BOOM! DONE!

Okay, I just sent off Otherverse America to Mark for posting... expect Otherverse America for sale in a couple of weeks, at most. The campaign setting tops 320 pages of very, very dense content. I've also included a printer friendly, no art edition, which tops out at about 100 fewer pages.

One of the things I'm most proud of is the fact this is a huge, guaranteed to be controversial, attention-grabbing and unique setting. In terms of content, I'd put it up against anything WOTC or Green Ronin ever put out, and its a solo project. With the exception of some stock art and stock images, I bled into every line of the sourcebook. The fact I did everything myself means no matter how many or how few PDFs I sell, I make money, and there is literally no way I can lose money. Even taking into account the cost of the stock art peices I used, if I sell two copies I make a profit. Freed from the worry about breaking even, I can put out some really ambitious stuff, at my own pace, answerable to noone but myself, and in so doing create a really personal, really ambitious project.

Hopefully, my faith in the setting and pride in what I've accomplished is justified, and you all pick up a copy and enjoy it.

One thing to note- after finishing writing, drawing and laying out a 320 page behemoth, I am definitely ready to take a bit of a break. Expect some light, quick stuff, including some fantasy stuff and maybe some freelance modern crime/espionage stuff for Louis.

Anyway, have a good one, and enjoy the Superbowl tomorrow.

CHRIS

Otherverse America is coming together!

Late Wednesday night, I finished the layout for the Otherverse America campaign setting. Epic undertaking does not begin to describe this. I used the layout and design lessons from Mil-Tech 09, which is my best looking project to date, and produced a very, very slick looking project.

The core sourcebook is around 320 pages, and covers ALOT of ground. In addition to the regular edition, I put together a no-art, printer friendly edition, which will be bundled with every purchase. The no-frills edition is around 200 pages of 12 pt, double column goodness.

I'm going to take a second look at everything this weekend, make sure the release is legible and than send it off for Mark to put up for sale. Look for this big, beautiful badass in a couple of weeks.

Oh, if you're interested, there's some new free material at our sales site.... follow this lovely little link:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=59869

I'll start working on the APEX and Federal Government sourcebook for Otherverse America soon enough. however, after the sheer effort of putting a 320 page core worldbook out singlehanded, I am a bit hungry for some quick, easy, punchy fun little products. I'll probally put together some fantasy releases and maybe another Free20 release, because those are always a good mental vacation for me... a perfect palate cleanser after a big project like Otherverse America.

Anyway, have a good one,

CHRIS

G T K G is out!

It's amazing you work the weekend and you miss the first official release in the Otherverse America campaign setting. Mark just coded the flash preview and put up Guide to the Known Galaxy up at all the usual sales sites. I'm hoping some of you have picked it up already, and hope you enjoy the dozen-plus new alien races, tons of new feats and cool new monsters.

Right now, I'm finishing up the art for Otherverse America, which is coming together very, very quickly. I'm actually planning to engage the services (read: beg and hope she's off work two Thursdays from now) of a pretty talented photographer I know to assemble some photos of the Jan 22 protests to fill out the roster of illustrations. The hardest part, of course, will be finding shots that are dynamic and can easily be maniped for a futuristic look. Of course, if my friend isn't available, I might end up just taking the pictures myself and see how that comes out.

Right now, I've got a bit of 'crunch' for you guys to savor. The last preview focused on the sociology and pop culture of the Otherverse, so this preview includes a new weapon to play with.

Here is the write up of an iconic "Lifer" weapon, the fearsome and ultra-heavily armed Judgment power armor. It's built using the rules for power armor construction found in the Psi-Watch campaign setting.

“Judgment” Rescue-Oriented Urban Combat Exo-Frame (PL 7)

Defeating even a single Judgment exo-frame is a job for an entire Choicer squad, or a full team of well trained metahumans, and even then is rarely possible without massive causalities. The Judgment epitomizes the Lifer military’s basic ethos: victory through overwhelming firepower, delivered by a committed Rescuer wearing a suit of power armor with more destructive capability than an entire 20th century tank platoon. This hulking shell suit can end a fight purely by virtue of its appearance on the battlefield- many enemies will surrender or retreat rather than facing one of these heavily armed behemoths head on.


Physical Description: The Judgment is a walking tank which stands nearly fifteen feet tall, and weighs more than four tons, blurring the line between man-portable power armor and robot vehicle.

The Judgment has almost simian proportions, with long, powerful arms and mammoth hands. The Judgment walks with a slightly hunched over posture, burdened by the weight of the pilot’s compartment and weapons load out on its back, contributing to its apelike appearance. The Judgment’s lower legs are thick and stocky, ending in spatualte elephant like feet, designed to keep the top heavy, multi-ton vehicle stable as it maneuvers.

The Judgment’s most fearsome weapons- its Firefog Dispenser and Liberty fusion cannon- are stored in a blunt, almost mushroom shaped weapon pod rising from its spinal armor. The right shoulder mounted weapons pod slides forward and locks into place when the pilot wishes to fire the Judgment’s main gun. A forest of small antenna, sensor nodes and sodium-vapor floodlights rise from the pilot’s left shoulder. The Judgment’s mini-missile launchers are concealed in a bracer like structure built into its left forearm. To fire, the Judgment pilot simply points and shoots.

Like all Lifer equipment, the Judgment is painted a dark, regal purple, with joints and vulnerable areas protected by thick grayish-black ballistic Kevlar and rubber. Most of the armor is dominated by integrated LCD display screens, which run a constant loop of gory fetal images and anti-abortion theology. The armor’s bulky shoulders, barrel chest, abdominal, groin and knee plating, not to mention its forearms all incorporate high resolution display screens.

The armor’s helmet is actually a sculpted sensor pod, as the cockpit protects the pilot’s actual head. The faux helmet rises out of the armor’s powerful torso, giving the suit a bullnecked, animalistic appearance. The armor’s headpiece is designed for intimidation, resembling an horrid, mechanical skull carved from some type of durable grayish-white ceramic. In place of a lower jaw, the skull has something resembling a futuristic gasmask. The cranial dome skull is longer and taller than a human’s, protected beneath a heavy, triple-pronged purple metal crown carved in imitation of Artemis’ own.

The pilot enters the suit through a loading hatch in the center of the armor’s back. The suit’s cockpit is incredibly claustrophobic. The pilot controls the suit from a semi-reclining position, with his lower legs near the armor’s groin, and his head at the suit’s neckline. The pilot controls the suit through verbal and subvocal commands, nerve impulses read and transmitted by the Judgment’s pilot-interface ‘skullcap’ and ergonomically designed manual controls, which were intentionally designed to mimic the familiar mouse/keyboard interface of first-person-shooters.

“Judgment” Rescue-Oriented Urban Combat Exo-Frame
Standard PL 7 Design Specs
Size: Huge Exo-Frame designed to be worn by a Medium Pilot
Superstructure: Neutronite
External Armor: None standard
Armor Penalty: -4
Strength Bonus: +15
Dexterity Bonus: +0
Speed: 20 ft , flightspeed 30 ft (clumsy, but has hover capability)
Bonus Hit Points: 220
Hardness: 30
Fire Resistance: 10
Defense Bonus: -2 size
Reach: 10 ft

Additional Modifiers: Charisma based skills have their DC increased by +4 when used on armored pilot. Immune to fear and mind influencing effects. Blindsight 180 ft. Armor recovers 1d10 HP per hour of non-use.

Suit Sentience: Intelligence and Wisdom scores of 12 each. Sentience has the following skill ranks: +5 Spot, +4 Listen, +2 Knowledge: theology & philosophy, +2 Knowledge: tactics.

Template: Heavy Combat Class; slower and bulkier but more heavily armored than a typical suit of armor.

Standard Sensors and Equipment: Comfort Lining, Life Support, Spaceskin, Pilot’s Cockpit (Back and Belt slots), Pseudo-Muscle Endoskeleton (torso), Thoughtshield (helmet) Suit Sentience (left leg), Advanced Diagnostics (right leg) Hostile Environment Cladding (right arm) Reluctance Field (visor), AP-121 Liberty Fusion Cannon (back), Pencilbox Missile Launcher (left arm), Firefog Dispenser (shoulders), Smartpulse Hitter (helmet)

Standard Weapons Loadout:
Slam 2d6 +STR modifier
Reluctance Field (Target is nauseated within 50 ft of armor, FORT Save DC 22 target is sickened instead)
AP-121 Liberty Fusion Cannon (200 ft range, 30 ft blast radius 8d8 fire + Highly Irradiated for 1 round, REF DC 18 half)
Pencil Box Missile Launcher (4 missile tubes, variable load, 200 ft range)
Firefog Dispenser (30 ft radius, 6d6 fire damage, REF DC 18 Half, triggered by anything moving faster than 10 ft per round through affected area)
Smartpulse Hitter (200 ft max range, 2d6 bludgeoning + 1d6 per each 50 ft traveled, to maximum range)

Base Purchase DC: 47 (Restriction rating: Military +3)

Suit Variants: The “Baby Judgment” is a miniaturized, Shell Suit version of the Judgment Exo-Frame. The Baby Judgment is a relatively new weapon in the Lifer arsenal, developed post-War, and has not yet seen wide use in combat. The Baby Judgment is described below. The Baby Judgment is a slightly cheaper, smaller and more maneuverable suit of armor, which loses very little of the Judgment’s formidable ability to deal death.