might make another "game scenario ideas from real life" article. The answer is yes. This one doesn't even have to be exaggerated. It's pretty hard to believe as is. Freelance investigative journalism used to be one or two reporters, maybe with miniature cameras . . . this kicks it up two or three notches.
There is a small community in Japan which conducts a huge dolphin hunt every year. It's a massive undertaking; unlike "traditional" village hunts elsewhere, it's an industrial operation. For fear of criticism, it's also very secretive; observers are kept away by police, and tarps hide the cove where the killing takes place. A film team with a massive budget breached that secrecy, using devices and tactics straight out of a Tom Clancy novel. Apparently they got some really shocking footage which shows that the town, and the national bureacracy supporting it, had a lot to hide. Euuuuuuw.
If you have a player group that wants to play techie ninja but does NOT want a military campaign (or if they're just tree-huggers like me), you could turn this into an excellent adventure.
Warning: The story I link to above is clearly admiring of the "ninja" filmmakers and critical of the dolphin-killers, but it is reasonably written. The photo caption at the top, though, was written by a frothing nutcase with issues about the Japanese people, and has no business in journalism, even advocacy journalism. Don't prejudge the interesting story by the nasty photo caption.
-- Steve Jackson
Our lives would be so dull without them. Though Shadowrun: Arsenal does cover more than just guns (survival gear, vehicles, and all sorts of non-explosive, humdrum, so-called "useful" stuff like that), where it really shines is in the department of fiery arms. After all, you can't live in the shadows with just one gun, chummer. Right tool for the right job and all.
If you have never read Niven's Laws, you should. And if you have read them, an occasional refresher course is a good idea.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: When Are You Getting Married?
Isn't it time you settled down, Freeport? When are we going to see some grandkids? You can't live like this forever. What about that nice d20 Freeport Companion? It's practically tailor-made for you, and we're sure you'd have beautiful children. Your campaign isn't getting any younger, y'know.
April 8, 2008: About That Cheeseburger . . .
I'm really sorry that I didn't work "I haz cheezburger can!" into that posting somewhere. If you have no idea why that's funny, you're certainly not going to find out from me. You can start the process of not finding out by not viewing this video.
Pete Wyeth was kind enough to send me a pointer to the Whole Chicken in a Can. Okay, perhaps "kind" is not the word that I want here. But I'm impressed. If you are aware of a canned item worthy to stand beside the chicken and the cheeseburger in a Pantry from Hell, drop me a line. I'll compile the best results at some point, because, you know, I really have nothing better to do with my time.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Ars Arts Aren't Arduous
Before the pirate gene activates and that Doom Title up there destroys us all, we shall slip in this link to Ars Magica: Art & Academe. Sure, the title has the alliteration built in for your convenience, but we just threw around a dangerous bout of "arrs." Matey. Uh-oh, it's started. Run!
At the core of every edition of GURPS is the Basic Set. True, for Third Edition the need for the Compendiums was pretty strong, but that's why we released the new edition.
In any case, e23 is your one-stop-shop for the cores of GURPS. We've already released the GURPS Characters and GURPS Campaigns for Fourth Edition. GURPS Basic Set for Third Edition was uploaded a couple weeks ago, and just days ago, GURPS Compendium I went up for sale. You'll see GURPS Compendium II fairly soon as well.
GURPS, in a digital format for easy storage, transport, and searching. It's a good time to be a gamer.
-- Paul Chapman
Were we delinquent in stocking Aaron Williams' fine comic opus, ps238? Sadly, yes, we were. Aliens are to blame, we assure you. But that's behind us all now, and we're up to date through issue 29!
April 6, 2008: Yes, We Saw The Celebrity Stats In Wired
An unfortunate consequence of the mainstream's discovery of fantasy games is that now we have to live through the mainstream's reinvention of things like "Let's assign D&D stats to celebrities, har har." And they'll be just as lame as you expect when the mainstream tries to be hip. But I'm posting the link anyway, to save myself dozens of e-mails asking if I have seen it. And, hey, it's never a completely bad day when the mainstream uses a gaming trope, not as something to mock, but as the setup to mock something else.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Not Angry. Just Mad.
Soon, soon, we shall launch an army of giant cyborg plant-monkeys at the unsuspecting populace of Cleveland. And once we hold the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in our clutches, we shall stride forth unto the rest of the world and bring it to its collective knees! And then, then shall they see the terrible depth of the mistake they made when they expelled us from The Society of Bland and Respectable Science! Mwahahaha!
As you can see, a (nearly) three-decade accumulation of games can create quite a stack. Okay, you can't actually see the problem in this one photograph. We've got boxes and boxes and boxes and boxes.
What we really need is a system of organization, which would allow us to quickly and easily reference what we've got, where it is, what condition it's in, and so on. Unfortunately, "lay everything out in the warehouse so we can see them all at once" isn't an option. We'll be shelving them. And before we just go "alpha by publisher, and the ones that are too big for the shelves will all get stacked together somewhere," we thought we'd ask for some advice.
We don't want to re-invent the wheel, and we want the collection to be as functional as possible; certainly it would be a potential academic resource if it were searchable. So if you hold a degree in library science, or are working in a library, we'd like your recommendations. Is there a software solution, or even a set of accepted standards and practices, for the specific issue of organizing and cataloguing games? If you know something that we need to know, drop a note to Shadlyn at shadlyn@sjgames.com
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: The Lord Of The Da- Wait, What?
Oh. Ventrue: Lords Over the Damned contains absolutely no Irish step dancing. Vampires, though! And that'll do in a pinch.
April 4, 2008: Illuminated Site of the Week: They Laughed At You At The University
And in grade school. And at the church picnic. And when you broke into the Museum of Natural History to attack the Early Man exhibit. If you're not careful, they're going to continue delighting themselves thusly at your predicament right up until you fail the HPLHS SaniTest; then it's straight into the hatch with you. See how you stack up against other crazy people . . . which, according to the site, is something of a redundancy. -- Suggested by Janx
We at Warehouse 23 apologize for the above joke. Measures have been taken to ensure that such base attempts at humor will not make their way onto this website again. Please do not let this detract from your enjoyment of Exalted: Yu-Shan, by all accounts a fine product and fully undeserving of such mediocrity.
We did a bit of office shuffling over the past month, and Phil moved into one of the corner offices. He also stocked it with some very nice furniture. Snazzy!
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: And What Of The King Of Scrolls?
The book is very explicit. Exalted: Scroll of Kings is a scroll. One about kings. Or perhaps one written by kings. Or maybe it just belongs to them. Y'know what? It's not very explicit at all. Oh well. Still a neat book.
Steve Jackson Games is looking for an experienced Perl coder to work on various projects, including our online storefront, our in-house databases, and online games such as the almost-complete UltraCorps. All these projects involve OO Perl, mod_perl, Mason, and MySQL.
This work could range from full-time to (for less-urgent projects) as little as ten hours a week. We would love to find someone in Austin, but we are willing to work with telecommuters. We would certainly consider full-time employment, but we recognize that a contract relationship is likelier.
Please respond to perljob@sjgames.com with a current resume and relevant samples of your code.
Warehouse 23 News: Goomi, And Vault, And Doom
Goomi's Unspeakable Vault (of Doom) - Volume 2, the second collection of Unspeakable Vault strips ever, can finally be purchased from the only online store endorsed by the Bizarre Eldritch Horrors from Beyond the Fourteenth Dimension. Lucky you! (For now. . . mua-huh, mua-hah, muah-hah-hah-hah!)
Sorry, we haven't signed a digital deal, sadly – although that would have made an excellent April 1st post, wouldn't it?
No, instead we've gone in the opposite direction. Shortly after our playtest session of the D&D 4e rules – Keith Baker was in town, and ran an adventure for us – we came to a realization. The designers over in Seattle may be onto something. Therefore, we're happy to announce a new series of releases for GURPS: Tank, Striker, Healer, Buffer, and Debuffer.
With each of these products, you'll be able tweak your character into one of these five classes, maximizing your efficiency to a degree unheard of in rollplaying. GURPS Tank explores the men and women who attract the attacks of the enemies, selflessly sacrificing themselves. Striker helps you build characters who generate the most damage into the weakest points, round after round. Healer covers every option for regaining lost health, and ways for the players to remain interested despite their "backseat" role. Buffer will examine the myriad of paths to enhancing a character's team mates, as well as the advantages to withholding those enhancements for fun and profit! Debuffer covers the same ground as Buffer, but applied to the team's opponents.
GURPS Tank, the first in the series, will be written by Sean Punch, and should be available for purchase at GenCon Indy. Sean will be on hand, and will happily autograph your purchase for the traditional $5 fee.
In other news, negotiations have been completed for the purchase of Steve Jackson Games by Atlas Games, effective one year from today. Full details will be released tomorrow, but you can read the preliminary report here.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Locations, Locations, Locations
Usually, munchkins are too busy hacking, slashing, and swiping to actually look up and soak in the scenery. Well, all that changes right now! Munchkin 6 - Demented Dungeons makes it imperative that you bloodthirsty kleptomaniacs brave adventurers take notice of where you are. And where you're going. Don't worry about where you were, though. That place is totally looted out.
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