New Art, New Artist!

Gencon is creeping up on me and I still have like a million things to do to prepare but the world is luckily chugging along. I have started to work with a new artist for the Rhym project. She has just sent me the first of what I hope will be many new pieces of art. I really like the piece and will very likely ask her to do some pieces for Saggakar as well.

I won't yet reveal who/what this is for just yet but leave you to guess. However, I found the character to have a surreal, very androgynous style... I could definitely see myself using this guy as a cambion/haver...

Legacies Updates before Gencon

With Gencon, one of the things I need to complete is the Legacies Campaign Guide. Let me discuss a few of the high points.

Are there any additional changes you would like to see in the campaign? Comment away!

New Theme

With the new theme of this year, Pillars of Oblivion, I updated the cover (to feature ArchDespot Hellebora and the year's logo). The theme is going to take the overall plot in directions I wasn't too sure when I put it in the choices, but now I have a really good idea for it. Already elements of it will be present at Gencon in the adventures...

I am getting really into this.

5e

I am planning to create products and adventures for 5e. This Campaign Guide will include some of the rules to create and play using 5th edition rules. As proof, I will have a few copies of the ToS: Player's Guide for 5e.

One of the adventures at Gencon, Fogs of Days Past will be published for both game system. I still have a bit of work for the 5e version (game balance and the like) before Gencon.

New Master

Hey! There is a new master that will appear. A few people had her already... ArchDespot Hellebora! The ArchDespot is not someone you can select at character creation, but there are a few opportunities already. Serving the ArchDespot allows you, if she has no special entries, to select any of the un-represented houses. So if the table has no representative of House Tioten, then you can select to serve House Tioten, as a special assignment.

The ArchDespot will not always have missions for her slaves, and if this is not the case, they are considered to belong to House Ougozar.

Changes to Unmarked

Perhaps one of the biggest changes brought about by Lady Hellebora is the lowering of the taxes that led to the demise of her husband. So as of now, unmarked characters only have to pay one-quarter of their earnings. So they get to keep a full 75% of their earnings instead of 50%!

Iconics

The Iconics were updated with a new look, using their color images. They will be available for both 5e and Pathfinder.

JP

Finalized Gencon 2016 Schedule

I have my schedule completed and ready to roll! A few people have asked me where I will be, so here it is, posted for the world to know!

I will be running a game on Sunday morning, this time it will be the special that follows last year's adventure. If you can get out of bed, you need to play this one... Again, there will be some unique rewards for those who play. I am thinking of even allowing a one-time special race creation reward. It will be a race people know...

Again this year, I will not be spending any time playing Pathfinder Society, as a conscious and active decision. Anything I can play there, I can play with the kids at home or with a pre-gathered table in a more relaxed setting than the madness and hustle of Gencon.

Saturday is going to be my free, off day. I will be doing the Rokugan stuff... I was initially considering playing Shadowrun Missions or something else, but I simply could not find anything that drew my fancy. Nothing that still had tickets availabe for it anyway. Rokugan is not one of my "consolation choices", well... it is and it is not. I have not been able to play any of this new story arc and will be going into the finale of the arc with... well... brand new. So I created a character that was prefect for that...

A HIDA CRAB BUSHI with no talent for social situations and interaction going into a Larp-esque event!!! It will be such a change after playing a polite Crane courtier-style bushi in my regular Friday night game! Can't wait.

Thursday 9-2	Tyrants of Saggakar: Fogs of Days Past	D&D 5e
Thursday 2-7	Tyrants of Saggakar: Service and Rewards	Pathfinder
Thursday 7-12	Tyrants of Saggakar: Fate of Zealots	Pathfinder
Friday 9-2	Tyrants of Saggakar: Fogs of Days Past	D&D 5e
Friday 2-7	Tyrants of Saggakar: Fate of Zealots	Pathfinder
Friday 7-12	Tyrants of Saggakar: Service and Rewards	Pathfinder
Saturday 9-2	Heroes of Rokugan: The Nightmare Ends	L5R
Saturday 2-7	Heroes of Rokugan: Waking From the Dream	L5R
Saturday 9-1	CORE 2-1 Tales of Good & Evil	D&D 5e
Sunday 9-2	Tyrants of Saggakar: Dreams of Dust	Pathfinder

Just in time for Gencon

Just in time for Gencon, I have completed the first version of the 5th edition version of Tyrants of Saggakar. Based on a few successful play-tests, this book has the same content as the one for Pathfinder, updated for fifth edition.

A new version deserves a new cover! This cover depicts ArchDespot Hellebora in a dark forest. It is not yet available for sale (should be shortly though). If you are interested in getting one at Gencon, get in touch with me ASAP.

JP

Gencon! We're going to Gencon! Full schedule!

GENCON!!!

My event finally have gone live!!! FINALLY!!! Search for "Saggakar" and you will find all of the events. Themy Sunday slot with the special is almost sold out at this time.

I have been worried sick (and still do to be honest) about selling out the events. Come on by, I have great new adventures to run, two slots of them using 5e and the rest using Pathfinder!

JP

Back to PFS, Back to Kentucky

I have not been talking much about PFS in the past months. Not only have I been playing less, but I find the quality of many games to be lackluster and out right boring. Following a local conflict, I stopped attending local events for it with my children, slowly seeing these events wither from lack of attendance.

I did play a game or two at Lexicon with Chad, Holly and Randy at the table and had a lot of fun with it. I played online with various quality games, but I nevertheless always try to bring in characters that are interesting and that bring a different approach to the game, and raise up everyone's enjoyment along with my own. I often complained about the number of people playing cardboard character who told me everything I needed to know about them with "I'm a 3rd level elf fighter".

Well this coming weekend, the whole family: myself, the three monsters and my nephew Jocelyn will be traveling north to Lexington KY to play one of the PFS specials. A table of 5 ready to take on pretty much whatever! I believe the last time we played PFS together was September or October of last year. We have since played a number of 5e games together and have enjoyed it. My heart, tho, is and always has been in Pathfinder RPG so this event will be a fun occasion to see people we've played with in the past.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and participating in a big event again.

JP

New Art!

What a great start to the week. I woke up this morning to find Irene has sent me two more pieces of art. These are Princes Larome and Princess Mehryeh, the eldest son and daughter of ArchDespot Gaztokel.

Prince Larome is an arrogant, petulant little snot. While his older sister, Princess Mehryeh is a mage in training who is very shy and withdrawn.

Love her work

JP

Oblivion for all of you!

I ran a short survey on the Legacies Facebook Group and asked you, the players, what would be the theme for this year, that of 786IC. There were four choice, each based on an idea I had about how to drive the plot... The choices were:

- Conquest

- Death

- Oblivion

- Tyranny

I was a close affair for the longest time, but today finally Oblivion pulled ahead. This is going to be a very fun story line, one that takes builds naturally upon the plot from last year, in ways I hope will be creative, interesting and unique.

I added the new year's logo.

So with Gencon approaching, I think it is a good time to provide you with the blurbs of the adventures I am bringing with me.

TOS-2-01 Fate of Zealots by Randy Price An assassin loose in the city of Onero is nothing special. Someone is willing to share information in return for a share of the bounty. But in the city of sins, nothing is ever secret and offers come from all directions.

TOS-2-02 Fogs of Days Past by JP Chapleau A new ArchDespot now sits on the throne of Faremh. Her rule is far from unanimous, however. She needs people to retrieve the ancient crown to prove her worth.

TOS-2-04 The Sorrowful Lady by JP Chapleau The Spiderfen Forest is the premiere source of lumber in the ArchDespotate and one of House Faremhi's greatest resource. The Church of Soffro, the Merchant Lord has called upon the Great Houses to investigate a unique grove spotted in the forest.

TOS-2-0I01 Dreams of Dust by JP Chapleau Last year, adventurers recovered an icy slab from Yorix's island. The slab was locked away in the under bowels of the palace. But it did not lay dormant, but has been dreaming, dreams of dust beyond the Mists.

JP

Farewell Steven Russell

It is not a good time when I have to put up two similar posts in what? A week's time? Sheesh.

Last night, I came home early, under a sky heavy with thunder and lightning blasting across Middle Tennessee. I had a nice dinner with the family where we all had fun and I ignored a few emails and spent the evening painting miniatures (I have a huge stash of Victorian/Pulp miniatures to finish, so if anyone is interested in obtaining one or more, let me know, my prices are very low). I watched a horror movie with my eleven year old. Then I sat at my computer and played Star Wars: The Old Republic. After that, I put on another movie and did a little bit of writing.

In short, an evening for me, tuning out the world.

Then around 11:30, I opened Facebook and poked around a little. It wasn't long before I learned that Steven D Russell, the man behind Rite Publishing had passed away.

What? When? How? Who? Really?

I poked LPJ to see if he had any more information. Then I went to bed unable to find rest.

I will not claim that Steve was my best friend, but he was someone with whom I talked regularly about publishing, about meeting at an upcoming event, about potential work together, usually with me asking him all kinds of noob questions about this new role of mine. He was always extremely welcoming and answered my questions patiently and thoroughly, which made him so endearing. I don't know the details of the car crash (See the post by WHIO) but read on in horror.

Farewell Steve, we'll roll dice together some day.

Our prayers go with your family.

We'll miss you.

JP

New Template for Legacies

Today being a holiday here in the USA (Happy Birthday, America!) I got to spend some time not only catching up with my classes, but I also took some time to work on a new template for Legacies adventures.

Using the experience of last year's publication, I created a new template for the adventures. This template includes the black lion of the ArchDespot, but also the shields of the three Great Houses of Faremh and a skull. The bottom section has the FOE logo.

I like the final look of it all, new and exciting! Now to actually go and finish the adventures (you can see something that's missing in this one...)

JP

New year, new theme, new poll

Another year of Legacies, another theme. As I am ramping up the work on the second year in Saggakar, I need to have a theme... something to guide me into the many bad things I plan on doing to people, starting at Gencon.

I have a number of issues and ideas but leave things up to you. After last year's "Seeds of Rebellion", I now offer four choices: Oblivion, Conquest, Tyranny and Death. I thought about adding "loving unicorns" but that will be for next year (maybe). The poll is held on our Facebook group (click the link to go there directly). It will affect things on every one of the mods I am working on, so the poll is something I need before putting the final touches on the adventures.

Year 2, it's coming. It's (almost) here. Gencon is where it will start.

Vote early, vote often!

JP

Rhym: Upcoming FOE product line

I have a little secret I'd like to share. I have been working behind the scene for the past few weeks on Rhym, a new product by FOE thought and designed for 5e.

I'm not saying any more at this time. Because I am such a tease!

JP