Which way for a new version of OpenQuest?

Posted on by
Reply

OK I’m gearing up to a tenth-anniversary version of OpenQuest in 2019, probably Kickstarting it over the summer.

Obviously, I’ve got my thoughts on what I’d like to change. I’ve got two approaches I could take which fall broadly between two extremes.

Approach 1. OpenQuest 2 tidied up.  Minimal changes, another editorial pass/proof, all new art from the current stable of D101 Artists, reintroduce the Empire of Gatan overview that was taken out in the last version and release the book as an all in one inclusive rulebook. Emphasis on polish rather than big rules changes.

Approach 2. OpenQuest 3 a more radical revision of the rules and presentation. Spilt the current 8 by 11 inch 250+ page book into three 6 x 9-inch books: Book 1: Rules + Magic, Book 2 D100 World Builders (GM’s book) Book 3  Bestiary.  Under this approach, OpenQuest Basics (the current free pdf/lo-cost 6×9 inch book) becomes a free artless Book 1 in pdf only. Rules would also get a good going over and it would be a proper new version, called OpenQuest 3 – where there would be big changes such as elimination ot the three approaches of magic.

I’m running this as a poll over at the OpenQuest forum over at BasicRoleplaying.org, so if you want to add your voice there visit this post.

So as well as voting for which approach would you favour, what would you want to see changed or sorted out in this version of OpenQuest?

Post Kickstarter thoughts

Posted on by
Reply

Slowly recovering from the awesome that was The Road To Hell Kickstarter, and getting back to the more mundane housework and day-to-day stuff I have to catch up with.

One of the things that was Awesome about the KS is that I’ve wanted to play Lamentations of the Flame Princess for a good couple of years (5 or so?) and the playtesting of this scenario (which has had a couple of outings now and has an ongoing playtest at the moment to test last-minute encounter additions) gave that one a good going over on that front. I’ll post more about that later, I’m overdue an appreciation post about LoTFP.

Another thing that was awesome about the KS was the fact that it funded and then some, so I’ll be able to take my original idea, pay the artists, pay myself and deliver it in a short time scale.

And it’s a model I can use for adventure releases in the future as well. I’ve got another two adventures that follow up Road to Hell (which I’m calling the Jacobean Trilogy for reference) but I’m also thinking about doing something for Mythras, which I’ve also wanted to run for like forever.  As I develop the ideas I have for it (in what I call the Fun Phase), I’ll blog about it here. Look out for the tag #makemineMythras.

In the next couple of days, I’ll be finishing off some writing/publishing stuff for Road to Hell to keep it on track for a December/January fulfilment. But I’ll also be getting back into Crypts and Things with the last writing for Under Dark Spires and issue 2 of The Shroud. I’m going to be running The Lost City of the God-Emperor at Grogmeet next Saturday, so nailing that one down is high on the list of priorities 🙂

94% Funded, and the Hunter’s Moon

Posted on by
Reply

I wasn’t going to post about The Road to Hell, seeing as it’s my Birthday. A day of eating sausages and hanging out with my dog was in order. But as went out to take out the bins, I noticed the full moon hanging in the sky,  which got me thinking about Werewolves. I then logged on to check how the campaign is getting on and was pleasantly surprised to see we had hit 90%, which again got me thinking (blimey all this thinking before I’ve even had my morning coffee!)

If we hit 100% funded today, I will add an extra adventure encounter on the Road, which features these hairy heathens, called Hunter’s Moon (which is what October’s Full Moon is called over here in the UK, and comes from Anglo Saxon calendar when it was a time to slaughter and butcher livestock before winter).

Here’s the fun bit. If are an existing backer you help us reach fully funded by say spreading the word via social media, (how about “Werewolves are threatening to run amok on the Road to Hell Kickstarter ->https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/645319106/the-road-to-hell”) I will let you name one of the family of Werewolves that form the centrepiece of the encounter I will put in the adventure. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, and if we get funded, now there is a greater chance that we’ll get the stretch goals when all those Watchers get their emails 48 hours before the campaign ends. So everyone’s a winner 🙂 But as they say, you have to be in it to win it!! Also, existing backers who upgrade their pledge or add the Treasure Chest of Crypts and Things add-on (see update 7) also qualify to name a Werewolf (arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooo!!!)

If you haven’t backed yet and are following these updates, you’ve got an even simpler job of backing the campaign today, and if we fund today, I’ll give you the opportunity to name a werewolf.

Road to Hell 79% funded and just over a week to go

Posted on by
Reply

Here’s a quick update on the Road to Hell Kickstarter, which closes on Tuesday 30th October, which at the time of writing stands at 79% funded.

A couple of big updates

Jon Hodgson has completed this amazing cover.

The Road to Hell cover by Jon Hodgson

And 2018 Golden ENnie award winner Glynn Seal has done this map of one of the adventure locations…

Map by Glynn Seal of Monkey Blood Design

Peter Town also provided another portrait for one of the pre-made characters, the Elf Little Lord John.

Picture by Peter Town

And Daniel Barker has come up with a picture of the Great Adversary himself!

Lucifer by Dan Barker

Here’s the full list of recent updates:

The Road to Hell Kickstarter update

Posted on by
Reply

The Road to Hell is well on its way to being funded, and while progress is slow (we are at 54% with just over two weeks to go) we will get there by the end of the funding period on the day before Halloween (Oct 30).

The team of artists that I’m working on this one have been producing work to act of preview of what we aim to do when the Kickstarter funds.

Jon Hodgson has done this chilling sketch of the cover (he’s in the process of completing the full piece at the moment).

Road To Hell sketch cover by Jon Hodgson

Interior artist Dan Barker has done this sketch of one of the monsters that feature in the adventure.

Fearcrow (sketch) by Dan Barker

D101 regular Peter Town has been charged with doing portraits for each of the six pre-made characters who are included in the book with the adventure.

Art by Peter Town

I’ve also posted a number of updates which give more insight about what’s in the book.

Finally, I’ve added an add-on, which will be of interest if you fancy picking up Crypts and Things and two of its adventures at a bargain price.

The Road to Hell now live on Kickstarter

Posted on by
Reply

The Road To Hell is an adventure for Lamentations of the Flame Princess and other Old School RPGs.  It is now live on Kickstarter until Tuesday 30th October, the day before Halloween, when if it funds all backers can download the draft adventure, complete with rough (but functional) maps and six premade characters.

Set in Jacobean England, this adventure sees a band of veteran (5th Level) but down at heel adventurers take a desperate journey between Chester and Manchester in the North West of England, that takes them into Hell itself.  It is a weird fantasy adventure that sees the adventurers thrown into magical situations outside of their normal lives, and challenge fiends that would eat their flesh and steal their souls.

The book will feature the work of:

  • Dan Barker (Monkey, Tournaments of Madness and Death) on internal art.
  • Jon Hodgson (numerous credits, including WHFRP 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions, D&D 4th and 5th edition) on the front cover,
  • Paul Mitchener (Age of Arthur, Liminal) on the editorial duties.
  • Glynn Seal (2018 Golden ENnie Award winner for Cartography for his work on the Midderlands).
  • Peter Town (Hearts in Glorantha, Gloranthan Adventures) who will be doing character portraits for the six pre-made characters, 

From the Shroud issue 2

Posted on by
Reply

Its been a while since issue 1, but issue 2 of the Crypts and Things fanzine, is nearly manifested in the world of flesh.

The contents are as follows:

  • My Dirty Little Secret – a quick table of dark secrets that player characters can have, and probably wish they hadn’t, at character generation.
  • The Pie Makers of Peoplolis – an adventure location in the Zarth’s City of Beggars (although they may have a franchise near you).
  • A Strange Thing Happened on the Way to the Ruins – an encounter table of weird and wonderful non-player characters to liven up otherwise dull and humdrum journeys.
  • The Place of Dark Hooks – a full Crypts and Things mini-module.
  • All Hail the Death Riders – they are death from above with these flying undead warriors, a new monster for the game.
  • Prince of Rona – a demonic Prince of an Otherworld, fit to become the character’s latest Nemesis.
  • Varna’s Travelling Caravan – Neil Shaw is back again with this group of travelling merchants who deal with the mysterious and harbour a dark secret.

Clocking in at about 48 pages in A5 format (which is ten pages longer than issue 1) I’m looking to get it out by by early November, when I’ll be at Grogmeet in Manchester running The Lost City of the God-Emperor, which is part of the Under Dark Spires mega-module I’m currently finishing off for release early next year.

If you want to get a print copy, there will be a pre-order that runs for a couple of weeks while it is passing muster with the printer, via D101 Games’ Web store, during which time you’ll have instant access to the pdf. PDF only will go on sale via DriveThruRPG.com after the print pre-order.

Here’s the cover for issue 2 by the talented Jonny Gray.

Two Fighting Fantasy Kickstarters

Posted on by
Reply

First off the official from Arion Game’s license Fighting Fantasy line, Demons of Doom a supplement about playing well Demons.

Then in its last 11 hours at the time of writing is Daniel Sell’s Troika, the short nuts and bolts description (because hey we’ve not got much time here) is FF on acid.

Beyond Dread Portals at Furnace 2018

Posted on by
1

If you are following the progress of Beyond Dread Portals, the upcoming game of post-D&D Multi-dimensional Fantasy Adventuring by Paul Mitchener, Mitch is running the following game at Furnace in October.

The Wizard’s Staff

By Paul Mitchener

Ys. A folded dimension filled with a vast city ruled by the undead Autarch and his vampiric agents. A city where the guilds and noble houses which once governed the city are fierce rivals, the Autarch stirring up the strife so his own rule goes unchallenged. Ys has portals to several different worlds, and is the capital of an empire with territories on each.

Nespo. A dead world, full of undead monsters where Ysian army and Guild of the Arcane has a tenuous presence. Explorations in the wrong places awoke the Autarch sixty years ago, and Ys has been his ever since.

You. You’re a group from the Guild of Explorers with a treasure map, seeking a magical staff which once belonged to a wizard who came remarkably close to defeating the Autarch. A staff which still, it is said, contains much of his power. You’re being paid very well to retrieve the staff, but when the time comes, if you succeed, if the rumours are true, will you give it up?

Beyond Dread Portals cover by Jon Hodgson