After some labor-intensive hours, Behind the Spells: Cone of Cold is finally out for your enjoyment: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=6348
Now I can prepare to finish the Forgotten Realms module for tomorrow. The githyanki invasion has begun and the rift from the Vast Swamp into the Astral Plane must be sealed. The PCs have just boarded a flying githyanki assault fortress and must bring the structure down. To do this, the controlling mechanism must be destroyed (a special illithid skull). With some party members already serious wounded (I think, it's been awhile), the rest of the adventure could prove interesting!
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
New Reviews
Two new Behind the Spells reviews have surfaced. Check out magic missile here: http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=review&reviewid=2870394 and Wish & Limited Wish here: http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=review&reviewid=2875584 I'm pleased to see that the Wish edition is getting good reviews. With it being such a controversial spell, I was hesitant to write it so early in the series. Guess my instincts about what to do with it were sound.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Jury Duty
I received a summons around Christmas for possible Jury Duty tomorrow. I capitalize it because it's Scary! :) Never been through it; don't particularly want to. Yeah, yeah, it's my privilege as a citizen. Well, if it's a privilege, why is it called "duty?" In a stroke of good luck, one of many it seems this week, no jurors are to report Wednesday. I'm saved!
Now I can really focus on BtS: Cone of Cold. I'd like to come up with a backstory which doesn't involve arctic tundras. After all, this spell summons damaging cold, not damaging snow and ice which I believe is often mentally associated with it. With any luck, I can finish it tomorrow night. For tonight, we're gaming! A weeknight game is a rarity, to be sure, not known since my high school days I'd wager. My cleric of Chauntea is ready to do battle against evil!
Now I can really focus on BtS: Cone of Cold. I'd like to come up with a backstory which doesn't involve arctic tundras. After all, this spell summons damaging cold, not damaging snow and ice which I believe is often mentally associated with it. With any luck, I can finish it tomorrow night. For tonight, we're gaming! A weeknight game is a rarity, to be sure, not known since my high school days I'd wager. My cleric of Chauntea is ready to do battle against evil!
Monday, January 23, 2006
Vote For Me!
I saw a link to the Weird GameWyrd Awards and decided to see what's being nominated for 2005. Much to my surprise, I am!! I'm in great company and am quite honored to be nominated for "Author Most Likely to be a Caffeine Powered Robot". Obviously, someone's been paying attention to the constant stream of Behind the Spells releases.
You'll have to create a login name to vote but I'd greatly appreciate it: http://www.gamewyrd.com/awards/wgwa2005.php
You'll have to create a login name to vote but I'd greatly appreciate it: http://www.gamewyrd.com/awards/wgwa2005.php
Geek Paradise
Alright, what fan would not give his kidneys to have one of these rooms in their home?! http://www.reighn.com/theaterphoto.html
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Reading, Writing, & Arithmetic
There are few novels from the TSR* era which can be termed "classic" in respect to literature as a whole. But in terms of TSR-only novels, there are a few which really are good reads. Not terribly long ago I re-read the Chronicles and Legends trilogy for the Dragonlance setting. The difference was that I was rediscovering them through the Annotated versions now on the market. If you liked these trilogies, do yourself a favor and pick up the Annotated versions. I don't know about you but I love behind the scenes information and these come packed with just that.
Last night I finished Azure Bonds from 1988 which takes place in the Forgotten Realms setting. It really is just as good as I remember. Grubb and Novak spin a good mystery even if the ending seemed a bit quick for my tastes. For an early Realms novel, it does a good job of introducing new readers to the setting by mentioning a lot of geography and cultures through its 370+ pages. This novel was a standalone until TSR decided to do all books as a trilogy. The next two were not bad, as I recall, but I don't remember the fun involved as I recall having with the first before re-reading it.
I'll likely visit one or two of the early Harpers series and The Crystal Shard before too long just for the heck of it. It's interesting to see if these books still hold the same enjoyment after 15+ years; or am I looking through the rosy-colored glasses of nostalgia?
And then there's finding time to read! I really must stop offering my writing services to people. Maybe then I'll find more time to do things for me. It's not as if writing rakes in the dollars. I was just gathering my freelancing paperwork together for upcoming tax season and, calculating pdf sales and the work from Dark Quest only, I made around $1,600. Now, I think there's another couple hundred from Goodman Games as well but that's still a porr amount for all the time involved. The good news is that pdf sales are really on the increase since the Behind the Spells series debuted. If sales continue to increase as they did from November to December, maybe I'll just write those pdfs...but I doubt it.
*TSR of course is the company that owned the D&D game from the early 1980s until the company's collapse and subsequent sale to WotC in, I believe, 1999.
Last night I finished Azure Bonds from 1988 which takes place in the Forgotten Realms setting. It really is just as good as I remember. Grubb and Novak spin a good mystery even if the ending seemed a bit quick for my tastes. For an early Realms novel, it does a good job of introducing new readers to the setting by mentioning a lot of geography and cultures through its 370+ pages. This novel was a standalone until TSR decided to do all books as a trilogy. The next two were not bad, as I recall, but I don't remember the fun involved as I recall having with the first before re-reading it.
I'll likely visit one or two of the early Harpers series and The Crystal Shard before too long just for the heck of it. It's interesting to see if these books still hold the same enjoyment after 15+ years; or am I looking through the rosy-colored glasses of nostalgia?
And then there's finding time to read! I really must stop offering my writing services to people. Maybe then I'll find more time to do things for me. It's not as if writing rakes in the dollars. I was just gathering my freelancing paperwork together for upcoming tax season and, calculating pdf sales and the work from Dark Quest only, I made around $1,600. Now, I think there's another couple hundred from Goodman Games as well but that's still a porr amount for all the time involved. The good news is that pdf sales are really on the increase since the Behind the Spells series debuted. If sales continue to increase as they did from November to December, maybe I'll just write those pdfs...but I doubt it.
*TSR of course is the company that owned the D&D game from the early 1980s until the company's collapse and subsequent sale to WotC in, I believe, 1999.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Bless You
I thought as soon as it was mentioned Phil would have it up for sale. You can grab BtS: Bless here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=6304 This is the second divine spell in the series and the first divine-only spell to be featured. Bless is also one of the the shortest spell descriptions I've had to work with. At first I though this an advantage. Heh. With less description, there's also less to fiddle with when it comes to the "spell secrets" portion of the pdf. It all worked out in the end but it took some thought to come up with the second secret. I can only hope that I don't start repeating the same ideas as the series enters into the higher double digits in terms of releases.
While we're on the subject of divine, I'll mention my church news. I'm a Lutheran and have gone to church, more or less regularly, since I can remember. That comes to an end two Sundays from now. You see, my choir director and his wife (also the accompanist) are leaving our church under less than ideal circumstances. I don't know the whole story and, frankly, it doesn't matter. I've not felt any spiritualness in the church for some time and was looking for an excuse to leave. My parents and I have been singing in the choir for many years and, with the director's family leaving, this is a good a time as any. I'm remaining with the church's bell choir because they can't afford to lose anyone and,more importantly, because we only ring at a service on holidays.
Does this mean I'm leaving my spiritual side go the way of the do-do? Far from it. I try to hike at least once a week in the mountains and, as I've told to a few others this week, I feel more spiritual there than at church. The divine truly can be seen and felt in nature. You don't have to go to a building or be part of a group to worship or acknowledge God (or whatever force you believe in). So it is I embark on a new journey of sorts away from established religion come month's end. I can't be happier and, in the end, that's all that matters.
While we're on the subject of divine, I'll mention my church news. I'm a Lutheran and have gone to church, more or less regularly, since I can remember. That comes to an end two Sundays from now. You see, my choir director and his wife (also the accompanist) are leaving our church under less than ideal circumstances. I don't know the whole story and, frankly, it doesn't matter. I've not felt any spiritualness in the church for some time and was looking for an excuse to leave. My parents and I have been singing in the choir for many years and, with the director's family leaving, this is a good a time as any. I'm remaining with the church's bell choir because they can't afford to lose anyone and,more importantly, because we only ring at a service on holidays.
Does this mean I'm leaving my spiritual side go the way of the do-do? Far from it. I try to hike at least once a week in the mountains and, as I've told to a few others this week, I feel more spiritual there than at church. The divine truly can be seen and felt in nature. You don't have to go to a building or be part of a group to worship or acknowledge God (or whatever force you believe in). So it is I embark on a new journey of sorts away from established religion come month's end. I can't be happier and, in the end, that's all that matters.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Author's Prerogative
When a freelancer begins working on a project, he has almost no choice but to see it through to the end. Especially so if a contract is involved. Fortunately, I've no such obligation with the Behind the Spells series. No, no, I'm not thinking of quitting its production. Perish the thought. What I'm referring to is a sudden change of topic. According to my previous blog entry, I was working on BtS: Cure Wounds. While this issue most certainly will come to pass, it will not do so this week. I decided to spend more time on that one since a lot more than one spell is involved (albeit all of them accomplish pretty much the same results). Instead, this week sees the release of another divine staple: bless.
Not much else to report this week, hence the lack of updates. Figured I'd better drop something on here for the 3 people still reading. ;)
Not much else to report this week, hence the lack of updates. Figured I'd better drop something on here for the 3 people still reading. ;)
Sunday, January 15, 2006
My "Other Stuff"
Over the last year, I've worked on a number of pdfs for Dark Quest Games. I see these are now starting to surface. The most recent of which, Parry & Riposte, you can find here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=6255 The other is called Goblins and you can find it easily enough through the above link. For each of these I'm responsible for most, if not all, of the stat block work. When their Alchemy pdf is released in the near future, pay particular attention to the formula for calculating alchemical item DCs and prices--it's mine! Oddly enough, the PHB rules didn't include such a formula. Hmm, I think I blogged about that before. Oh well.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Weekend Roundup!
It's pretty dreary here in the USA northeast. Looks like a good day to stay inside and hammer out a definitive outline for Invasion: Freeport. I also think the next Behind the Spells will be Cure Wounds. That title should cover them all, right? I think so.
My friend Linda just bought a new Toyota Matrix. I don't know squat about vehicles but if she's happy then I'm happy. :)
Tomorrow we're having the baptism of my two nephews Aiden and Mikael. After that is a get-together at my place. That about covers my busy weekend.
My friend Linda just bought a new Toyota Matrix. I don't know squat about vehicles but if she's happy then I'm happy. :)
Tomorrow we're having the baptism of my two nephews Aiden and Mikael. After that is a get-together at my place. That about covers my busy weekend.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Shields Up!
No, I'm not having a Star Trek delusional episode. My new Behind the Spells: Shield is now on sale: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=6260
I know Phil was (and maybe still is) having satellite woes but the pdf shows as active so pick it up soon!
I know Phil was (and maybe still is) having satellite woes but the pdf shows as active so pick it up soon!
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Let's Go to the Movies
I don't get out to the movies a whole lot. I have plenty of dvds and Sci-Fi Friday for my viewing pleasure. But that doesn't mean I don't like to hear or read about different movies. Enter the DVD Lover's Blog: http://dvdlovers.blogspot.com/
Our friend here is reviewing movies old and new and I invite you to check them out. It's nice to hear what someone you don't know thinks about favorites such as Aliens and The Wrath of Khan.
In RPG news, BtS: Web received its first review. Check it out here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=6205&reviews_id=11605
Our friend here is reviewing movies old and new and I invite you to check them out. It's nice to hear what someone you don't know thinks about favorites such as Aliens and The Wrath of Khan.
In RPG news, BtS: Web received its first review. Check it out here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=6205&reviews_id=11605
Monday, January 09, 2006
Magic MIssile (now available in Silver)
Just noticed that on RPGNow my BtS: Magic Missile is a Popular "Silver" Pick. Woohoo! I believe this means that at least 100 have been sold. Very nice. Look for the next issue, shield, in the next day or two.
In other rpg news, I got a look at Temporality's cover art pencil sketch and it looks pretty sweet. Nothing too elaborate; just enough to get the point of multiple genre possibility across to readers. Very much looking forward to its release in the coming months.
In other rpg news, I got a look at Temporality's cover art pencil sketch and it looks pretty sweet. Nothing too elaborate; just enough to get the point of multiple genre possibility across to readers. Very much looking forward to its release in the coming months.
...
Another double post. I'll use this opportunity to say that the beginning of the year sucks if you're in the medical industry. Corporations use the yearly reset of business to grab a cheaper/"better" insurance plan for employees. No one gets their new cards on time and benefits coordinators tell the patients to bring their paperwork into us (the pharmacy). Wrong! Unless you have a card in your hand, it's highly unusual to have functioning coverage. Work sucked last week but this week is turning out better. It's enough to make you, as one of my bosses has said, "Go up into the mountains and raise pigs."
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Shopping
You guessed it. Today was shopping day. Got some needed clothes from JCPenney's while out and about with Linda in Bethlehem and Allentown. Also snagged a 40% off Yankee discontinued candle and a discounted brooch from Donegal Square (Bethlehem's very excellent celtic shop). I also became aware of the dvd release of a great series from the 90s called Seaquest DSV. The show (which can be summed up as Star Trek underwater) was a Sunday night staple for me for the first season but it got pretty wierd in the 2nd season (and downright unwatchable when Michael Ironsides took over as captain in the 3rd season). If you've never seen this show, pick up the first season. Roy Scheider is excellent and, if you're lucky, you won't even mind the talking dolphin.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Weekend Roundup
Got some hiking in today and now I'm planning to work on more Freeport material. It's amazing how refreshed your mind gets after being out in the woods. And then you come home and look at this bloody computer screen. Computers just suck you in and your eyes glaze over after awhile. I can only work so long on the computer before taking a break; which I suppose is healthy anyway. I'd much prefer to go back to writing all my material out longhand before going to the computer for the typing/revision phase. But with the constant output I need, that just isn't a reality anymore.
Tomorrow may find me shopping with Linda but it might also see me staying home and repeating today's activities (except for working at the drug store). It's nice to have no weekend plans.
As for the next Behind the Spells, I've decided to go with shield as it's past time to throw in a non-offensive spell.
Tomorrow may find me shopping with Linda but it might also see me staying home and repeating today's activities (except for working at the drug store). It's nice to have no weekend plans.
As for the next Behind the Spells, I've decided to go with shield as it's past time to throw in a non-offensive spell.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Web
Now up for sale is Behind the Spells: Web at your usual pdf venues. Since I've got the RPGNow link handy: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=6205
It's got more than a little drow involvement, perhaps to no one's surprise. Methinks this won't be the only pdf in the line to feature that most vile subrace of elves.
It's got more than a little drow involvement, perhaps to no one's surprise. Methinks this won't be the only pdf in the line to feature that most vile subrace of elves.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Temporality Update
There was an email waiting for me today from Neal Levin, head honcho of Dark Quest. Seems the sketch for my time travel book's cover will be done by the 15th of this month with a final cover design set by the 30th. Neal claims that a March release is "feasible." It's about damned time...er, I mean, I can't wait! :)
In BtS news, I'll be finishing up the web edition tonight. Then it's back to working on Invasion: Freeport. I really have to stop scheduling all this work for myself so that I can catch up on my reading (this inspired by Brad's blog). Between unread fiction and gaming books, I've got several shelf-fulls of fun whenever I decide to pull in my freelancing shingle. Will this happen anytime soon? Better not, I suppose, or there'll be unhappy BtS subscription holders. ;)
In BtS news, I'll be finishing up the web edition tonight. Then it's back to working on Invasion: Freeport. I really have to stop scheduling all this work for myself so that I can catch up on my reading (this inspired by Brad's blog). Between unread fiction and gaming books, I've got several shelf-fulls of fun whenever I decide to pull in my freelancing shingle. Will this happen anytime soon? Better not, I suppose, or there'll be unhappy BtS subscription holders. ;)
Monday, January 02, 2006
Behind the Spells subscription!
Now available from RPGNow is a 13-issue subscription for my series: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=6169
It's pretty exciting to have a subscription for your work. It's also rather daunting. Now I've gotta write them all. ;) Look for BtS: Web in the next couple of days.
It's pretty exciting to have a subscription for your work. It's also rather daunting. Now I've gotta write them all. ;) Look for BtS: Web in the next couple of days.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Looking Forward
As 2006 begins, people are making resolutions and preparing excuses for why they broke them (saves time that way, right?). I'm looking forward to a fresh new year of writing. Do I have expectations? Nah. As a hobbylancer, I don't need to schedule work months in advance or worry about payments that have (or haven't) been made to me yet. Let's see what's coming up in the not too-distance future...
Waiting for Publication:
*Temporality from Dark Quest. I haven't heard anything after choosing the cover artist but I'm sure things are moving toward a early year release.
*A Matter of Faith from Highmoon Media. This first of three or more (?) adventures for Green Ronin's Medieval Player's Manual is now in layout and cartography. I don't know if the adventure is anything too spectacular but the groundwork it lays as a campaign base have great possibilities. I'm told to expect this by Feb 1.
*Dungeon Crawl Classics: The Adventure Begins from Goodman Games. I haven't mentioned this yet because it hadn't been announced. But someone spotted an Amazon.com entry for it and posted a query on Goodman's forum about it. I contributed an adventure for this mega-book of low-level adventures. Hopefully it will be out before too long.
Writing in Progress:
*Invasion: Freeport for Ronin Arts/Green Ronin. After Vengeance in Freeport, I honestly thought my contribution to Freeport was at an end. And then I saw two+ adventures in development from Adamant Ent. and thought, why not do another one? GR clearly doesn't mind more adventures for the setting so why limit myself to one? So, after posing another idea to Phil and getting GR approval, here I am again. It's very exciting to write, in a roundabout way, for one of the best d20 print companies still around.
*Beware the Minotaur for Highmoon. This is the sequel to A Matter of Faith. I have an outline that makes me happy and am looking forward to getting to this after the Freeport module above.
*Behind the Spells for Ronin Arts. Oh, yes. I'll be penning these until 2007 if customer support is still there. The reception of this weekly series has really impressed me so far. In fact, Magic Missile made the top 2005 sellers list and it only came out in November! See here for the complete list: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=161775
Somehow, in 2005, I really slid into working for pdf companies. I didn't think it would happen but am sure happy it did. With print d20 drying up except for a precious few companies, it would have proved difficult to continue in that arena. I had the opportunity to jump into Dragonmech development for Goodman Games but the setting, to be honest, just didn't interest me enough. Again, turning down work is a perk of hobbylancing. Why take a position that someone else perhaps would enjoy far more than I just to stay in the print limelight?
Looking forward in 2006, I'll work on whatever interests me and happens to fit into my schedule. I'd like to do more for Adamant Ent., DQG, and Inner Circle Games. And, naturally, if a print opportunity comes along again I'll jump on that as well. All of this and running several campaigns for my home group should keep me busy enough.
Waiting for Publication:
*Temporality from Dark Quest. I haven't heard anything after choosing the cover artist but I'm sure things are moving toward a early year release.
*A Matter of Faith from Highmoon Media. This first of three or more (?) adventures for Green Ronin's Medieval Player's Manual is now in layout and cartography. I don't know if the adventure is anything too spectacular but the groundwork it lays as a campaign base have great possibilities. I'm told to expect this by Feb 1.
*Dungeon Crawl Classics: The Adventure Begins from Goodman Games. I haven't mentioned this yet because it hadn't been announced. But someone spotted an Amazon.com entry for it and posted a query on Goodman's forum about it. I contributed an adventure for this mega-book of low-level adventures. Hopefully it will be out before too long.
Writing in Progress:
*Invasion: Freeport for Ronin Arts/Green Ronin. After Vengeance in Freeport, I honestly thought my contribution to Freeport was at an end. And then I saw two+ adventures in development from Adamant Ent. and thought, why not do another one? GR clearly doesn't mind more adventures for the setting so why limit myself to one? So, after posing another idea to Phil and getting GR approval, here I am again. It's very exciting to write, in a roundabout way, for one of the best d20 print companies still around.
*Beware the Minotaur for Highmoon. This is the sequel to A Matter of Faith. I have an outline that makes me happy and am looking forward to getting to this after the Freeport module above.
*Behind the Spells for Ronin Arts. Oh, yes. I'll be penning these until 2007 if customer support is still there. The reception of this weekly series has really impressed me so far. In fact, Magic Missile made the top 2005 sellers list and it only came out in November! See here for the complete list: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=161775
Somehow, in 2005, I really slid into working for pdf companies. I didn't think it would happen but am sure happy it did. With print d20 drying up except for a precious few companies, it would have proved difficult to continue in that arena. I had the opportunity to jump into Dragonmech development for Goodman Games but the setting, to be honest, just didn't interest me enough. Again, turning down work is a perk of hobbylancing. Why take a position that someone else perhaps would enjoy far more than I just to stay in the print limelight?
Looking forward in 2006, I'll work on whatever interests me and happens to fit into my schedule. I'd like to do more for Adamant Ent., DQG, and Inner Circle Games. And, naturally, if a print opportunity comes along again I'll jump on that as well. All of this and running several campaigns for my home group should keep me busy enough.
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