Adventures at GenCon 2019: A Recap, Day 1

Ah yes... GenCon! The gathering of Nerdom from far and wide. Chaos reigns those 4 days and coins are tossed like so much fodder. Those of us who can make the journey wait for an entire year to spend 4 days and nights gaming and drinking in the best of company!

Day 1:

This day started off early with a trip to the DCC gaming room, followed by several hours of work at the Goodman Games booth. Afterwards I had two play-tests of my latest adventure Seekers ov the Other Worlds.

The 1st Play-Test

This was the first time anyone has played what I've written and the play-test was only 1/5 of this very long and epic world hopping adventure! I had 6 players, all of whom had some experience with DCC and some of whom I had the pleasure of playing with last year.

After showing off Stefan Poag's new cover art for the adventure (see above) we dove right into the thick of it. This Other World is heavily inspired by both Michael Moorcock and H. P. Lovecraft. It's a very dream like reality and is not the standard dungeon crawling experience. In retrospective though I believe I will need to reign in some of these ideas and add a tad bit more structure to the adventure.

One of the main goals for this session was to find a means of getting the "Bridge Machine" running again. This requires the PCs find the needed parts, putting them in the machine and then activating it so that a black rainbow bridge projects in the direction of the floating tower in the sky. (All of which may change once this adventure is finally published, but that's TBD). Anyhow the players did well and in the end defeated this incarnation of the Necromancer with no casualties (gotta amp those baddies up!). 

The 2nd Play-Test

After that session, I had an hour or more to kill before the next session starting at 8pm. In that time I study the mental notes I'd taken and prepared to try some new things. Again I had 6 players, several of which played with me last year! This session went smoother than the last (mostly in part to the fact I had some practice and knew what the hell I was doing).

One of the main segments that both play-test parties went through was a dinner party with a Minor Chaos Lord named the Duke of Yooh, a slime yellow blob with a hefty appetite. All the players had a blast and both parties manage to narrowly escape the party.

We had but one death in this session (I know, I know... I'm slacking). This occurred in a area called The Great White Void. The character had three chances to roll under their luck and failed all three! In the end they begin one with the void, never to be seen again.

In the end the Necromancer was again defeated and the PCs won! After the session had ended (around midnight) I was feeling quite drained, so of course I went over to the embassy suites to drink and hang out! 

So what did I take away from these play-tests?

More structure to the Other World, baddies may need to be amped up a bit, and certain area/ideas should either be combined or abandoned. That said it appeared that everyone was having a blast and dished out some great feedback. So if my play-testers are reading this, thanks for gaming with me and thanks for the support!

Check back later for Part II!

Post Kickstarter Update #1

It's been quite a while since I last posted an update here (many of my updates currently have been posted through Kickstarter). So today I will combined all those updates into one long post!

On Writing

Before launching the Kickstarter my 0-level funnel Sky ov Crimson Flame was 100% written and ready to go to the printers upon the completion of the campaign and a few remain art pieces. That was before I had even really considered the first 3 stretch goals would be reached followed by the final stretch goal of a newly written 1st level mini-campaign called Blights ov the Eastern Forest. As of this writing it's been a little over 1 month since the Kickstarter was funded and in that month I'd say 90% (or so) of the new adventure is fully written and laid out in Adobe Indesign.

The Eastern Forest adventure setting will consist of 6 different locations with a bestiary of creatures that can be randomly encountered whilst traversing the forest. 5 of the locations will be written by yours truly and 1 is a collaborative piece written by +Clint Bohaty of +Order of the Quill. His current area outline sounds really awesome and I'm really excited to be fleshing out the sordid history of the Eastern Forest with him.

I foresee all the written material for Blights ov the Eastern Forest to be finished within the next two weeks.

On Art

Both adventures are going to feature a lot of artwork from the likes of OSR faves and newcomers alike. Here are some of the most current pieces I've commissioned from +Stefan Poag, each of which were stretch goals for Sky ov Crimson Flame.

0-level Character Sheet Border

Random Item Table Border

Nexus Event Table Border

That's it for now friends. In the coming weeks I will have new artwork and further details on each of 6 locations found throughout the dreaded Eastern Forest!

Sky ov Crimson Flame Update!

(or how I manage to find time to stay awake after an 80+ week)

Yes ladies and gentlemen of the court I present you with an update. These have become increasing sparse as of late and I do apologize! The show I'm working on is winding down (were currently shooting episode 9 of 10) but the hours are increasing and the madness is slowly setting in! Hopefully the next show isn't as hectic.

I digress, you're here for a much need fix on what the Owl Knight is cooking up. Well feast your wet gaping peepers on the second of two maps that come with the adventure!

Now this isn't the finished version of course as +Jordyn Boci is still working on the filler images that will make up the border. A couple of weekends from now it will all come together and we can all celebrate! Till next time friends!

The Owl Knight Still Flies!

By the gods it's been a while since I've posted an update! I apologize to all you players and judges eager for this adventure to come out. My work schedule has been pretty nuts!(Almost 80+ hours a week) Hence, leaving me with very little time to finish up Sky ov Crimson Flame, but fear not, for this project is still alive and well.

I've been working with Jordyn Boci on getting the details just right for the final piece of the puzzle, the map!  Below you'll find some images of the early sketches!

Once she is finished detailing and inking these, I'll compile them together forming one picture. Then I'll have her draw up a cool border featuring some of the monsters and items within the rooms and chambers. Once that's completed the entire module will be submitted for approval by Joseph Goodman!

Well that's all for now. Hopefully my next post won't be months apart! Till next time!

Status Update + Artwork

Hello again! For the past several weeks my schedule has been nuts! I recently starting working on the set of a t.v show called Shots Fired, which is shooting around Charlotte, NC. There have been some really long hours and needless to say that takes away from my other projects.

So What's The Status?

As of right now the adventure is 100% written and 95% of the artwork is complete. The layout work is just about finished and a printer is lined up ready to go! As I said in an earlier post I am planning on launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund a small print run of the adventure, which can be taken to conventions, sold online, etc. I'm currently working on the profile page for that and getting with some DCCRPG writers and artists for any stretch goals that campaign may reach.

In the meantime here is the latest bit of artwork I've received from +Jordyn Boci.

Map 1

Creepy Chamber Handout

Till next time, keep crawling!

BRAND SPANKING NEW ARTWORK! (and other good news!)

First the Art!

Progress on Sky ov Crimson Flame has been a little slow as of late; ironically due to everyone being too busy with other projects. I've been patiently waiting new artwork from +Jordyn Boci who has been hitting up some horror conventions with her studio Creature Revenge. Yesterday I got my new pieces in and as always they look SICK!

Here we have a scene from the adventure featuring an Adult Head Bat!

Next we have an extremely evil fellow your party does not want to run across!

& Now the Other News!

In my downtime while waiting on this artwork to arrive (and there are still some more pieces) I've been writing the next adventure that loosely ties into the current one. It's going to be a 3rd level adventure and currently I've written 40 pages which is only a third of the total adventure! So it's gonna be a doozie!

I've also been acquiring quotes from printers as I've decided I do not want to go the Print-On-Demand route. However, like most aspiring writers, I'm poor and so I am planning to run a Kickstarter campaign for a small print run of the adventure. The initial goal will be very low with some neat stretch goals if things take off. No matter want the adventure will be available on PDF once completed.

If all goes well I should have more artwork later this week or early next week. In the meantime, what pledge levels, stretch goals or other goodies would you like to see on this Kickstarter? I was thinking maybe I could get some cool little buttons or something made for when people run the adventure for the Goodman Games World Tour? 

Feast on some Fleshy Art!

Over the weekend I received some disgusting new art from +Jordyn Boci for my 0-level adventure Sky Ov Crimson Flame. Both of these pieces represent creatures that may be encountered in the adventure.

First up is the Corrupted Flesh (and yes that's our little Love Hobbit from an earlier post. Seems he's gotten himself in quite the pickle*!) *No pun intended there...

Next up is my new favorite piece! Jordyn put a ton a detail in this one and the original is definitely finding a spot on the wall in the game room. This is the Fleshy Mass! 

Only three more pieces of art to acquire (not counting the map) and then it can be sent off to Goodman Games for approval. In the meantime I've started my next project, a 3rd level adventure that loosely ties into elements from the current one.

You can follow Jordyn on instagram @archaic_manifestation. She does all sort of awesome artistic things I could only dream of making! 

New Artwork Coming In!

Over the week I've received two new pieces of interior artwork for my 0-level funnel Sky ov Crimson Flame.

This first piece is from +Nicolò Maioli who did an absolutely amazing job at capturing this scene from the adventure where many a player death has occurred!   What's funny to me personally (and I didn't tell him to do this) is that the man on the far right of the picture looks just like my girlfriend's crazy cleric Hans from our Shudder Mountains campaign!

Next up is another piece from the talented +Jordyn Boci who drew the dreaded dagger of the Necromancer, Atma-khanjr! It is a powerful relic, forged not from steel, but from the very soul of the Necromancer. Its wavy bone blade emerges from a sleeve of flesh with veins that pulse and shudder to the touch!

This thing is sick and I love it!

Jordyn really captured the grotesque texture of this blade or as she put it "ball sack flesh."

And while the real artists work there magic I've been laying out the map. Spoliers?

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It's all coming together nicely and as far as I'm concerned it's still on schedule for a spring release!

New 0-level Funnel Art!

Last week I mentioned there'd be more artwork coming in.

These first two were drawn by +Jordyn Boci

Sigil of the Necromancer

 

A halfling in love!

This next piece was illustrator by +Nicolò Maioli

The Witch summoning the Crimson Star!

I'm really pleased with these pieces and I have both of them working on more artwork.

Sky ov Crimson Flame is scheduled for a spring release on PDF and Print on Demand.

In the meantime, you can snag yourself a limited 11"x17" print of the the adventure cover art by +Stefan Poag on my Etsy Shop.

On the Eve of a New Year!

I'm thrilled to be posting today! What better way to kick off a new year than with some fantastic artwork from +Stefan Poag! You may have already seen the work in progresss if you follow his blog. Well yesterday he sent me the final piece that is to be the cover art for my 0-level Adventure for DCCRPG Sky ov Crimson Flame.

Before I show off the final piece and mock up of the adventure cover I thought I'd show off some progression pictures!

Here was my idea for the cover art. Low angle, towering keep, scary stuff, and hapless villagers. Now I know what you're thinking; why would I even have anyone else draw up a piece when I have this masterwork of art...

Stefan sent me back not one but two sketches. This first which is similar to my orginal design, abid, slightly better... :-p

 

The second was another angle, an over-the-shoulder of the witch! This is just one of my reasons to work with Stefan or any qualified artist is they will hopefully, and I fully encourage it, provide their own suggestions on what the perfect piece will look like.

 

 Well I fell in love with this piece and gave him the go ahead to work his magic!

 

A week or so later I get this glorious piece!

And here is the mockup of what the cover may look like.

In celebration of this I have started a Google+ Community page for Owl Knight Publishing. I'm hoping in a short time many discussions can be had there concerning this and future adventures. Sky of Crimson Flame will hopefully be out by Spring 2016 if not before. I am currently working on the layout and getting more artwork finished.

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 

Hoo... I mean...What! I Learned From Last Night's Play-test.

So last night I ran my 0-level funnel tentatively titled Red Flame Resurrection for a group of 4 each of whom had 6 PCs each.

Using +Jon Marr Purple Sorcerer 0-Level Party Generator I randomly made 24 PCs where the 1's on hp were re-rolled (however some of the stats for Stamina were so low that some hit points were still at 1). Out of those 24 PCs only 4 survived!  It was brutal and everyone had a blast!

So this is the second play-test of this adventure which is in its second draft.  Tomorrow I begin writing draft three.

Here is what I learned:

• Agility Challenges involving 24 PCs is pretty silly and slows the game way down.  It's better to randomly determine 1 PC from each player or maybe only the PCs with the lowest Luck score from each player and then have them roll Agility Checks.
• Random Tables of items in rooms are fun (even more so when they kill off players!)
• Making every death meaningful adds to the fun and keeps the players in a good mood even if they are being slaughtered.
• DC 10 Strength Checks for scaling walls with a rope can be just as brutal as raving mad cultists.
• Speaking of Cultists if you have a mini boss fight planned you better make sure he has more hp than a long sword can deal damage.
• Make sure your major baddie has a ton of hp to make the battle feasible.  (Amount of PCs x 10 = hp?)  That equation might seem crazy, but it works!

Overall my players (who are also my friends) had a lot of fun and said this version was better than the last.  However it is finally time to step out of my comfort zone and run this adventure with strangers.  In the next few weeks I plan on running some games online and will of course keep you all updated.  I've never ran a game online so I'm not really sure what's the best way to go about it.  I've never used Roll20 or whatever.  If you have any advice please leave me a comment.

I'll leave you with one final piece (of artwork!)

 This is a piece I commission from the extremely talented +Stefan Poag.  It will be in the back of all my modules displaying the best deaths from all the play-tests of said adventure and it's metal as hell!