[Interview] Andreas Walters on Baby Bestiary 2

Last time I had a long conversation with Andreas Walters (AW) was in July of 2014 when I interviewed him for his NPC Cards - which I know quite a few of you guys got behind. Since then, we keep in touch through social media (G+ mostly). He has gone from an obscure game designer to something of a crowdfunding darling.

I was intrigued by his original Baby Bestiary however and kinda kick myself for not backing that one up (bad financial schedule). However, it was completed and he is now back for a second one. Then a few days ago, he pinged me on G+ about his new project, the Baby Bestiary 2 and I was immediately intrigued.

So I sent him a series of questions!

JP So what have you been up to since the NPC deck?

AW Well, a lot of time has passed since then, proejct-wise I've released a few Numenera supplements, Kickstartered the Baby Bestiary, Scavengers RPG, and the Baby Bestiary 2016 Calendar. Personally, the company I worked for went under, I was unemployed for 5 months and moved to Philadelphia from San Francisco, it's been an action-packed 1.5 years.

JP Where did the original idea for the Baby Bestiary came from?

AW Well, it all started right on this post, where a friend of mine had realized that the Displacer Beast was classified as an Abberation rather than a magical beast, and there was a comment about rust kittens just not being as threatening as a rust monster abberation, then from there it just popped into my head on the potential cuteness of the monster manual and it's play on the 'kill a baby goblin, are you being evil by killing a baby or preventing future evils to" come problem.

JP Why a second one?

AW Well, at the end of the 1st Kickstarter, there were too many other creatures that haven't been able to be depicted, so naturally I really wanted to give those the justice they deserved.

In addition, during the success of the first one, I began to envision an entire brand-line of the Baby Bestiary, of which I am working towards, which would feature plushies, miniatures, children's books and adventure modules.

JP What made you select one monster over another? Say why the bulette over a sphynx? Can you explain your monster selection process?

AW So really, in Volume 1, I had only firmly decided that a few beasts were required to be included, they were the Owlbear, Phoenix, Chimera, Rust monster, and probably two others. The rest were actually voted on by the backers, so I had no involvement in what volume 1 finally ended up being.

JP The art I've seen is AWESOME! I mean the babies look cuddly and cute as heck! Even for monsters like a harpy or a chimera! Tell me who are your artists!

AW Thank you, I too wish I could draw with such skill. The artist company responsible is Conceptopolis (http://www.conceptopolis.com/), you actually may recognize them for a lot of the work they had done on the new D&D 5e books. I knew that in order to make this project work I had to go to the pros, and that's what I exactly did.

JP How did you go about building a team of designer?

AW During the NPC Kickstarter I joined an organization called the IGDN (Indie Game Developer Network), here we have a large number publishers and writers of the indie RPG community, so naturally looking for writers I put out a post to the IGDN membership and also emailed the Evil Hat writing team to grab some talent. I hadn't checked any of their past work, so it was kinda a leap of faith. I asked all of the writers to give me their top picks of which beasts they wanted to write, and I divided up the work that way. Also, I set up a 'standard format' which explained the tone of the writing, in addition I would write out a few notes for the particular beasts that I felt needed to have a few clarifications on their lore, like the immortality of phoenixes, and have it makes sense. That aside, I gave a lot of freedom to my writers, which I think they really enjoyed (as they're back for volume 2) and they also got to write about the beasts they love.

JP What would you are the biggest challenges to making a project like this, while in a systemless environment?

AW Biggest challenge in reality was the budget, but that probably wasn't the answer you wanted for this question. I actually had a lot of fun time figuring out ways to portray the baby beasts, we took a lot of inspiration from the monster manual, but for others we wanted to go back to their historical roots, or even reinvented them (like the cockatrice). The systemless was actually probably the easiest part, we could use ambiguous locations and directions, to the north, in the highlands, to the east, as we place value in these directional descriptions locations

The decision to go systemless was actually an easy choice, it opened up the potential market and without stats, it kept the book focused on the imagery rather than the stats.

JP Any lessons you learned by working on so many successful Kickstarters? What would you recommend/counsel to someone wanting to try his hand at it?

AW I could probably write a short book about this, but essentially it comes down to,

• share often (even before you launch, this pre-exposure helps)
• be open to feedback, share your project url to get criticism, there are a lot of Facebook groups for RPG creators and Kickstarters, find them and use them.
• When you launch, you should have a very defined concept of what you are doing, we should see mockups, sample text and art, maybe even some specific mechanics so that we can see your vision of the project, backers expect that you have made samples/prototype .
• what is the minimum viable product, and how much money + contingency do you need to make that happen. I actually have been kinda bad at this, because I have been setting my goals to what I wanted (rather to what I needed), because once you're funded it can snowball, but otherwise you're working hard advertising to a goal
• Avoid addons (unless they're digital), fufillment is a tricky beast and only gets worse when you start to segment your shipments.
• Advertising and self promotion suck, so far Facebook, g+ and twitter are obviously the big ones, but don't be afraid to research bloggers and other influentials and have something to give them to report on, prototype, art ect, oh and don't try Kickstarter cross-promotion.
• Paid ads? only thing I've ever seen make a marginal impact is Facebook ads, and even then I've had mixed results between projects, any other paid service I would avoid as our industry is (relatively) very small and niche.

JP What would you say is the biggest key to your crowdfunding success?

AW I actually think a lot of my success is actually the visual aesthetic of my projects, in addition to a solid concept, they all have a large emphasis on art. Its odd to say this but art really does sell, but you still have to have a solid underlying concept.

Marketing is a mixed bag, but really in the end I have drastically expanded my RPG social circles by making friends with various bloggers, designers, artists and participating in various groups across the industry.

JP Can you tease us with some upcoming projects? Anything else you have in the works?

AW There may be a book about how to cook and prepare various beasts, probably titled The Adventurers Cookbook: From Dangerous to Delicious.

So be prepared to see dining in your dungeons improve, this will include tandem rpg crunch.

JP Any links of interest?

AW We have our current Kickstarter that we would love to share https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/metalweavedesigns/baby-bestiary-volume-2-and-vol-1-reprint

In addition we have our (constantly evolving) website http://www.metalweavegames.com/

Thanks again for having me, it was a pleasure.

Check out his stuff. I certainly will.

JP

[Kickstarter] Interview about Spooks

Every so often, I get contacted by someone who wants me to look over their game and provide them with critique of it. This has two benefits for me: first, I get to learn about other game systems or settings and second, I get to learn about their creator. This second benefit is of particular interest to me, as I often learn tricks and methods others have never tried before.

Thus I received a LONG. And when I say LONG, I mean that was the longest Facebook post I ever saw. And I post 'em long myself! So a LONG Facebook message that led to this interview.

Let me introduce you all to Tobias White. Tobias contacted me to review his RPG called Spooks. Which I will admit, I never heard about at the time, so I spent some time reading up on it:

- Victoriana

- Supernatural

- Touch of steampunk

Okay. Now I was hooked and I needed to know more. A quick search and the guys ran a previous Kickstarter back in 2013. They are now running another one, for the game expansion. Link to their current kickstarter!. As of today (ten days to go), they are getting quite close to funding. Let's see if we can get them there!

So I did this interview with Nathan Reese Maher and Tobias White to learn more about them and their project. What I learned was quite surprising!

A big thanks to Tobias for providing me with the art.

JP: Who are you?

NATHAN: I grew up on 2nd Edition AD&D Skills & Powers, having started playing back in the early 1990s and have been hooked every since. I have a BA in English Literature and have written several books, both fiction and gaming material wise, since 2011. I love puns, dancing when everyone is looking and making crude jokes in a Mickey Mouse voice. I also have a dance background in classical ballet. Most importantly, I'm married to my best friend.

TOBIAS: I grew up playing the old AD&D computer games like "Secret of the Silver Blades" and I had a few AD&D books, but I really didn’t understand the concept because I did not have a group to cut my teeth on, however I loved the art in them. When I became a US Marine I eventually found groups to play in and became a DM myself. I have been playing on and off ever since. My art education is not only from a traditional university with a BA in Art, but I am also self-taught since very young and I constantly seek to improve my skills because education is still important. My greatest joy in life is imagination and sharing ideas with others with the hopes of creating something special which is why I enjoy creative writing as well.

JP: What other products have you worked on before?

NATHAN: I've produced ?The Wailing Sorrow - Fan Made Ravenloft Adventure?, ?Sticks & Stones - The Free RPG (The Playtest)?, ?Spooks? Welcome to the Great Beyond? (for gaming materials), ?Secrets of the CitySpire - Book 1, A Familiar Love Song? (cyberpunk), ?Rubberband Lazer; Or, The Adventures of Casey Norider and Jaq Synergy - Vol. 1? (space western comedy) and ?Tales of Enoch? (gothic sci-fi).

TOBIAS: As a freelance artist/writer I have done work for budding creative companies such as Tightrope Games LLC and independent writers such as Jim Philips who writes Call of Cthulhu adventure modules and he posts them on Skype of Cthulhu. I also have done work for Bubba Jerky for an old friend of mine and I only bring that up because well Jerky is totally gamer food? Lastly, I am also a video game concept artist doing contracted speculation work with MMOmagic.com and we are getting close to getting a demo completed to present to publishers.

JP: What is your favorite RPG of all time?

NATHAN: Hands down 2nd Edition AD&D - Ravenloft. I'm only 8 books shy of a complete set of both 2nd and 3rd edition books.

TOBIAS: That is a tough call, but I have to say my fondest memories are with 2nd Edition AD&D Planescape and I think I own all the gaming material related to that setting. I think it appealed to me because it was a hub setting that let you travel to anywhere in the AD&D universe.

JP: What is the best/longest campaign you ever took part in?

NATHAN: I ran a group for 2 years called ?The White Dragons? who followed a sky-deity. There was a running joke that the youthful female Bard/Paladin had the hots for the old wizard. One player's kooky dwarf once throttled an old woman for stealing his feather. There was a crossover once where the good characters met their respective evil characters - luckily they didn't fight. I once scared all the players to death when I first introduced Intellect Devourers. They boarded themselves up in a tavern and stoked a fire to prevent them coming through the chimney. Little did they know the townsfolk inside the tavern with them had a few hidden in their skulls.

TOBIAS: There are so many stories I wouldn’t be able to list them all, but my second group lasted for about 2 years and we played almost every weekend. It was a lot of fun and was a great way to blow of some stress? We played a combo of Planescape and Forgotten realms and it ended in Raveneloft, but we shortly ended those heroes because our characters were simply too powerful and it lost its appeal and we moved on to other games.

JP: One word: Spooks.

NATHAN: Spooks? WTTGB is role-playing in the afterlife. Play as Bhoots, Dolls, Ghouls, Ghosts, Skeletons, Vampires and Zombies in an Ancient Egyptian inspired Hereafter. Now with the Mortal Intrusion you can play as exceptional humans, common people, blessed types with religious powers, magi, psychics, those born of fae ancestry and were-creatures while alive. Dungeon delve, solve mysteries, monster hunt, engage conspiracies, encounter historical NPCs, invade the Great Beyond and survive the inferno of the Hellfire Lands, swim the River Styx, explore the Spirit Realm and dive into the dreams of both living and dead. Built for improvisation, quick character generation, unique spell system and an all-in-one encompassing rule set that allows for limitless gaming.

JP: How did Spooks came into being?

NATHAN: When my grandfather died around 2000 ish, I had a dream where I sat next to him on the couch in his old house. No one could see him but me. When everyone left the room I turned to him and asked, ?What is it like?? (in reference to being dead). He, a devote Christian replied in his matter of fact way, ?Nathan... It's not what we thought.? Since then it's haunted me and as my writing career grew I decided that I needed to make something that would reduce the hours of preparation time as a storyteller and make it so that I can improvise better in my games. Tim Burton movies have always been a favorite of mine and I realized that there wasn't very many settings out there like it. So I took what my grandfather told me and started developing Spooks?. I will admit though that outside of Tim Burton I'm also a huge fan of Lucas Arts games - so that's where the comical side of the game shines through. After it was a success a lot of people asked about playing the Living. This was in the plan all along but the question of when wasn't a topic I had even thought of yet. Tobias really spearheaded the Mortal Intrusion and helped motivate the project. I think he was more excited for it than I was - as I had already started writing for a different type of expansion that we may see later on this year.

JP: Tell me about the game system.

NATHAN: Spooks? WTTGB runs off a classless system, using d6s to determine fate. As you level, you gain points to distribute among your ability scores and at each time they reach a new 10s position you gain a skill point to distribute among that category of skills. Dice in this game pool, creating an unlimited leveling system that doesn't bog down the game the higher you go. Every character can use spell cards, with each card representing a different spell. Players can choose to cast spells or they can use the cards to boost their rolls.

TOBIAS: In addition to the system Nathan described, Mortal Intrusion is introducing a new feature called "Organizations". As Nathan mentioned, Spooks? uses a classless system that uses skills, abilities and core character concept to define one’s character, but sometimes a player’s character could use additional flavor and that is where "Organizations" comes in. When a character joins an "Organization" that character gains access to allies, resources, skills and powers the more they become entrenched in the organization, but that character slowly becomes more corrupted by their doctrine and it is then hard to refuse their requests or orders. For example, a character can join the Order of Dagon, but the more tasks they do for the Order then they slowly start transforming into a half-breed Deep One, but they also get cool abilities and powers with those transformations.

JP: What is so unique about Spooks?

NATHAN: I've never played Wraith but I have played Vampire the Masquerade. Spooks? WTTGB as mentioned above is designed for improvisation, the game is streamlined so that very little time has to be spent in preparation. Denizens (monsters) can be built on the fly and so too can magical items and equipment. The game allows you to travel virtually anywhere, encounter virtually anyone from fiction characters like Sherlock Holmes to real characters like Nikola Tesla. The game is also lighthearted and doesn't get bogged down by the seriousness that WOD tends to do. Unlimited advancement and a variety of game genres allows for storytellers to truly build their world the way they want it without core-content restricting play. The best part about Mortal Intrusion is that if you lose your character to a mortal death that individual just comes back as a Spook. Storytellers can choose to transition to the afterlife full-time or have dead characters come back to the Land of the Living carrying with them the shroud of the Hereafter.

TOBIAS: I felt that most unique aspect of Spooks? is that your characters can and often do encounter historical characters who are dead. Not only does this spur the imagination, but I feel that it can encourage both the young and old to take a more active interest in history, so not only is the game family friendly to adult level game, but it is also a game that can be a positive influence on education.

JP: What about Spooks is familiar?

NATHAN: You can play a skeleton who claims he is the pumpkin king and a rag doll by the name of Sally. You can be the ghost with the most while adventuring with a human girl named Lydia. You can play (or meet) Sam and Dean Winchester from Supernatural, or encounter a Mulder and Scully agent-type. Try your hand at an Indiana Jones type or maybe you want a character like Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There are so many classic TV shows and movies that you can draw from to inspire your campaign and characters. The best part is that you don't have to worry about how others might view your sessions because with Spooks? anything goes.

TOBIAS: I agree, the way that Spooks? has developed and continues to develop is that you can apply your favorite works of fiction or history and we continue to retain that factor because it helps keep the game fresh and a joy to play. For instance, if you wanted to do a campaign where you combine the elements of Ghostbusters with Beatlejuice then you can easily do so, because the game can adapt to it. Nathan and I discuss our plans for expansions of the Spooks? universe all the time and it safe to say that this flexibility will remain a part of the Spooks? and yet remain its own unique universe where it is light-hearted or as dark as you want?

JP: Bluntly, why Kickstarter?

NATHAN: Kickstarter was the first crowd funding site that I came to and I did a lot of research. Now there are many places to go and we're already talking about experimenting with a few other non-brand titles to see how well it does. We mostly wanted to keep with Kickstarter as it is where all our original backers were from. When I first embarked on this journey for the core rule-book I don't think I realized exactly how much the project was going to cost. After putting approximately 2,000 of my own money into it I realized that I needed to find another way to fund it. Kickstarter gave us that avenue.

JP: What happened with the first KS?

NATHAN: Surprising to both Tobias and myself it was a success. We were looking at less than 50% funded in the final 15 days and I was at the point of giving up hope for funds and then BAM? people came from all walks of life and donated. We got more than what we were hoping for and were able to put more art than expected. I still see the core book as a work-in-progress as I'd like to get more art inside there somehow. I'm sure in time we'll be able to revisit it. The good news about that, is that I don't believe in re-hashing old editions into something new to generate income. We'll update it and people can go and download their updated copy at no cost.

TOBIAS: One of the pitfalls to avoid running a Kickstarter is that you have to keep active in reaching out for the public awareness of your project and the need to be funded. One of our struggles right now is networking, our network to the community is small at best, but growing every day, but we have very little reach, which means that we have to do a lot of legwork in the form of contacting people on the internet, in person, at Cons and anyway possible to spark an interest in helping us out. You can’t be static during a Kickstarter and it is a lot of work and stress, but we believe in our project and we hope that comes across to those who we hope will donate.

JP: How advanced is the current project right now?

NATHAN: I'm a typing fiend. I don't double-back and I'm very committed to releasing early but with high standards. That said, I have a little over 20,000 words typed up and Tobias is in the same ballpark. The original goal was 50k in word size but I think realistically we'll be at about 65-75k when it's done which is far more than what we expected. This isn't taking into consideration any stretch goals we reach which in turn will increase the size of the book. Once funded, I plan to commit a few chapters to final draft and send them to our editor so that we can keep the project moving. If everything goes well, we'll have it ready around August 2015. Why August? I'd like to get another project up on Kickstarter (if we need to) before the year is out and I don't want to be one of those publishers that has multiple projects out at a given time, asking for funds before the first one is done. To me, that's just not right.

TOBIAS: I would also like to add that the first book was sent out in a timely manner, we kept all of our backers updated with the progress and we pushed it to be a quality book and game. We are very dedicated to keeping our promises to our players who are also our customers, because we are gamers as well and we want to be a positive force in the gaming community. Mortal Intrusion or any other expansion to Spooks? will be no exception to our dedication or integrity.

JP: Do you plan on releasing some type of ongoing campaign? Or adventure/campaign supplements?

NATHAN: I'd love to? Tobias plans to as well. I already have a few adventure ideas that will slowly mold the direction of the dimensions but I'd like to have the foundation laid first. We've already put together Dead Living Magazine which features a unique story line that follows a single NPC theme. The first issue is tailored to Edgar Allan Poe, my favorite horror writer, and the Red Death. As far as other ideas, I'd like to write an adventure that was inspired by the first mini-adventure that was created for the Kickstarter backers for the core rule-book called, ?The Bluebell Door?. I sadly work 40 hours each week, am writing several novels and it can be difficult to put my attention to more than 1 major project at a time. Funding is another thing. I love beautiful looking adventures, just like the old Ravenloft ones, so I want to make sure that when we do produce something that it's going to turn heads.

JP: Does the art drive the game design or game design drive the art?

NATHAN: The game was mostly done before I was introduced to Tobias, but I saw something in his work that I knew would help inspire it further. I'd lie if I said that the game didn't evolve a bit as more and more art was produced. Before I gave detailed descriptions of what I wanted and Tobias would work hard at getting it to fit. My mother was an artist and I too took classes so I knew how the creative spirit worked. It wasn't long before Tobias took creative license and the results were great. I realized that the artwork took on its own life without me trying to control everything and in time both the game and the art just synced up.

If anything, I think it is the tiny details that gives the art its most charm. There are several hidden Pris Mascotti's about, repeat NPCs, as well as small literary, movie, TV-show references that it brings you into the world. Watch the recent speed video of the Esper Divergent and just see everything that he sneaks in there.

TOBIAS: I honestly feel that the literary, musical and the visual are all forms of art and they are not their own beast. My Mom is music writer and musician, but she is also an artist who does beautiful portraits. Because of that exposure, I began to understand that there are many parallels in creating art whether they be literary, music or visually oriented and when you combine them and design them to work in concert then the result is awesome. A good example of this would be the The Triplets of Belleville or Fantasia movies. This is part of my philosophy when I do illustrations for my clients and partners.

JP: Do you have any potential stretch goals in mind right now, assuming the project funds?

NATHAN: Many Stretch Goals. The way it's designed right now is to release additional content exclusive to backers such as digital wallpapers, free issues of Dead Living Magazine Issue 1 and Issue 2, Mini-adventures to kick the game off, additional equipment, denizens, magical items and even a new divergent that can be played. The goal is to increase the size of the book and the need for art. If there is anything left over we can move it into re-vamping the core-rules or just make some adventures.

JP: Are you guys planning to attend any of the large cons? Where can we try the game?

NATHAN: Cons are expensive, especially when you factor in hotel stay and booth rental. Right now I'm over in Iowa and Tobias is in California. I do plan to attend many conventions this year in the midwest. I've already been to Gamicon in Iowa City. We plan to hit up Demicon, Anime Iowa, Anime Demoi and Midwest ComicCon. Wizard World is coming to Des Moines, IA but I won't be vending but there is still the possibility of attending. I attended 3 cons last year and so we are expanding year by year. I'd love to make it to the other major conventions but that may still be a few years away. In the meantime, I am considering running a few more demos so people can get an idea of the game.

JP: Are you looking for writers? Artists?

NATHAN: Last year it was Tobias and I, and now we have an editor. With Dead Living Magazine we are looking for fan contributors and pending on their work we may commission one or two to start with something small and work their way up. Spooks? is still new to the gaming world and the fan base is increasing at a steady rate. I'm sure with time I won't have the ability to keep up on the demand and we may have to start expanding the family. Keep that list handy, I may be reaching out to you for it sooner than I think.

JP: Links of interest

NATHAN: Spooks Facebook page | Spook Website | Nathan's personal site

TOBIAS: http://tobiasartwork.blogspot.com is my blog and it is hub that links to all my art related web sites and contact information. Also don’t forget to visit the kickstarter!

JP: Parting words?

NATHAN: Selling my work is a very humbling experience. I always get shaky whenever someone pulls out their wallet and asks how much. Crowd funding is not only humbling but it shows that people believe in your word and promises. I find myself both flattered and beside myself whenever a new backer comes in and makes a pledge. I love hearing from people, even after the donation train has left the station. I like knowing the experiences people have with the game, suggestions and reviews. If you ever find yourself with a free moment and you have a few words about the game, don't hesitate to share them. I feel that all critiques, both good and bad, are your way of telling me that you care enough to have an opinion. Thanks for taking the time to learn about our game and don't be a stranger.

TOBIAS: I agree with Nathan, it is a very humbling experience because you have to really put yourself out there and don’t hold back. As an extrovert, I really like engaging people, especially when it is about creative endeavors which is why I love tabletop roleplaying games. Both Nathan and I have a lot of heart, dedication and drive and we want to be a positive influence on the gaming community, but no man is an island and we need all the support we can get, so we in-turn can send that support right back out, I guess you can call it gaming karma.

Interview with Bret Kramer about the Masks Companion Kickstarter

The Masks of Nyarlathotep, hands down the best RPG campaign ever produced, all games together. It has everything: adventure, pulpy goodness, investigation, B&E, death, and a plot to save the world... if you can.

I was lucky enough to be able to run it three times, each with varying results, but each time it was awesome and fun. Brutal, mind-shattering fun. If you have never played it, find yourself a good GM and play it. Pay the Gm if you have to. You will NOT regret it. Each interation was not only better, but also added to my notes, research, side treks, and handouts. The old school atlas (now over 25 years old) still holds most of that, but it is filled to the brim.

I first "met" Bret Kramer back in 2008-09 on Yog-Sothoth.com. At the time he was looking for fellow GMs to create a companion to the Masks of Nyarlathotep. I told him I would be willing to help and provide some material for the book.

We talked a little and I provided him with a small chapter on Hong Kong, focusing on story elements and the history, focusing on things a Keeper can use to drive the action. After all, everyone of my players had gone there looking for [[Something important]]. Never having had the chance to go to Hong Kong (yet), I spent a lot of time reading about it. There is a lot of material available online.

But enough about me, you (and I) want to know about Bret's kickstarter.

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JP Who are you?

BK My name is Bret Kramer. I’m an rpg author and the editor (and sole staff member) for Sentinel Hill Press.

JP How did you get into RPG?

BK Oh man… it must have been 1981 I suppose. My dad picked up a copy of this new game he’d heard a lot about – Dungeons and Dragons, the boxed set with the Sutherland cover. He was gravely disappointed it wasn’t a board game, as he’d assumed, so it set it aside. I was already a fan of the Hobbit (the Rankin Bass one) so it piqued my very young interest. That boxed set vanished off elsewhere so I asked for my own copy, ended up with the Red Box version for Christmas or my birthday in 1982. I’ve been gaming ever since.

JP What is your RPG pedigree?

BK I played at a hobby shop for many years, so I played most of the systems that were out there in from about 1985 to the early 1990s. I’ve always found that a good game master and open-minded group can make most games work. Except TORG, that was rubbish.

Since then I’ve most played Call of Cthulhu, which is where all of my professional work has appeared. My RPG CV is here - Link

I am probably best known for my monograph Machine Tractor Station Kharkov-37, my various Shotgun scenario submissions to the Delta Green Mailing List (Link) and most recently the Arkham Gazette, a magazine all about the Lovecraft Country setting for Call of Cthulhu (Link). And the Masks Companion now, hopefully.

JP What is your favorite RPG?

BK Another fun question… the one I’ve played the most would definitely been Call of Cthulhu. It has that blend of history and adventure, plus I’m very fond of games where the players are fighting at a disadvantage, desperate for any chance of winning, rather than just ceaseless monster-bashing. The real world is a fantastic setting for adventure and you can build whole campaigns out of a strategic visit to the library or a couple web sites.

That said, I definitely have a soft-spot for post-apocalyptic games like Gamma World or the Morrow Project, the old WEG version of Star Wars, and old school AD&D. Oh, and Teenagers from Outer Space – that was a lot of fun.

JP Quite simply: Why did you get into a project like this?

BK In the fall of 2006, if memory serves, Yog-sothoth.com was having a fund-raising auction and I had the idea that perhaps some of the members there might collaborate and produce a monograph, donating the meager payment ($250) to the site to cover some of the costs of operation. I considered a few options, wanting a project that could attract a larger body of contributors but was also amenable to short articles, rather than longer scenarios or the like.

Earlier Paul Maclean of YSDC had put me in touch with David Conyers, as both of us had been working on separate projects providing background material about Jackson Elias, the macguffin NPC of the whole Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign. We had both become too busy to complete that project, but it inspired me to wonder what might we do if we drew from the vast pool of Keeper knowledge in the running of MoN. That was the nucleus of the idea of the Companion – a collection of Keeper tips based on the experience of YSDC members.

One element I wanted to include was something from my own experience running the campaign – when the players got ahold of the Pnakotic Manuscript, they asked what it was about and I had absolutely no idea. At the time I extrapolated a bit from the short note about the tome in the CoC rulebook. I did some digging, first in my personal library, then at some actual libraries, and found out a bit more about the tome, which I feed to my players a bit at a time, seeding some useful clues into the campaign and giving him some reason to keep on reading the book that took many months of study (and was effectively otherwise useless) that they had worked so hard to get hold of.

JP Who else is involved in this project?

BK Our contributors are numerous and unruly… but very greatly appreciated! Matthew Pook, RPG reviewer extraordinaire, served as an editor for the project and sounding board for me, as well as crafting 27 unique pre-generated characters (all laid out by Jon Potter) and notes on how to replace lost investigators in play. Adam Crossingham, of Sixtystone Press, did the book’s entire layout, quite a task considering the length. Our location overview chapters were by Chad Bowser (Cthulhu Invictus and Cthulhu Dark Ages, coming soon) who did Cairo; Anthony Warren wrote both London and Shanghai (and a masterful take on The Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan among others), JP Chapleau (that’s you!) and Hal Eccles combined efforts on Hong Kong. We have stand-alone scenarios from Don Coatar and Matthew Gregory (and Anthony Warren as well!). Hans-Christian Vortisch provided a whole article on the Shanghai Municipal Police… Keeper’s tips and New York encounters from Mike Czaplinski (He Who Laughs Last)… that’s just the longest bunch of articles! We also had art and maps from Steff Worthington, Chris Spatola, Jani Savolainen, a few from David Lee Ingersoll, a cover by Eric Smith… Let’s just say the cost of contributor copies alone was rather steep. I know I’ve left more than a few people out but I don’t want to turn your site into our credits page. For a full list see this link.

It was a real mix of old and new writers, some of whom have gone on to greater things in RPG writings even while the book was in its slow development. I am eternally grateful for their work and support these past seven or so years.

JP The Companion was originally released for free to the crowd on Yog-Sothoth.com. Why should I pay for it now?

BK There is a practical reason and an altruistic reason. The practical reason is that the book has been fine-tuned since the 0.9 release, corrected, revised, and amended. While most of the content appeared in the earlier book, percentage-wise, we’ve still added a little new material to keep the book fresh and fill in some gaps that persisted. The Kickstarter spells out some of these new bits, like additional information on other certain special military units in Shanghai… each international enclave had its own of course… so give that a look to see specifics. This is also your best chance to actually have the book in print!

As for the altruistic reason – the proceeds of the project, after printing costs, Kickstarter costs, fees to Chaosium, etc, will go to the operation of Yog-Sothoth.com. If you find that site to be a resource, as I do, consider backing this project as a way to fund the site in a concrete way. We actually pointed people towards the YSDC donations box when we released the 0.9 version in 2013 when various difficulties made it seem like a regular release was not possible. I won’t say an exact number, but let us say the ration of donations versus the number of downloads would not buy you a postage stamp. The Companion is a tribute to both the storied Masks campaign as well as to the YSDC community so able fostered by Paul Maclean and all of our members. I have no doubt that Call of Cthulhu would not exist today, as robustly, and as multifacetedly, without that community. Please help keep it going.

JP Why Kickstarter?

BK Simply put, the buy in costs of publishing are simply too high for a small press to take on this project. If it was not successful, it would bankrupt them. A kickstarter protects Sixtystone Press while also helping to keep shipping costs relatively low (thanks to having it printed on demand in the US and UK). It also allows flexibility, since we will print based on demand – which has been excitingly high!

JP Why not publish it through Chaosium?

BK Ultimately MoN is Chaosium’s book and we could not do this without their support, for which we are grateful. They are in the midst of releasing 7th edition still and have just wrapped up (hopefully) the release of Horror on the Orient Express 2.0. Their publishing roster is far too full for a project like this and the costs for them of printing at as a monograph (and the reward for us as mentioned above) was less than ideal. We have discussed how some of the material from the Companion might be incorporated into a future revamp of MoN, but at that is for the future. They will receive, as part of our licensing agreement, a limited number of copies of the Companion for sale, of course.

JP Is there a story behind that?

BK None that I want to get into in any detail. Considering that the late lamented Lynn Willis was still an active staff member there when this project started give you an idea of how long this as been in development.

JP What are the main differences between the original version and the kickstarter?

BK Other than a general improvement in layout and correcting all the devilish typos, there will hopefully be an index! Additionally we are a few bit of additional material that will either be included as part of the Companion or in PDF form to backers:
  -  Chapter by chapter clue sheets by G. Roby
  -  An article on the Japanese Rikusentai (equivalent of marines) and an article about the USMC Leathernecks in China, both by Hans-Christian Vortisch
  -  Ben Patey (who did the recent Masks of N. prop kickstarter) will design the dustcovers of Jackson Elias’s books, the hand-outs for the Cat’s Cradle scenario and a bust of Bast. These will be available as separate add-ons.
  -  I will complete my Jackson Elias introductory scenario “The Smoking Heart”, likely as its own PDF.
  -  An information packet on the Dark Mistress, Sir Aubrey Penhew’s yacht
  -  James Haughton, assuming we break a few more stretch goals, will write up an article on Australian science fiction, especially “lost city” mysteries that hint about the dark secrets of the Great Sandy Desert, a full description of the device of rods and wheels, and “The 1922 Relativity Expedition and the 1925 Anti-Relativity Expedition”. (The theory of relativity was proved in 1922 by an international team deep in the Australian desert. In 1925 a group German academics are there to disprove it).
  -  More items are possible, depending on our stretch goals.

JP An important one: how far along are you with the writing/re-writing?

BK Adam Crossingham would know this best, but we are limiting add ons to expedite the release. The text and layout of the main body of the work is already complete, however. Everyone who backs the project at Carlyle Expedition level (£15) and above immediately get a PDF copy of the 0.9 version immediately upon backing, so hopefully 572 pages of content will keep you going for a little while. I know my bonus scenario “The Smoking Heart” was set aside about 2/3 of the way through the writing process, when I received Don Coatar’s exciting “God of Mitnal”. I’ve just started rereading and revising my piece now, but, making some allowances for my other projects, I want to get that ready as soon as possible.

JP Art. A huge part of a project like this... What part does art play into the project?

BK Well, the bulk of our contributors were authors rather than artists, but we do have some original art. As I mentioned above, we have maps from Steff Worthington (and one map from Secrets of Kenya that David Conyers let us reuse). Chris Spatola did NPC portraits and some item illustrations. Each of our chapter headers was created by Jani Savolainen. Eric Smith, who did art for The Express Diaries, created our cover. David Lee Ingersoll provided us a wonderful illustration of Nyarlathotep and permitted us to use a great Yithian piece- oh and Dennis Detwiller allowed us to reprint his illustration Nyarlathotep #2. [I will send you a link to a dropbox with our illustration)

We also certainly were very fortunate to be able to draw upon a lot of fantastic online period photographs, such as the massive collection at the Library of Congress. Such are the advantages of a game set in the real world!

JP Do you have any links for people wanting to know/see more

BK They should definitely have a look at our Kickstater, if they have not yet. Also, please visit Yog-sothoth.com, the web’s premiere site for Call of Cthulhu and Lovecraftian gaming. I have a personal blog (in dire need of an update) at this link as well as a site for my Chaosium licensee Sentinel Hill press at this link. The Arkham Gazette itself, the primary publication of SHP has a G+ and Facebook page as well. Oh and SHP is on twitter too. I’d love some actual human followers there.

JP Will you be making any appearance at major cons to promote the book?

BK Have a lot of familiar obligations that limit my chance to attend cons – hopefully I can get to Necronomicon 2015 and perhaps Origins. Unfortunately I cannot plan anything at this point.

JP Do you have any projects beyond this one in the works?

BK As previously mentioned, I’m the editor of the Arkham Gazette, and we are in the final stages of completing our next issue of that magazine, issue #3 ‘Witches and Witchcraft’. I’m hoping to get a rough draft out to backers soon – see this link for updates. Once that gets a general release, I’ll be moving on to our next issue, the topic of which will be determined by submissions, so long as it is about Lovecraft Country. We have a couple of other projects in development – a sourcebook about New England graveyards would be first – and I have a few other projects I might mention in my blog from time to time, but nothing is set for those, yet.

JP Are you in need of prospective author/artist?

BK Always! I’m very interested in anything for the Lovecraft country setting for the Arkham Gazette, text or art. See here for submission guidelines… those should be updated soon as well. I will post a general solicitation for articles for future issues once we have a draft of issue #3 completed and will definitely let you and your readers know. The only thing we are not in need of is fiction or reviews.

JP How would they get in touch with you?

BK You can contact me at Yog-sothoth.com (I’m WinstonP there), via my blogs, on G+ or Facebook, or email at this link. Or use Send Dreams.

JP Any parting words?

BK I’d like to repeat my profound thanks to everyone who helped make the Companion a reality, from writers and artists, to our editors, proof-readers, etc etc. Please consider joining our Kickstarter to receive an amazing product of the love we have for one campaign (and one website).

Additionally, in our small community, I hope that people find the time to reach out to the creators whose works have entertained or touched them over the years. Since we started the Companion, the Call of Cthulhu community (for example) has lost both Lynn Willis and Keith Herber, which highlights the importance, to me, of making sure to share your appreciation with these people while we still can. No one is doing this to get rich, they are doing it because it brings them happiness. If something someone else has made does that for you, tell them.

Thanks for providing me this venue to talk about the project as well!

---

Wow... I am off to Kickstarter to throw my money at him. I got to have me one of these!

This has funded! So join in for some ASSURE Kickstarter goodness! Your Keeper will reward you for giving this to him... by inflicting insanity and death up on you. And you will love him for it.

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

JP

NPC Card: Interview with Andreas Walters

I first heard of Andreas Walters, was when he invited me to a conversation on Google Plus. I had no idea who he was, so I snooped his profile on GooglePlus to learn more about him. Turns out he is a game designer working on a set of cards.

We talked briefly, starting with me telling him I had no interest in his card game. Yeah I'm as blunt through chat as I am on this blog! But he stopped me by informing me that it was not a card game, but a deck of cards. Chatting some more, he explained more of the project and I my interest rose. Rose enough that I wanted to learn more about it.

And when I learn more, I do an interview! So here goes.

JP - Who are you? AW To put it simply, I'm a lot of people, I’m an analyst, a medieval fighter (SCA), a traceur, a jewelry designer, a philosopher and a game designer. JP - How did you become a gamer? AW Well, this happened when I was in early middle school (maybe earlier) when a group of my friends showed up in a mini-van and told me we were gonna play this cool new game (which they seemed to have some experience playing already). It was D&D 3.0, I got my first character (some level 1 fighter) I really had no idea what was going on, but when we got to combat, I was told I got hit, defiant I argued, "But i have the dodge feat, I dodged!!" (little did I actually know that only gave a +1 dodge to my AC). I’ve learned since then. JP - What is your RPG pedigree? AW When I was in high-school my friend was a fanatic about Star Wars (he still is), and he wanted me to create a 3rd edition D&D hack to fit Star Wars, I guess thats when I really started going into the manipulation of rules and systems. From there I came up with a number of rules for other rules adjustments to streamline the Star Wars Saga Edition (when we found it, as the Use Force skill was waay overpowered). After that, when D&DNext just started development, I started blogging about design ideas to make D&DNext a better, more balanced system, i pretty much was writing a blog in response to every one of @JoshWOTCs tweets. When Monte Cook's Numenera came out, thats when I really started getting into game design and writing my own works/systems. Other systems I've played: Pathfinder, Star Wars Saga Edition, Scion, 13th Age, D&D 3.x/4e/next playtest JP - What is your favorite RPG system of all times? AW Hmm.. of all time....It would really have to depend on my mood, but right now I am a big fan of Monte Cook Games (MCGs) Cypher System. JP - What game system do you currently play? AW Currently, I am playing Numenera (which uses MCGs Cypher System), where I am GMing a play-by-post, and recently my old college friends got back so I'll soon be playing a Star Wars Edge of the Empire campaign which I'm really excited about starting. JP - Why become a game designer? AW Well, I kind of fell into it. When Numenera first released I was a very active member of the community. I got close to several great minded gamers whom i worked with to create a number of 1-3 page PDFs of supplemental information for players. Then once the Numenera 3rd Party Limited License was released, I really wanted to take my own shot at creating a short supplement. At first I thought I was going to just do a short 15 page supplement on poisons (since its a rather unexplained in the Corebook), and well the months passed and it grew to a 104 page supplement, which is offered in PDF and print on DriveThroughRPG. I've always loved manipulating systems (as its partially my job to manipulate data and streamline regulatory systems). JP - I'm not a card man. I loose them all the time, get them out of order, etc. That's really on me. I just hate cards (funny I (try to) play Warmachine...) But, what made you decide "I want to produce a deck of cards"? AW I’ve been itching to do a card project ever since I’ve published my first book. Cards are quick, easy to use and tactile, leaving their use and interpretation easy. Also, the use of cards enable us to focus in on each facet, allowing us to write a meaningful description in addition to showing off the evocative and inspirational art. JP - How did you come up with the idea for this deck? AW So, me and my lead author Andrew were working on an NPC supplement and we were working on a roll table that would be in the back of the book. After doing lots of research on various other NPC generators, we finally pieced together a comprehensive list, but it didn't feel right. Recently I've been trying to find a card project to do, Andrew suggested perhaps the NPC tables, and so I gave it a stab with a mockup and we liked it soo much that we're here with this Kickstarter. JP - Flat-out: Why Kickstarter? AW Well, being perfectly honest, Kickstarter is a nice way to: 1) get money without being tied to an investor that might influence the product 2) get an idea of whether people even want the product at all 3) tap into a community of like-minded people that like to see creative things happen Also, $15k is a lot of money and is no way me or Andrew can rustle up that kind of funds for the project. If we tried spending that money ourselves it would put us in a lot of financial risk, risk that would be a distraction from actually making and delivering a great product. So if it can be funded by people that actually want it, we get the best of both worlds - a product actually gets made for people that actually want it, and we get the freedom to focus on making it the best it can be without having to worry about whether we'll be able to eat next month or lose our homes. JP - This is a pretty ambitious project for your first effort. Why should people back you? AW The project is ambitious, the budget is not as much. Honestly, the total cost doesn't phase me at all. In my prior job, in the city department of transportation, I was an analyst in addition to being a project manager, of which I managed and facilitated several projects with budgets well-over $15k. Why you should back this project? I think we’ve created a great product, that will become even more after this project is funded. It has great art and great writing which all lead to a good inspiration tool for both players and GMs. If you don't like cards, just go with the PDF rewards and get the Reference Booklet (and even upgrade to the print). JP - Who else is working with you on this deck? AW Yes, I'm not the only one going at this project alone, my lead author Andrew Montgomery-Hurrell is assisting me with the writing portions and technical bits of the project (including app specs and website programming). The other member of our team is Eren Arik, who was a classic painter that transitioned to digital paint. I love the work that he does, as he uses his classic painting skills to create imaginative and evocative pieces. JP - What state is the project in write now: the writing, the art? AW Currently the project is in its writing stages. We have most of the facets written out, most of our upcoming work will be writing the short descriptions that accompany each facet. JP - Do you have any other projects you are involved with or have in the works? AW Yes, actually I am currently in the process of releasing three titles for the Numenera Setting. Unfortunately, I can only publicly speak of one of them, which is Naval Supplement, covering the weird and diverse ways you can use vessels in your campaign, including trade goods, navigation, navigation hazards, naval-combat and customizing vessels. JP - Any links for those who want to know more? AW Kickstarter Non-Player Cards KS Website Non-Player Cards Website Twitter @AndreasWalters Google Plus Andreas' Personal G+ Ninth Realm Publishing website JP - Are you looking for some artists? If artist wants to participate in the project, how can they become involved? AW At the moment, we haven't considered adding more artists to the project as we originally wanted to maintain a consistent style throughout the entire deck. That said, we are always looking for artists for to help us with our other publishing efforts. JP - Are you looking for additional editors/ writers/ designers/ etc? AW For this project as a measurement of quality control we want to keep the team small, however, as I said earlier if you really want to be apart of the project or help out with this, or my other publishing projects shoot me a message. JP - Final words? AW First off thank you for the interview. Also, I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for Monte Cook for creating the Numenera setting and the Cypher System which got me into creating in the first place. So if you haven't played Numenera, I highly suggest you check it out, its a great community and a great game. If you can support our project, I would be more than appreciative. This is an awesome product that we’re creating, but we need your help to make it happen. Thank you.

[Interview] David Silver about Ponyfinder's latest Kickstarter

For my 100th post of 2014, I thought "Happy Thoughts" and Ponies make me think of happy things. Then of little girls screaming and squealing in delight...

Ponyfinder was a surprise delight for me. I really did not expect to like it. I am not sure whether I wanted to help on my own or if I was asked to do it (I was asked and waited to come back from my trip to Montreal before doing anything about it). I wanted to know more about the man, the project and this new kickstarter. And being a charitable person, I had a short interview with him and I'm posting it here for you!

I'm talking about the man in charge of Ponyfinder and the mastermind behind Silver Games LLC: David Silver (DS).

JP - How did you start playing RPGs? DS My first taste of D&D was at the hands of a man that offered no advice. I left the experience confused and bewildered, but proceeded to go home and tell my friends about this thing. We went on to do cooperative storytelling for months, since I had no idea what the rules were and had no funny dice. Eventually I got AD&D 2nd edition and we started playing that, and I haven't stopped roleplaying since then. JP - What is your RPG pedigree? DS I'm about as indie as they come. I've designed online roleplaying games for over ten years, but never made an actual roleplaying book until just before the first Ponyfinder Kickstarter, when I made the race guide to ponies(Ponies for Pathfinder), which was later expanded into the Ponyfinder Campaign Setting that people are enjoying. I'm only starting to meet the 'big names' right about now, as I press further with my desire to keep on creating. JP - What would you say is your favorite RPG system of all time? DS Different systems work for different things! I admit that I tend to like crunchy numbers. I think it's the programmer in me, but I like watching those gears spinning around, and designing things to fit in the existing machine without breaking it appeals to me. JP - What draws you to Pathfinder over other games? DS Ponyfinder is a happy fit of luck and timing. I saw the joke version of it on the web long long ago, then got into Pathfinder organized play (Pathfinder Society). The organized play got me playing Pathfinder quite a bit, as it was a very fun format to bring a character from GM to GM. JP - Ponyfinder is a 122 page book, quite an undertaking. What got you to decide to write? DS Related to above. When I tripped over the joke Ponyfinder again, I thought I could do better, so I made Ponies for Pathfinder over a week or so and published it for all to see. The response was very positive, even to the point when I asked if they were willing to pay for a more polished book. I put their words to the test when I started a Kickstarter and they came through. We blew apart every stretch goal we could dream up and Ponyfinder was eventually born of it. It was an amazing experience. JP - Why Ponies? My little girls love 'em... but grown and aging men? DS Why dwarves, halflings, or elves? Tolkein's had a stranglehold on our fantasy for too long. I like interesting species choices, and the classic ones are getting a little dry. Making some races that had distinctly different anatomy and way of approaching life is great fun to write about and to play. The ponies as presented in Ponyfinder all have goals and ambitions that I try to make consistent with the world and 'realistic' as far as that world goes with brightly colored equines. They are not all nice people, and they don't live in a sunshine world of luxury. JP - The Ponyfinder book introduces us to the Everglow setting. Can you tell my readers about it? DS Everglow is a world parked right between the elemental planes. It's soaked in their clashing magic, which has given rise to elementally charged races, with flying horses, dogs that are on fire, and even races made of gems. The ponies were the last species to appear, but took the world by storm with their extreme variety(sea horses, gem, doppelgangers, unicorns, pegasi, bats, desert, ghost, and more) and their eventual cohesion. While their empire persisted, they were a powerful force of law and order, providing the framework for the world to function peacefully, mostly... JP - One of the things I really liked about it was that you presented the timeline of the setting. Not only that, but you provided some hints, story ideas, factions for the era, in short you provided three settings in one. That I must say was quite ingenious. I think I may steal the idea in future products of my own. How did that idea come about? DS When I wrote the original Ponies for Pathfinder, it was assumed the ponies were not in charge, and hints were given that they used to have an empire worth talking about, but it fell apart. We didn't want to abandon the roots, so we had to address that point in time, but we also wanted to touch on the empire itself. I decided to go with three major points, before the empire, during, and after, and let the GM decide where along the timeline they want to run any given game. We don't mind which you pick, and not much changes mechanically, but it changes the flavor of the world dramatically from wild west to high court shenanigans, or post apocalyptic survival, all on the same world. JP - Other than the obvious presence of ponies, what at the most unique elements of Everglow? DS There are a lot of four-legged races, ponies aside. It's also the easiest setting ever to throw in elemental tomfoolery. It's not unusual for the border between 'here' and 'there' to thin out, causing a place to start manifesting properties of an elemental plane, causing trouble, or opportunity, for the players. We tried to add interesting character creation options in the form of feats, traits, spells, class archetypes, and such that you can use even if you don't set it on Everglow or play a pony at all. JP - Who are the main bad guys? DS That's a tough one! Most settings don't have a baked in nemesis for all that is good and just. We have some evil gods to worry about, but even they have their purposes, and are acknowledged by polite folk, rather than being banned. There is no good in war, so their war god is evil, and they accept that if one accepts the idea that killing a field of soldiers is probably not a 'good' thing to do, even if sometimes justified. We expect storytellers to come up with more specific bad guys for their specific stories. Our first level adventurer has a gem gnoll that's quite a baddie. Every party I've run the scenario for has taken glee in putting him in his place. JP - Quite simply: Why Kickstarter? DS Kickstarter is an amazing tool that not only gets me the funding to pay artists, layout, and editing to make the book look right, but also connects me to the fanbase to share ideas with them. People love seeing their ideas come to life, and it was a blast working in their characters, towns, and even races into the campaign book the first time through. Kickstarter allows Ponyfinder to be a true product of the community. JP - What does the griffon add to the setting? DS Griffons are present in the campaign book as a racial option, but it's not very generous in details about them. The griffon book (Who's Kickstarter is going on right now!) dives into details. We'll reveal where their towns and cities are up in the mountains most ponies don't intrude upon. We'll give them specific class archetypes to do things 'the griffon way', and delve into their way of life and thinking. It will be an excellent tool for roleplaying a griffon, as well as a helpful guide for GMs who may wish to use griffons as aids or antagonists for the player. They have the potential to be amazing heroes or incredibly troublesome villains. JP - Why griffons instead of any one of the other races? DS In staying with our community driven ways, we ran a poll with all the non-pony Everglow races, and griffons came out on top. JP - This kickstarter should be funded. How far advanced are you in the writing of it? DS I have a basic timeline written out with events, one unique griffon goddess, and the griffon outlook for every class in the book. We also have some griffon racial types, allowing you to shuffle your stats a little if you prefer to play a clever raven-headed griffon or a pious pidgeon. When we hit our twelve thousand mark, we're going to be expanding on those options a lot. While they all look about the same to untrained eyes, the griffons have their own variance to compete with the ponies. We're looking forward to the next stretch goal at ten thousand, less than five hundred away, which will allow us to bring on Hugo Solis, an artist who has worked with Paizo in the past, to do up some amazing pieces for inclusion in the book. Just about every stretch goal makes the book better. I set the funding goal just as Kickstarter suggested, at the minimum amount needed to do the project. With each goal we bust through, the book will be that much better in the end. JP - Who is your team on this new book? DS Our artists, Sita Duncan and Tama'at Studios returns. My right-hand editor Anthony Mckaskle is ready for action, and we have a new marketing /PR consultant, Kyle Elliott. I'll be writing and keeping things moving. Lastly, we have an actual module for levels 1-3 being cooked up by William Kreber(the fellow who did Tower of Misery) and Michael Azzolino. JP - Do you have any plans for a campaign? DS Oops, just touched on that above. We have aspirations to do an adventure path type thing, starting with the first module I hinted at above. We're using some of the funds raised in the Kickstarter to cover art and editing on it, and look forward to releasing it when it's done. JP - What about an organized play campaign? DS I would love to see this! But I think we need a lot more content and a more steady stream to support such an endeavor. JP - Are you planning to attend any major cons in the coming year? DS My con list for the year: Everfree Northwest, Brony Fan Fair, and Nightmare Nights I only got my first taste of vendoring at a con early this year, and it was far too late to try to squeeze in one of those big ones. Maybe next year? Time will tell! JP - Any there any important links where people can go to learn more about Ponies/ Silver Games/ the Kickstarter? Twitter: @silvergamesllc Facebook: Pathfinder Ponies Our forums: forum.ponyfinder.net/ The Kickstarter: griffon.ponyfinder.net JP - Are you looking for writers/ editors/ gms? DSGMs are a precious commodity. If you like running games, you should set up some on our forum at http://forum.ponyfinder.net/ where you will find players waiting to play! JP - Do you have any non-pony projects in the works that you can talk about? DS Not at the moment. Ponyfinder is consuming my life! JP - Any final word? DS Thanks for the interview! I hope this was as fun to read as it was to type and if you haven't already, fly on over to griffon.ponyfinder.net and support the book. We can't wait to write with you!

If you can participate, I encourage you to check out the Kickstarter. Learn more about it for yourself. I know that talking with David, his enthusiasm about this project is quite contagious.

A lot of good stuff in there... And a few surprises if you read through everything...

JP

D12 OGL: An interview with Erik Evjen on Sword Land RPG

Many things have change in my life since I started writing this blog to talk about my personal passion: RPGs and Miniatures. Over the years since, I have met a number of colorful characters (LPJ, Venus DC, Joanna A, Tim Brown *giggle*, Peter B to name but a few I've worked with on this blog). Many of them I've known about or heard from people I knew with a "do you know?"

Then there are the oddballs. One day I receive a facebook friend invite from this guy called "Erik Evjen". Seeing that he was friends with other people I knew, I accepted the offer. I mean perhaps he was a NeoExodus fan or an interested party. After I accepted, I thought no more of it.

A few days later, guess who pops up in my Facebook chat? Erik! We get to talking and he tells me about his game called Sword Land RPG. I'll admit being mildly interested. Nothing against his game, but I just have a finite amount of time to play. Maybe I'll get to play the game sometime in the future at a con. But then we talk some more about (well he talks more) and my interest is suddently peaked. Notion of "OGL" and "d12" brought my attention away from the TV to the conversation.

I had to interview this guy and know more about it. And what better way to make that happen than to write a blogpost about the game!

JP: Who are you? Eric Evjen: I am Erik Evjen, the creator of Sword Land RPG. I was born and raised in Great Falls, Montana. Currently I am the President of the Sandbaggers Game Club in Great Falls, which happens to be the longest lived social gaming club in the continental United States. Along with running the club, I spend time working with the Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous as their RPG and Schedule Manger, which I've had a blast doing so. I also work for AetherCon Online RPG Convention as their Fest Hall Coordinator. Aside from helping run social clubs and conventions, I freelance for Ophelia's Workshop of Roleplaying Specialties. They will have a future release that I have worked on, with hopefully more to come. As far as other concerns, I recently received an Associates of Arts degree in May and intend to finish an Associates of Science as well. JP: How did you get into RPGs? EE: Well, I first dabbled with RPGs when I first became acquainted with the internet back in 2000 or so. Of course, those were the days of those old Play by Post Forum boards that you'd usually find power players with Level 99 Half Goblin/Half Elf/Half Dwarf/Half Vampire characters after their first post. As I couldn't really find anyone that was interested in the more traditional role-playing that I was looking for, I eventually quit playing in those forums. I didn't really dabble in RPGs much until after High School, though during my middle school years I'd often see a copy of the d20 SRD in my local book store. I'd always read through it and think that it would be so cool to write my own game - as such, I found it ironic I eventually ended up doing so. I never did end up buying that book, but I wish I did. My first formal time playing a tabletop RPG was in 2008, after I had found out that two good friends of mine from High School were also interested. After somewhat cursing the fact we didn't get around to it sooner, we went and picked up the 4th edition of the World's Greatest Roleplaying Game that same day. It was decided I was to be the Game Master due to the other two being more interested in just playing - and we decided to start playing the very next day. It was probably one of the longest nights of my life trying to make sense of those three books, but I'm extremely glad I ended up doing so. We started playing with the module that came with the rulebooks. In the middle of the first session, however, I found that I was more inclined to just start building the game world from scratch. After a quick talk with my two players, I set the module aside and started building what eventually became the Iellos setting. JP: What game would you say is your favorite? EE: I've played all sorts of systems in the 5 years since I first started playing tabletop RPGs, so picking out a personal favorite is tough. However, I find Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game to be the one game I prefer running when I'm not playtesting the SLRPG rules. Chris Gonnerman and his helpers did a great job of modernizing the 1st edition of the World's Greatest Roleplaying Game, and I find it especially easy to run when I'm teaching newer players how to roleplay. I'd highly recommend that system for those wanting a simple yet exciting game. JP: If you could only pick one D&D setting, which one would it be? EE: I've always loved the Dragonlance setting, just because of the sheer depth of lore that it contained. It held a grand element of romanticism and epic fantasy, and that flavor seemed to fit the tone of the game more so than the other released settings. It maintained d a balance of the traditional "Good verses Evil" feel, yet had it's own intricacies concerning morality and made for a great read without being a generic Tolkien-esque setting. Despite my love for Dragonlance, though, I still can't find it in me to allow the Kender to be ran at my table. JP: Most influential non-gaming inspiration for you? EE: One of my favorite movie trilogies would have to be the Dollars trilogy (Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly). That and along with other excellent traditional and "spaghetti" westerns (Django, SHANE, Pale Rider, Last of the Mohicans, The Searchers) definitely flavored my writing a bit towards that style of "unsaid" coolness. Other than that, of course I would have to mention the original Star Wars trilogy (A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) as being one of my biggest inspirations into getting into such a creative business. As a kid I spent countless hours wondering what it would be like to be able to create such interesting stories like that saga, and in some way I'm pleased as punch to be able to work on such things now. Also, I'm a bit of an anime nerd, so I find inspiration all across the spectrum. JP: Tell us about IGRE publishing. Who is behind the imprint? EE: IGRE Publishing is going to be a brand new Role-Playing Game and Fiction publisher, and will be incorporated either by the end of this year or the first quarter of 2014. The IGRE acronym stands for Interesting Game Rules and Entertainment. IGRE was primarily planned as the publisher for Sword Land RPG, but we have plans and ambitions for more products once SLRPG is out the door. Currently, IGRE is comprised of myself as the main writer and editor. We also have Saph-Y, who is a freelance artist and the main illustrator on the SLRPG project, and Triton, who is also a freelance artist working on the SLRPG. We're a comparatively tiny outfit, but intend to expand rather soon. JP: What - if any - other products or setting are they working on? EE: I'm glad you asked! Once the Sword Land RPG Core Rulebook has been released, we will be quickly putting out the SLRPG Bestiary to follow suit. In the same time frame we're planning on releasing the "Haunting in Glimmerpoint" Adventure Module, which is the same module I've currently been playtesting the SLRPG system with at our convention appearances. After those have been released, we are looking at putting out the Iellos Campaign Setting (the default setting for SLRPG), along with the "Expanded Armory" (a guide of magic items and new weapons), and an expanded rulebook for the Mass Combat system in SLRPG. There will be more RPG books to come, but those plans will be revealed at a later point. There has been some talk between me and Saph-Y about an idea called "Sword" Magazine, which would essentially be a small monthly/bi-monthly e-magazine that would feature new art, dungeon maps, NPCs, monsters, and magic items. It would attempt to keep new content generated between major book releases, though I'm still looking into the feasibility of that project with the current current lineup. Along with RPG rulebooks and modules, I would like to start a fiction novel line based within the Iellos setting. There is a strong possibility that we will attempt to publish "Replays" as well - which are essentially a dramatized retelling of the events of a campaign in a script format. It is a style of writing that has it's origins in the Japan role-playing scene, but if it is possible I would like to see if such a style may find traction in the States and elsewhere. Finally, at some point far down the line I would like to release another game system I've been toying around with named Itty Bitty Quest - but as of now our main focus is on the Sword Land RPG system. JP: Why make your own imprint rather than work with an establish publisher? EE: There was such a diverse amount of material created for the Iellos setting and for the SLRPG system that it seemed prudent to release them on my own time. I do not fear established publishers, as I do freelance work for other publishers when requested and actively work with them on a regular basis on the convention circuit. However, I wanted to have a imprint that would allow me and the team I've put together to create the SLRPG system and its' settings the way I envisioned them, and figured that it made the most sense to start anew. JP: How/why did Sword Land come about? EE: I started working on writing RPG material during 2008, when I first started as a Game Master for my original game group. Of course, at the time I was writing the RPG material for the Iellos setting as a hobby, as I didn't expect that it would become as popular as it did. Beforehand, I was writing sci-fi stories as my main creative outlet. My original game group took a yearlong break between 2008 and 2009 due to work and other life issues, but I was essentially hooked by the unlimited potential that was the tabletop RPG. It quickly became my main creative outlet at that point, and I began revising the original setting material and story lines for the time we started playing again. By 2010 we were actively playing again, and that work I had done in the break had paid off. The world of Iellos is a very expansive place, and the campaigns within it had a life to them, as I tended to run games with a bit of a dramatic flair to them. This definitely pleased the players at the table, but I was still only pursuing it as a hobby at the time. Due to the amount of story content we had generated within the setting I began posting up transcripts of our game sessions online - and those quickly became more popular then I had possibly imagined. People were actively reading what little I had posted and loved characters such as Fiva the Ranger or K'Rena the Rogue, but I still hadn't considered attempting to write RPG material professionally. That changed after I had commissioned an artwork of K'Rena during 2012, as one person who had commented on the art stated "If I was to play RPGs, I would want to play her! This is the type of character I would like to run!". It was at that point I realized that the setting and its' contents were appealing to a good number of people, and I began writing with an intent to publish at that point. At first I was intent on first releasing the Iellos setting as a whole campaign setting book in its' own, and began expanding the fluff for the setting past the point I had originally intended. I took this early draft to the RPG Writer's Workshop at the Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous 2012, where at that point I had several big names look over the material. In particular, I had John Goff (Deadlands Noir), Jay Peters (Third Eye Games), and CJ Ruby (4 Winds Fantasy Gaming) look at the material - it was a great experience, as even though I did not win the Workshop at that event I came out of the room with dozens of ideas to improve. It first crossed my mind to focus on writing a game system instead of a setting during that time frame - I was regularly running games for the Sandbaggers Game Club, where I was frequently finding new players that were discouraged due to the complexity of the majority of RPG games currently out there. People were leaving my game tables due to the fact they did not enjoy the published RPGs I was running, and it became apparent to me that there was worth to the idea of writing a "simple" game system. At first I was working on "Itty Bitty Quest", which was a D4 dice-pool game, but by December 2012 I had come up with the initial germ of an idea that evolved into Sword Land RPG. I shelved ITQ almost immediately as I was finding much more of a spark designing and writing a D12 system, and I shifted all of my RPG writing to focus solely on SLRPG at that point. It has almost been a year since I originally began writing for Sword Land RPG, and I'm quite glad with the progress that the artists and I have made with the project. It seems that so far I've somewhat succeeded with the original goal of a "simple" system, but I'm leaving that for time to determine. JP: D12? with the OGL? You have to tell me how that came to be. EE: The main reason I decided to go with D12s for SLRPG was due to the fact so many other excellent systems exist for other dice combinations. D20 is the homeland of D&D and Pathfinder, of course, and I had no desire to attempt to compete against those giants. D6 has the likes of Dragon Age RPG and Shadowrun, and D10/DPercentile have games like Anima and RIFTS. Rather than get caught in a trap trying inventing a better mouse trap, I figured it was best to build a system around dice that were not commonly used. My first attempts ended up with a game called "Itty Bitty Quest" that used the D4, of course being the smallest dice in the standard polyhedral set. ITQ was shelved relatively quickly as I came across some elements that required a heavy revision of the rules that had been already established, and multiple ideas that were intended for Itty Bitty Quest instead found their way into Sword Land RPG. At some point I'd like to revisit the IBQ game, but for now Sword Land is my priority. The main reason for staying with the OGL was to cover our bases legally, and still be able to use several common themes and terms. We can use the terms like "Armor Class" or "Hit Points" without finding a Cease and Desist Order at my mailbox, which as you can expect is a very good thing. JP: In our conversation, you mentioned the character creation was unique and fast, please elaborate on this. I'm curious to know how you replaced feats and skills with "abilities". EE: Character Creation was designed the old fashioned way - there's no need for a overly complicated character sheet, as a single sheet of paper will work. Stats are rolled up with the D12s in a multitude of ways (along with a Point Buy method), the race and the class of the Player Character are picked, and then the "Abilities" and equipment of the character are picked out. In all, the process takes about 5-10 minutes for an experienced player, and along the lines of up to 30 minutes for a beginner. The intention was that there would be no need to spend countless hours trying to create a character - after a few choices and ability scores are determined, you are ready to play. The Abilities are a big game changer - Skills and Feats as written in the SRD do not exist in the SLRPG rules due to the focus on a smaller cap on DCs (Difficulty Checks) and Armor Classes. The intended cap is 20, though it may change later on. For almost all checks, only the Ability Score Modifiers are added in to the roll. However, Abilities can change the results of those roles. The Abilities are separated into 2 categories - General Abilities, and Combat Abilities. General Abilities encompass things that are either biologically or skill-based activities and functions, and are always active. For example of a Racial General Ability, "Wood Elven Stomach" will allow a Wood Elf to eat greens (such as leaves and other plants) and receive a full day's worth of nutrition from them - where as a human or other race would find them inedible. For a Skill-Based Ability, something like the standard "Move Silent" or Hide" will grant a permanent +3 bonus to a character's roll when they are attempting such actions - which is a huge bonus in the game mechanics. If you have the General Ability, your character is essentially concerned an expert concerning the skill in question - though you stand a decent chance of still being able to pass any check without it. I was trying to avoid the pitfall of ever ascending DCs with the system, and this mechanic works in that regard. Combat Abilities fundamentally change how your character operates in combat - of which there are multiple examples. There are things like "Cleave", "Extra Attack" and such that allow your character to potentially attempt to attack more enemies in combat. There are also Abilities such as "Block", "Parry" and "Counterattack" that allow you to interrupt enemy attacks and prevent damage done to you - essentially giving you an attack roll to cancel out the enemy's hit. Finally, there are other Abilities that increase the range of a ranged character's zone of opportunity (changing the range from melee to a straight line the length of the weapons' distance, all the way to eventually covering everything in front of the PC), amount of HP, magic usage, and other such. Essentially, the Abilities are "perks" that make your character more efficient at certain tasks. You'll always receive one of each (General and Combat) on every even level up, and some classes will grant more. Of course, another fundamental change is that you are not limited to receiving Abilities from Level Ups, as they are also able to be granted and used as "treasure" in a way after accomplishing quests. In that way, PCs who are more adventurous and willing to be trained or taught tasks can pick those tasks up as Abilities after the quest or training session.

Interview with Venus De Coy about Kronea, Part 2

This is the second part of my interview with Venus. You can catch up with the rest of the interview by reading Part 1.

Let's get back to it...

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JP: What other product can we expect to see for Kronea in the near future?

VDC CLOCKWORK AIRSHIP DRAGONS!!

No seriously, we do have some awesome things coming up:

In September, we are going to begin production on our next two source books coming out in Jan/Feb 2014, "Orsi: The Realm of Magic" and Saraset: "The Noble State of Faith". Also, we will be finalizing production on some adventures that will also be coming out in Jan/Feb: "The Vaults of Grand Saraset" and "A Night To Remember". You may have heard of these projects if you follow our company regularly, and we have been tabling them, as the campaign setting took precedence. Now with some proper foundations being laid, we can proceed again with more adventure developing!

In September, we also begin production on our first ever Adventure Path: The Dragons Amongst Us. Unlike Paizo and other publishers which has two AP's in one year, this AP will be released over the next year, with a book releasing every two months instead of monthly. We want to take our time and build a story our fans are going love, and so this project is one of our ongoing ones that we look forward to developing and sharing with you.

In October, we are releasing "Revolutionary Extraction" which is a political intrigue adventure that has been chilling in our vaults in my office. I have been channeling my inner Shadowrun for this adventure, so I look forward to sharing it finally. We also plan on updating and re-designing our Campaign Setting: Kronea, The Island of Possibilities which is going to be re-launched in October. Those of you whom have already bought it, will receive the upgrade! Those of you whom have not yet, might want to before we raise the price!!

Our big final project for the year is "Gods and Guilds" which will be launching in November in time for Christmas. It wil also be our first "Print-On-Demand" product which I am excited to finally be moving into. Gods and Guilds, is sort of my tribute to "Cults of Glorantha" which is from the RuneQuest RPG System. The book, was a Christmas gift from Will Johnson who is also (unofficially) part of my "Evil Wizards Team". The RPG source book, inspired me to write Gods and Guilds long before I even wrote Kronea! I am a huge fan of mythology, deities and the philosophies that ties them so it's been one of those serious labor of love projects of mine. But I wanted to do it right, so I am channeling my inner "Paizo Publishing Goodness" on the design and look of the book, which is what is taking so darn long.

In December.. I will be sleeping in. No seriously, that's my personal hibernation month as there are no conventions to plan or organize, and by then, I will have already sent out the 2014 Assignments to my writers and "Evil Wizards".

JP: I worked on the religions - something close to my heart. Can you share some insight as to the Kronean Pantheon?

VDC There are 13 main well-known and worshiped deities in the Kronean Pantheon. Being a Greek Goddess in name, I liked the Greek format of the deities all being housed in one place and having a hierarchy of their own. All 13 will be featured in Gods and Guilds. The original Pantheon was actually 30 deities, but the ones that didn't make the original cut, I will do something else with them in 2014

JP: Tell us about the secret societies?

VDC There are 10 guilds or “secret societies” that are in Kronea. Because they are a secret, that’s all you are getting about them, as you will have to buy Gods and Guilds when it comes out. ;)

JP: Are there any memorable NPCs?

VDC There is a bunch of memorable NPC’s that are coming to the Kronea Campaign Setting. But not to give it all away, keep your eyes out for the following names: Xenos Manchester, Violet Alesca, Meriheather Sampook, James, The Duke of Saraset and Princess Nerissa of Orsi.

JP: Can we expect Kronea-based adventures at some of the larger cons in the coming future?

VDC YES. Oh by goodness YES.

So, here on the West Coast, we have some amazing conventions! My thing, is that I want to show love to big conventions and little ones as well. So my convention tour next year will showcase a lot of works either completed or in progress depending on what the convention is looking for.

Also, with an amazing team of writers who want to show off their work, they are going to take their work to their local conventions as well. So I have a feeling, I’ll be in need to create a “prize support” form of my own in the near future. Concerning like mega conventions, I do have plans to showcase at PaizoCon next year. As for GenCon, I am not foreseeing myself going out there unless somehow $2,000 magically appeared in my bank account for a trip. (Even then, I would spend it on buying a new computer for the company.) But if any writers go and run company games there, be assured, I plan on sending Prize Support their way.

Also, we may or may not be doing a Free RPG Day book next year. Because hey, I am a huge fan of it, so it fits that Kronea will be a part of it!

JP: Going forward, do you see yourself handling a meta-plot, moving time forward in the setting?

VDC I don’t know about a Meta-Plot outside of our Adventure Paths, ask me again in a year. :D

Concerning an Organized Play program, I don’t know about that either. The thing with Organized Play, is that right now, D&D LFR/Encounters and Pathfinder Society are just eating the market share up. It’s hard for me to justify a full-fledged OP program at this bit in time. If I were to do anything like it, I would create some “pickup scenarios” which would be similar to PFS Scenarios where a players can have a set of pregens, and run a short game within 4-6 hours. This would allow players an in to the campaign setting on an easy and fun format.

JP: Now that you have gone through the process, do you have any advice to give the many aspiring writers out there?

VDC As a writer/publisher, I have learned a lot. But these three things are the most important I've learned:
- Stop talking about writing and write already. You have a deadline to make!
- Constantly communicate with your point of contact for your projects. I hate dead air, so does many bosses. Share with us what is going on, and we can work with you. Don’t communicate with us, then don’t get mad if we come back with a whole list of edits. Or worse, don’t pay you.
- Don’t take things personally. And if you have a habit of doing that, don’t fight back unless you have serious grounds to. Many times, publishers do not want to hear you cry and moan about something being cut back or needing to be changed. You have to understand, that we have to have a different view about your writing in order to sell the product. We wouldn’t hire you, if we didn’t like your work, so don’t get all hurt if we ask for a re-do, edit, or tell you we are cutting some stuff out. You are welcome to ask why and how to improve, but after that let it go. Be grateful, there are many writers out there that want your spot and we will give it to them if you are going to always fight with us. I have seen others do it with terrible consequences, and I did it when I started out as a writer which caused a perma-no work from a company that I love, despite having a great personal relationship with their owners. Trust me, it’s a lesson I will never forget.

JP: Are you looking for writers?

VDC I am a publisher. I am always looking for writers. :D

More specifically, I am looking now for a new Rules/Story Editor. Preferably both in one shell would be nice. I need someone who can make sure that Pathfinder Mechanics are being followed correctly so I don’t have to make pages of errata sheets, but at the same time, they have to be into what I like to call “fluff editing”. Where they will primarily be making sure we keep campaign setting continuity and be the one who cracks the whips on my writers and even my Evil Wizard team if they are acting up.

Writers-wise, I am looking for adventure writers on a full time basis. I have a note book full of ideas for adventures, but could use some adventure writers to help make them awesome realities. Concerning building our campaign setting, I am good right now in this department with my team of you, Brian Darnell, Erik Evjen, Nicholas Milasich and Ryan Costello Jr. But I am open to any other writers who can contribute to the Kronean Canon as well.

I also, starting in 2014, would like to work with more female writers. Being a lady gamer/writer/publisher I can understand the many obstacles women have in male-dominated community. While I am not sitting here proclaiming any position on the women writers vs. gaming industry topic, I do know that women have huge roles to play in not only the growth in Pathfinder, but for the growth in all RPG's in general. I want to where I can assist in that growth for women.

JP: Do you plan on including material from other third-party publishers in future publications?

VDC I would love to include more 3rd Party Materials. I am a huge fan of Raging Swan Press, Kobold Press, Frog God Games, and Jon Brazer Enterprizes. Neo-Exodus is also a favorite of mine, but I am not sure yet how to incorporate their world and works into Kronea just yet, but I do plan on spending more time this fall/winter researching and finding a way. I also would love to tap into Fire Mountain Games and their "Evil Campaign" for Kronea to stop being such a Neutral Good aligned writer and campaign setting.

JP: Why did you wait after Gencon to release Kronea?

VDC Because quite frankly, I move to the beat of my own drum. I run my company on my own terms. Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking GenCon, PaizoCon, or any other big trade show. But I have a full-time life outside of Pathfinder and that always takes precedence. Many of my writing/development team is in the same boat as well. I have teachers, photographers, accountants, IT specialists, social workers, and graphic design artists on my team and in my creative circle. I respect their time, just as much as they do my own. In the past, when I rush products and publications, I paid the price for them in bad reviews and bad sales. But if I take my time, and not get all "rushed" to be at a trade-show event, the quality is far better and customers deserve a good quality product.

Does that mean that one day I don't want to be at PaizoCon or GenCon? HECK NO! I totally want to go and be where all the action is. But for now, I want to focus on having great original products and that is my #1 Mission right now.

JP: If someone wants to know more, do you have any on-line resources for them?

VDC I have our main website and Facebook. You can purchase the book at DriveThruRPG.com on Monday! We also plan on opening up a Wiki for Kronea, for those who are looking to better get into the campaign setting and as an online quick reference. But that's something I have to talk to our tech team about sometime soon..

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Comes Monday, Buy Kronea at Drive-Thru RPG