I’ve finished The Road to Hell, it’s currently undergoing a final check with its proofreader, and I anticipate it will be out later this week, early next week to backers.
If you missed the Kickstarter and want the chance to win a copy sign up to our new newsletter by Jan 31st and you’ll be entered into a draw. If you don’t fancy a copy of it, you can choose any of D101’s published books (including the two other books that are coming out very soon).
So I finished layout work on the Road to Hell last night, all bar pouring over it and checking for typos and layout gaffs. In a way I’m sorry, It’s been the most fun I’ve had working on any of my books. Partially because I’ve got my head in a place where I’ve made that happen, partly because Lamentations of the Flame Princess is just damn well written and a ton of fun to play/write for, but also because of the ace folk who have worked with me on it – from the production crew (Jon Jonny Hodgson, Daniel Barker, Peter Town, Glynn Seal and last but not least Paul Mitchener), the Kickstarter backers who played the various KS promo-games (“name your cultist” and “mention it on social media and I’ll make you a werewolf” ) and the folk who have played it with me during the playtests.
If you missed the KS it’s going to pre-order soon, but I’ll leave you with one of Daniel Barker’s wonderful illustrations of Lord Nick Woulfe of Toft Hall (which is part of Nick Brooke’s prize for winning (along with Neil Benson) the “mention it on social media and I’ll make you a werewolf” KS promo-game).
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.
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.
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,
As I type it Melsonian Arts Council‘s Fever Swamp adventure, which has funded and then some, is coming into its last six hours.
For Lamentations of the Flame Princess and other D&D clones, this is what Daniel Sell owner of Melsonian Arts Council has to say about it (although it’s worth noting that its now going to be in hardcover since reached that stretch goal).
The result of this fundraising effort will be an A5, saddle stitched, 30-something page book containing a geographically linked series of vignettes that explore the particular palette chosen by the author. Flavours of nihilism, questions of inherent evil, and the abject failure of civilisation. And dampness, so damp.
Dragonmeet, the annual games day held in London this year on Saturday Dec 3rd, is nearly upon us. It’s being co-sponsored by Lamentations of the Flame Princess as well as Chaosium and there are many UK OSR publishers attending as well as us:
Arion Games (Advanced Fighting Fantasy, Maelstrom)
SquareHex (producers of fine Old School graph paper, publishers of the printed Black Hack and Oubliette Magazine)
Among the guests are old school heroes Ian Livingstone & Steve Jackson of Fighting Fantasy/early Games Workshop fame and Joe Dever author/creator of Lone Wolf.
D101 Games is in attendance and I’ll have a big pile of Crypts and Things with me, as well as OpenQuest and River of Heaven among the pile of D101 goodness
First off is the return of Mythic Rome by Pete Nash, originally released as an BRP version which won a Silver Ennies, in a time when the Ennies were dominated by D&D product, updated for Mythras with brand new art as a lovely hardback. It covers Rome from its foundation to the end of the Republic. If you want to run games inspired by Steven Saylor’s Sub Rosa series or HBO Rome this is the book to get.
And because Pete and Loz love you and want you to try out Mythras for the next couple of months they are going to putting out standalone adventures compatible with both Mythras and the free Mythras Imperative. The first one is a Sci-Fi (they’ve already taken Mythras in that direction with their Luther Arkwright book and check out M-Space by Frostbyte Books) called A Gift From Shamash ( in pdf via drivethrurpg.com and in print from Lulu ).
Crypts of Indormancy for Lamentations of the Flame Princess and other OSR games funded recently and everything is on track for November release according the latest backers report. Keep an eye out for its release, it will be a good ‘un 😉
Grogmeet happened in my home city of Manchester….and I completely missed it. My excuse being a I was already signed heavy weekend of family fun, but hoping that this becomes a regular thing 🙂 Here’s a quick highlights movie they made.
Finally not strictly OSR (because its for 5Th Ed) but Cubicle 7’s Adventures in Middle Earth hit the shops this week, and I bagsied a copy. I must confess I usually by C7’s Tolkien stuff for the gorgeous art, and this book keeps up that tradition using the same smooth colourful layout with lashings of fantastic colour illustrations, but from a quick skim its a seamless version of 5ed blended with Tolkien flavour and the unique rules that made the One Ring so special ported over. Looking forward to picking up the companion Loremaster’s Guide when it comes out. This one has a special place in many UK Grognards heart’s because Tolkien was very much part of growing up in the UK, for example many people read the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as part of their English education at school, and even though there wasn’t an official D&D adaptation many people played the game with a strong Tolkien flavour. So 30 years on its very heartwarming to finally see an licensed adaptation for D&D and see it get so right.
Adventures in Middle Earth by Cubicle 7, I has it my precious!!!!
What D101 is up to?
I’m currently busy getting the adventures for the Crypts and Things Kickstarter together. Tombs of the Necromancer is getting some clean up work done, some extra bits by author Paul Mitchener, and Life and Death Zarth Edition is getting new art and layout. Its neck and neck which one will get released first. Blood of the Dragon/The Dark Path (new) and Fort Boneguard (new) are all getting put together along with a new scenario, The Lost City of the God Emperor, into one book called Under Dark Spires. Tournaments of Madness and Death is quietly trundling along.
I’ve got me nose in a good book 🙂
David M.Wright who did the art for the main rule book is signed up to do the art for the adventures. David recently got his rulebook and was dead chuffed with it 🙂
“C&T encapsulates pretty much everything I love about classic 80’s RPG fantasy (which was all around when I was growing up as a lad), but with all the naff stuff removed! It’s a 100% pure Sword & Sorcery game. There are Barbarians, Warriors, Sorcerers and Thieves, all pitted against an ever expanding assortment of monsters, amorphous Hell-Spawed demonic crypt dwelling conglomerations, and the like (none of your wishy-washy elves, gnomes, and sappy fairies here!). There is Blood, there is Fire, there is Magic, Muscle, Mist, and Steel! : )”
Oh and to keep us going until the adventures land I’m putting a C&T fanzine together called “From the Shroud”, a little A5 affair that currently has a couple of articles by me and a small introductory scenario called “The Secret of Skull Hill”, that I’m hoping will be on sale at Dragonmeet. If you are interested in contributing get in touch via newt@d101games.com. The deadline for submissions is tight however, this coming Sunday 20th November.
I’m also starting the playtest of Beyond Dread Portals (the new name of Paul Mitchener’s Empire of Ys ) this week, which will run into early next year with an aim of getting out in the first half of next year.
In non-fantasy-land I’m putting wrapping up the last bits of writing on the River of Heaven Companion, so that should be out early 2017 🙂
Remember my reporting on this UK OSR Update is only as good as my attention span on G+, so if I’ve missed anything just point it out in the comments below.
I must admit I’m late to the party, but UK Fanzine Publisher Daniel Sell and his little crew of merry miscreants are diversifying into the Adventures market. So they need money, so behold a Kickstarter has arrived!
Its already funded, with the money going towards upping the production values. Its also a chance to pick up reprints of all the Undercroft Fanzines + Something Stinks in Stilton, which is one that I’ve seized!
