I've been working on D20 Modern for over 5 years now, and at this point, simply because I'm one of the few authors publishing under that ruleset, and not under the more profitable D20 Fantasy / D&D Engine, I consider myself an expert on D20 Modern. I've done some interesting stuff with it, produced some variant rules that both push the system forward and effectively emulate the media I've set out to well... emulate.
That said, there's alot of good rules I've created that I would like to see other D20 Publishers expand upon. It's all OGL to begin with, so take advantage of it, and use my ideas to push your own games forward.
I produced ALOT of good material for D20 Modern working with Louis Porter- I'd like to see the skydiving rules from Adrenaline Surge (2006, LPJ Designs) used in other contexts. Likewise, the archery rules and equipment from D7ACU: Perfect Archer (2007, Skortched Urf) adds alot of flavor to the games, and provides a nice alternative to guns.
On a larger note, I'd like to see the torture rules from Tell Me Now (2006, LPJ Designs) used as a basis for other opposed, complex skill checks. I could see the system powering that suppelment easily be adapted to things like computer hacking, forensic invesitgations, medical drama.... any time where one party attempts to solve a very complex problem or wear down the opposition through skill and tenacity. Hell, it's a damn fine rule for torture as is.
In terms of more complex ideas, I'd like to see other D20 Modern publishers expand on my ideas of Intermediary Classes (2005, LPJ Designs) and Affiliations (Otherverse America, 2009, Otherverse Games). Intermediary classes are story-based starting classes, not attribute based ones. You might play an ER Intern, or a Blogger instead of a Smart or Charismatic Hero. Intermediate classes are more powerful, but more specialized and less customizable than a Basic Class, but not quite as good as an Advanced Class.
Affiliations are basically like the X-Box 360's Achievements for Otherverse America.... you earn them by meeting specific feat and skill prerequistes and serving with a specific group, who trains you in secret techniques. Affiliations in Otherverse America can be famous military units, criminal gangs, political groups, terrorist cells, corporations, cults.... basically in exchange for cooperating with the GM in buildling a character that's an active part of the world, you are rewarded with the equivalent of a minor feat (and bragging rights) for free.
It's a concept that I think can be easily ported to other games, including fantasy ones. Anyway, that's just some stuff of mine that I'm especially proud of, and I think you, as readers, would enjoy.
Talk to you later,
CHRIS
Friday, May 1, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
You know what's really gratifying....
.... going on RPGnow, seeing that a product that I put out less than 24 hours ago is the 6th current best seller, on the Top One Hundred.
Even better, seeing that alot of purchasers have also picked up other products I've worked on, such as D7ACU: Voidsparrow, Otherverse America, Giants In the Earth....
To all my readers:
THANKS.
CHRIS
Even better, seeing that alot of purchasers have also picked up other products I've worked on, such as D7ACU: Voidsparrow, Otherverse America, Giants In the Earth....
To all my readers:
THANKS.
CHRIS
Cruel Evolution, MotherF@#$er!
I mentioned it last post, but Cruel Evolution is up and running at RPGnow.com and all the usual suspects. Go pick it up, I had alot of fun laying that one out. I've realized that post-apoc stuff is some of the most fun to work with, especially magi-tech post apocalyptic fiction, because the blending of the traditional fantasy and sci-fi genre lines. Lots to love.
Anyway, I'm putting the finishing touches on the APEX manuscript, right now. I'm working up the 100 plot hooks section at the back of the book, as well as flavor fiction. The 100 plots part is especially important to me. Otherverse is a politicized, social-interaction heavy, deep roleplaying experience, but I see how it can easily be played as just a 'mission-based' wargame. I've seen it happen with the old World of Darkness stuff, instead of getting deep into an alien psychology and fictional culture, you're tasked by your Boss Vampire or Boss Werewolf with going and killin' something- the same exact kind of missions that you'd find in D&D or Shadowrun.
That always disappointed me, as a gamer, especially when I was stuck in a thinly disguised WOD dungeoncrawl. Not fun. So making sure that Otherverse game masters have ALOT of good inspiration and plot hooks to draw upon, which incorporate mysteries, political action, problem solving, romance, seduction, exploration of the culture, ect.... as well as straight up combat is of prime importance to me. I don't want the missions in Otherverse America to turn into:
"You're all Lifer soldiers. Your XO tells you that you've got to destroy a Choicer clinic and a nearby weapons depot."
-or-
"You're all Choicer soldiers. Your XO tells you that you've got to destroy a Lifer weapons cache and assassinate a terrorist leader."
Anyway, like I've said before, the 100 Plots section is probally my favorite part of the sourcebook.
I'm planning out the third big 'faction splat' for Otherverse America as I wrap up APEX: Outcast America, which focuses on the poor, the young, the abused and the fanatical in the setting. After that, I'll probally give a full write up for Solomon Station, and I'm speculating on creating a HUGE species book for Otherverse America, tentatively titled the "Patriot's Alphabet". (Alternatively, I can release a line of shorter splats, each covering 5 or 6 mutates. I'll probally do the latter.)
In Psi-Watch, I introduced three species of human-engineered supersoldiers codenamed the Patriot Anvils, Patriot Boxers and Patriot Ivories. Those mutates exist in the Otherverse as well, as do the Patriot Couriers and Patriot Mechanic superhumans, who are described in APEX. So we've got A, B, C, I and M covered. There's alot of letters of the alphabet still there, and alot of mutant soldiers whose codenames can start with those letters.
Finally, I have to comment on something I read on Louis' blog (which I follow religiously). In a post last week, he divided RPG publishers into two categories, based on sales footprint and distribution method: PDF publishers and hard-back publishers. I can certainly see where he is coming from, but I think that in his post, there is an unspoken 'submission' to hard-back publishers, a feeling that as a PDF publisher we can't compete on the same level, an acceptance of lower sales and lower levels of prestige.
Certainly, as a small PDF publisher I don't have the logistical support, art budget or advertising capability of a big 'HB' publisher. But in terms of just IDEAS, I think all RPG publishers, no matter what their operating budgets or distribution methods are, compete on the same plane. Every product I put out, I feel like I am directly competing against industry giants like Green Ronin, Paizo, LPJD, Adamant, and yes, WOTC (well, less now, but you know what I mean). In order to feel satisfied as an artist, each time I release something, I have to feel that the ideas you'll find inside are AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER than anything from any other publisher, big or small. The art, the layout, the limitations of the PDF format.... screw it.
The question for me is: are the black words on the white page as good as anything WOTC put out? As good as anything Monte Cook does? If yes, I'm happy as a publisher. If not, I'm pissed and try to do better next time.
I don't know.... I find myself agreeing intellectual with everything that Louis said, but for some reason, some emotional part of me wants to disagree wtih everything. Something about that post just sorta rankles me, and I can't really put my finger on WHY.
Anyway, just my thoughts,
talk to you all later,
CHRIS
Anyway, I'm putting the finishing touches on the APEX manuscript, right now. I'm working up the 100 plot hooks section at the back of the book, as well as flavor fiction. The 100 plots part is especially important to me. Otherverse is a politicized, social-interaction heavy, deep roleplaying experience, but I see how it can easily be played as just a 'mission-based' wargame. I've seen it happen with the old World of Darkness stuff, instead of getting deep into an alien psychology and fictional culture, you're tasked by your Boss Vampire or Boss Werewolf with going and killin' something- the same exact kind of missions that you'd find in D&D or Shadowrun.
That always disappointed me, as a gamer, especially when I was stuck in a thinly disguised WOD dungeoncrawl. Not fun. So making sure that Otherverse game masters have ALOT of good inspiration and plot hooks to draw upon, which incorporate mysteries, political action, problem solving, romance, seduction, exploration of the culture, ect.... as well as straight up combat is of prime importance to me. I don't want the missions in Otherverse America to turn into:
"You're all Lifer soldiers. Your XO tells you that you've got to destroy a Choicer clinic and a nearby weapons depot."
-or-
"You're all Choicer soldiers. Your XO tells you that you've got to destroy a Lifer weapons cache and assassinate a terrorist leader."
Anyway, like I've said before, the 100 Plots section is probally my favorite part of the sourcebook.
I'm planning out the third big 'faction splat' for Otherverse America as I wrap up APEX: Outcast America, which focuses on the poor, the young, the abused and the fanatical in the setting. After that, I'll probally give a full write up for Solomon Station, and I'm speculating on creating a HUGE species book for Otherverse America, tentatively titled the "Patriot's Alphabet". (Alternatively, I can release a line of shorter splats, each covering 5 or 6 mutates. I'll probally do the latter.)
In Psi-Watch, I introduced three species of human-engineered supersoldiers codenamed the Patriot Anvils, Patriot Boxers and Patriot Ivories. Those mutates exist in the Otherverse as well, as do the Patriot Couriers and Patriot Mechanic superhumans, who are described in APEX. So we've got A, B, C, I and M covered. There's alot of letters of the alphabet still there, and alot of mutant soldiers whose codenames can start with those letters.
Finally, I have to comment on something I read on Louis' blog (which I follow religiously). In a post last week, he divided RPG publishers into two categories, based on sales footprint and distribution method: PDF publishers and hard-back publishers. I can certainly see where he is coming from, but I think that in his post, there is an unspoken 'submission' to hard-back publishers, a feeling that as a PDF publisher we can't compete on the same level, an acceptance of lower sales and lower levels of prestige.
Certainly, as a small PDF publisher I don't have the logistical support, art budget or advertising capability of a big 'HB' publisher. But in terms of just IDEAS, I think all RPG publishers, no matter what their operating budgets or distribution methods are, compete on the same plane. Every product I put out, I feel like I am directly competing against industry giants like Green Ronin, Paizo, LPJD, Adamant, and yes, WOTC (well, less now, but you know what I mean). In order to feel satisfied as an artist, each time I release something, I have to feel that the ideas you'll find inside are AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER than anything from any other publisher, big or small. The art, the layout, the limitations of the PDF format.... screw it.
The question for me is: are the black words on the white page as good as anything WOTC put out? As good as anything Monte Cook does? If yes, I'm happy as a publisher. If not, I'm pissed and try to do better next time.
I don't know.... I find myself agreeing intellectual with everything that Louis said, but for some reason, some emotional part of me wants to disagree wtih everything. Something about that post just sorta rankles me, and I can't really put my finger on WHY.
Anyway, just my thoughts,
talk to you all later,
CHRIS
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Attack is for times of plenty.....
....defense is for times of insufficiency.
-Sun Tsu.
The quote is appropriate right now. About 6 months ago I was contracted to produce a modern magic/post-apocalyptic setting for Reality Deviants. Unfortunately, the money fell through, which is a problem when working freelance. So for about half a year now, I've had a draft of Slaughterhouse Earth sitting on my harddrive, doing nothing.
And every spare dollar I've had, I've put into building up a stock art morgue during this time. And my tastes in stock art tend to run to the dark, the violent and the creepy. I like images of monsters, guns, and monsters with guns.
So I have a surplus of 1) post apocalyptic text and 2) stock art suitable for a post-apoc setting. So guess what I'm doing right now?
I'm taking a break from APEX for a couple of days to put out a new post-apoc/horror sourcebook entitled Cruel Evolution. I'm breaking the big Slaughterhouse Earth manuscript into 3-4 smaller products, which I'll release over the next few months in conjunction with Skortched Urf.
The first sourcebook will be a 'powers' book- expect a new player race, the Clavers, new mutation rules, a bunch of feats spells and 5 new advanced classes. The best way I can describe Cruel Evolution and the Slaughterhouse Earth campaign world is "Rifts as written by Clive Barker"......
Hopefully it'll be well recieved.
Anyway, I'm about 2/3 done with the layout. One of the great satisfactions of self publishing is the fact I'm getting better at layout and design with every book I put out. Cruel Evolution is clean, pretty and lavishly illustrated.
Anyway, have a good one, and expect a bunch of releases from me, and from Mark, over the next few months.
Blessed Be,
CHRIS
-Sun Tsu.
The quote is appropriate right now. About 6 months ago I was contracted to produce a modern magic/post-apocalyptic setting for Reality Deviants. Unfortunately, the money fell through, which is a problem when working freelance. So for about half a year now, I've had a draft of Slaughterhouse Earth sitting on my harddrive, doing nothing.
And every spare dollar I've had, I've put into building up a stock art morgue during this time. And my tastes in stock art tend to run to the dark, the violent and the creepy. I like images of monsters, guns, and monsters with guns.
So I have a surplus of 1) post apocalyptic text and 2) stock art suitable for a post-apoc setting. So guess what I'm doing right now?
I'm taking a break from APEX for a couple of days to put out a new post-apoc/horror sourcebook entitled Cruel Evolution. I'm breaking the big Slaughterhouse Earth manuscript into 3-4 smaller products, which I'll release over the next few months in conjunction with Skortched Urf.
The first sourcebook will be a 'powers' book- expect a new player race, the Clavers, new mutation rules, a bunch of feats spells and 5 new advanced classes. The best way I can describe Cruel Evolution and the Slaughterhouse Earth campaign world is "Rifts as written by Clive Barker"......
Hopefully it'll be well recieved.
Anyway, I'm about 2/3 done with the layout. One of the great satisfactions of self publishing is the fact I'm getting better at layout and design with every book I put out. Cruel Evolution is clean, pretty and lavishly illustrated.
Anyway, have a good one, and expect a bunch of releases from me, and from Mark, over the next few months.
Blessed Be,
CHRIS
Friday, April 10, 2009
Just a quickie.....
You know, I'm not even going to get into the myriad reasons that Wizards of the Coast is shooting itself in the genitals, and I will not comment upon my opinion that if this nonsense keeps up, WOTC will be a closed division of the Hasbro unholy megacorp within 10 years at this rate.
I just won't. Folks alot more articulate than I have already commented. Read Gareth or Mark Cathro''s blogs on the subject, because they have said everything I wanted to, and they got there first with better quality material.
I will say this. I will be continuing to produce D20 Modern-compatable products under the Otherverse America banner, as well as continuing to produce D20 Fantasy and Pathfinder goodies for you guys.
Speaking of Otherverse America, I'm still at work on the APEX soucebook. Right now, its about 140 pages or so. I'm not quite satisfied with it yet- I want to have more. I've got a pretty good selection of gear, armor and aircraft but I want more. I've detailed alot of the history of the world, but it doesn't feel clear and cohesive enough yet.
Still, I'm having fun with it. One thing I'm anxious to get started on is the 100 Plot Hooks section at the end of the book. That section is one of my favorite parts of Otherverse America, and I'm saving the big list of 1 paragraph plot hooks for my last task. It'll be something to savor.
Anyway, I'm off. I've got some family stuff to do tonight.
CHRIS
I just won't. Folks alot more articulate than I have already commented. Read Gareth or Mark Cathro''s blogs on the subject, because they have said everything I wanted to, and they got there first with better quality material.
I will say this. I will be continuing to produce D20 Modern-compatable products under the Otherverse America banner, as well as continuing to produce D20 Fantasy and Pathfinder goodies for you guys.
Speaking of Otherverse America, I'm still at work on the APEX soucebook. Right now, its about 140 pages or so. I'm not quite satisfied with it yet- I want to have more. I've got a pretty good selection of gear, armor and aircraft but I want more. I've detailed alot of the history of the world, but it doesn't feel clear and cohesive enough yet.
Still, I'm having fun with it. One thing I'm anxious to get started on is the 100 Plot Hooks section at the end of the book. That section is one of my favorite parts of Otherverse America, and I'm saving the big list of 1 paragraph plot hooks for my last task. It'll be something to savor.
Anyway, I'm off. I've got some family stuff to do tonight.
CHRIS
Friday, April 3, 2009
More Influential Than I Thought....
Just a quick post. I'm on vacation this weekend, visiting my mother up in Kerrville TX, where I'm writing this with a minor concussion from a gardening accident.
I am still working. I've got about 120 pgs of good material for the APEX sourcebook, which I'll get back to on Monday. But that's not the reason I'm posting.
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=61062&src=FrontPage
I'm a bit more influential in my selection of stock art than I thought. About two weeks ago, Mark and I put up Giants in the Earth, which is illustrated completely with public domain illos of various dinosaurs. I just saw this product,which is a stock art collection using the same dinosaurs I did.
I noticed the same thing. In the weeks after PSI-WATCH came out, which used alot of art from Louis Porter's Image Portfolio, I noticed a bunch of other supers products using the same stock art.
It's flattering to see that people are reading my products and respecting my choices enough to follow my design lead- plus it gives the producers of stock art packages a bit of free exposure.
Let me say the names of some of the stock art collectons I've either used or plan to use:
Louis Porter Jr Image Portfolio
Anthony Cournoyer's Shaman Stock Art Packages
Art by Shinkei, Sci-Fi and Fantasy images (which I'll use in APEX)
Sade's Stock Art
Richard Spake military stock art (another one which will be in APEX)
Dark Sphere Productions
I've also been trying to convince Amanda Webb that she should put a stock art collecton of her own. If you agree, or if you're a game publisher who needs some work done fast, cheap and at high quality, you can find the contact informaton for her on her website, over to the right hand side of this blog.
CHRIS
I am still working. I've got about 120 pgs of good material for the APEX sourcebook, which I'll get back to on Monday. But that's not the reason I'm posting.
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=61062&src=FrontPage
I'm a bit more influential in my selection of stock art than I thought. About two weeks ago, Mark and I put up Giants in the Earth, which is illustrated completely with public domain illos of various dinosaurs. I just saw this product,which is a stock art collection using the same dinosaurs I did.
I noticed the same thing. In the weeks after PSI-WATCH came out, which used alot of art from Louis Porter's Image Portfolio, I noticed a bunch of other supers products using the same stock art.
It's flattering to see that people are reading my products and respecting my choices enough to follow my design lead- plus it gives the producers of stock art packages a bit of free exposure.
Let me say the names of some of the stock art collectons I've either used or plan to use:
Louis Porter Jr Image Portfolio
Anthony Cournoyer's Shaman Stock Art Packages
Art by Shinkei, Sci-Fi and Fantasy images (which I'll use in APEX)
Sade's Stock Art
Richard Spake military stock art (another one which will be in APEX)
Dark Sphere Productions
I've also been trying to convince Amanda Webb that she should put a stock art collecton of her own. If you agree, or if you're a game publisher who needs some work done fast, cheap and at high quality, you can find the contact informaton for her on her website, over to the right hand side of this blog.
CHRIS
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
GO SEE WATCHMEN! (and current activity)
First and foremost: Go see Watchmen. Right fucking now. Shut down your computer and go see that movie, this blog will still be here when you get back.
As a fan of the comic, I give the movie an 8/10. The pacing was a little bit off (especially the psychologist subplot, which had a lot more weight and gravitas in the graphic novel) and there were a few more things I wish were included, but it was an amazingly faithful adaptation. I personally can’t wait for the extended cut, fully loaded DVD, which will probably take the Lord of the Rings route and be a dense, five hour monster of a movie. Can’t wait.
So anyway, in addition to gaming on Sundays and watching the Watchmen, what am I working on?
Right now, I’m hard at work on some additional Otherverse Games releases. I’ve still got some releases in the pipeline, which I assume Mark is waiting for the GM’s day sales to clear, before releasing. In addition to a Thinking Races sourcebook focusing on the core races- Elves, Dwarves and Halflings (and Goblins too, yeah!), expect a trio of advanced classes, which act as indirect support for the Psi-Watch and Otherverse America campaign settings.
In terms of new stuff, I just put together a big, very pretty sourcebook purely of dinosaur stats. All the art is public domain, from various non-profit scientific sources, and looks great. The sourcebook, which I’m titling Giants in the Earth, was pretty much a lark. I felt like putting out some quick, fun monster stat-blocks, and was able to do so at no cost to myself. Again, if you’re a lower end game designer, use all the P.D. and stock art you can- it will dramatically increase your profitability.
I’m also hard at work on two new Thinking Races supplements, one focusing on Planar Races, and another focused exclusively on monsters from Greek mythology. I’ll be commissioning some art for the Planar Races book, as well as doing some stuff myself. Expect that one out in a month or two, and the Greek book shortly there after.
I’ve just sent a couple of fantasy manuscripts over to Louis Porter, one of which brings Ley Lines, geomancy and Ebberon or Final Fantasy-style magi-tech to D20 Fantasy. Hopefully, they’ll get picked up and published. Go buy ‘em when they do, Louis usually puts out some pretty cool stuff.
I’m also putting together a freeform, race creation cookbook which allows players
to build ‘furry’ style anthromorphic races. The manuscript on that one is about 90% complete, though I’ll probably be tweaking it a bit till release. I’ll find some of the sexiest, coolest furry stock art I can and maybe do some of my own. Don’t expect Freeform Anthromorphica until August though- I have every intention of supporting Paizo’s Pathfinder GSL, and will probably release Freeform Anthromorphica as a Pathfinder compatible sourcebook at midnight on the day their ‘streetdate’ restriction expires. I have a feeling that book, hitting at that time, will be a damn good seller for me.
Right now, I’ve got about 50 pages or so of material for Otherverse America’s APEX sourcebook. I’m delving very deeply into the military structure and history of Otherverse America, and focusing lots of attention on the APEX organization itself as well as 2107’s various federal law enforcement agencies. Expect another big ass sourcebook with lots of assorted crunch and fluff. Right now, I want the final sourcebook to top out at between 150 and 200 pages, so I still have a lot of work to do.
Readers, if there’s any thing you want to see in the APEX sourcebook, or questions you need answered after reading the Otherverse America campaign setting, let me know, and if I can I’ll address it in this upcoming sourcebook.
Free Stuff
Finally, I’ll leave you with an excerpt from my yet-to-be-named Greek Thinking Races splatbook- a full racial write up for the Cyclops. Enjoy, and let me know how these big boys work out in your home campaigns. The art on the side by the way is a piece from a Todd Lockwood Magic: the Gathering card, which I’ve always sorta liked.
Player Species: Cyclops
When the world was young, a nation of Cloud Giants allowed a primitive tribe to worship them as gods. The proud giants taught the humans to write, to harvest, to carve runes and to craft weapons- first from bone and wood, and than, as the human’s skills increased, from finer things. And in time, the human tribe became more and more like their giant fathers, becoming as strong and enduring as the mountains that both races called home.
Appearance: Cyclops resemble gigantic, transfigured humans, hinting at the species’ origin as a servitor tribe. The massive creatures have lean, ropy physiques corded with dense muscle- the Cyclops are nearly as powerful as their giant benefactors. They are swarthy, with dark skin, hair and a dark single eye. A Cyclops’ caramel skin is inlaid with slender golden and silver threads, and their large, but dexterous hands are concealed beneath thin, gauntlet-like, bronze plates. Their metallic adornments are gifts from the Cloud Giant Nation for the Cyclops’ millennia of loyal service.
Cyclops have only a single enormous eye under a heavy brow. Flakes of gold float within the creatures’ dark amber pupil. A Cyclops’ single eye is incredibly keen, able to see at a distance as clearly as a well-made spyglass, and as adept at picking out fine details as a jeweler’s eye-lens.
Cyclops of both genders wear their curly, dark hair long, and favor simple styles. When working or waging war, the Cyclops pull their hair into a practical top-knot to keep it out of the way. When at rest, a Cyclops lets its hair hang freely; Cyclops tradition views bound or braided hair as a sign of war-like intent. Cyclops diplomats and rulers rarely tie or braid their hair, for that reason.
Cyclops are excellent smiths, who craft superb, finely decorated weapons and armor, as well as non-military goods such as caravan wagons and long-ships. Cyclops enjoy well-made armor, favoring highly decorated, colorful, full suits of scale armor. Crafting a fine set of scale mail is considered more of a test of a Cyclops’ crafting abilities than building a ‘simple’ suit of full plate, which leads to some interesting rivalries and contests of skill with Dwarven and Rune Troll armor-smiths. When discussing their skills at the forge, Cyclops can be insufferable braggarts, but they have the talent to back their haughty words up.
When at peace, Cyclops wear loose flowing cloth tunics, and both genders will go nude (or nearly so) when the weather is comfortable. Cyclops favor heavy, two handed weapons which take full advantage of their massive strength, with most Cyclops warriors carrying mammoth warhammers and pole arms longer than a human trading wagon.
Reproduction: Cyclops have no set breeding season and enjoy sex for pleasure. Their culture is strongly patriarchal. Though Cyclops females have a few rights and can own property, their lives are ruled by their fathers and husbands. Females are traded between Cyclops clans to cement allegiances or presented as gifts from a vassal to his jarl (ruler).
The Cyclops are a created species, which adds an odd dimension to their pregnancies. Cyclops pregnancies do not come to term until the mother-to-be is ritually blessed by a Cloud Giant, who touches her swollen belly and wishes her unborn child strength and good health. Any Cloud Giant can perform this simple ritual, and even the most evil Cloud Giant will willingly assist a Cyclops female with bringing her child to term. The Cyclops female enters labor within hours of the ritual’s completion; without the assistance of a Cloud Giant, a Cyclops’ pregnancy can last for years, perhaps even decades or centuries, without progressing. Cyclops always give birth to a single son or daughter.
Lands: Cyclops favor mountain homes, especially homelands that look out over a human-held valley. Cyclops enjoy the company of both their giant benefactors and their distant human cousins, and prefer to build their homes near both species. Cyclops have relatively small settlements- most aren’t much bigger than a village, and many are just glorified trading posts.
Relations: Cyclops often act as mediators between the two species that shaped their culture, negotiating peace treaties and trade agreements between humans and the more civilized giant nations.
Alignment: Cyclops share many of the traits of the giants they worship as living gods, a moral outlook not the least among them. Like Cloud Giants, they are often neutral good, though they hold little malice toward evil giant races. Even the most good hearted, crusading Cyclops would rather negotiate with evil giant-kin rather than do battle, but can and do fight evil giants when necessary. Adventuring Cyclops can be any conceivable alignment.
Adventurers: Cyclops adventurers may leave their mountain homes on some errand for their Cloud Giant allies, as part of a trading caravan, or they may simply venture into human lands to find out how their human ancestors lived.
Names: Cyclops names are based upon metallurgical terms, and the proud giants trace their heritage through their father’s line. A Cyclops prefaces his father’s name with the prefix Saka- ‘son of’ or Dakka ‘daughter of’. Once married, a female Cyclops will adopt her husband’s lineage. There is little difference between male and female names otherwise.
Male names: Brannz Saka Iryn, Iryn Saka Cappar, Stylgld Saka Malaky
Female names: Brannz Dakka Sylv, Styl Dakka Brazz, Tyn Dakka Cappar
Languages: Cyclops are equally fluent in Common and Giant. They may select Dwarven, Terran, Auron or Celestial as bonus languages.
Cyclops Racial Traits
Size and Type: Large Giant. As a large creature, a Cyclops receives a +4 size bonus on grapple checks, but suffers a -4 penalty on Hide checks and a -1 size penalty to Armor Class. Cyclops have a base landspeed of 40 ft.
As giants, Cyclops are immune to effects which specifically target humanoids, such as charm person, but are especially vulnerable to spells, weapons and tactics designed to slay giant-kin.
Ability Score Modifiers: +4 STR, +2 INT. Cyclops are strong and tireless, and are highly intelligent. Even the dullest Cyclops can hold their own in philosophical debates with the sages of other species.
Racial Skills: Cyclops enjoy working metal, and all Cyclops (even females) are taught the secrets of forging fine Cyclops-smelted steel during their adolescence. Cyclops settlements ring with the sound of hammers hitting anvils at all hours of the day and night. A Cyclops may add his STR modifier as well as his INT modifier on all Craft (blacksmith) checks.
Cyclops are deferential to giant-kin of all kinds, and are welcome in most giant villages. They receive a +1 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks made against other creatures with the Giant type, including other Cyclops.
Racial Feats: Cyclops receive Alertness as a racial bonus feat, thanks to their keen, giant-granted senses.
Enhanced Senses: A Cyclops has lowlight vision, and even more incredible day vision. Cyclops suffer no distance penalties on Spot checks made in conditions of bright illumination. They can easily recognize a familiar face on the distant horizon.
Favored Class: Any. Like their human forebears, Cyclops are a skillful folk, able to master a diverse array of skills. A multiclass Cyclops’ highest class level does not count when determining if the creature suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
Level Adjustment: +2. Cyclops are strong and clever enough to gain levels much more slowly than a member of one of the smaller races.
As a fan of the comic, I give the movie an 8/10. The pacing was a little bit off (especially the psychologist subplot, which had a lot more weight and gravitas in the graphic novel) and there were a few more things I wish were included, but it was an amazingly faithful adaptation. I personally can’t wait for the extended cut, fully loaded DVD, which will probably take the Lord of the Rings route and be a dense, five hour monster of a movie. Can’t wait.
So anyway, in addition to gaming on Sundays and watching the Watchmen, what am I working on?
Right now, I’m hard at work on some additional Otherverse Games releases. I’ve still got some releases in the pipeline, which I assume Mark is waiting for the GM’s day sales to clear, before releasing. In addition to a Thinking Races sourcebook focusing on the core races- Elves, Dwarves and Halflings (and Goblins too, yeah!), expect a trio of advanced classes, which act as indirect support for the Psi-Watch and Otherverse America campaign settings.
In terms of new stuff, I just put together a big, very pretty sourcebook purely of dinosaur stats. All the art is public domain, from various non-profit scientific sources, and looks great. The sourcebook, which I’m titling Giants in the Earth, was pretty much a lark. I felt like putting out some quick, fun monster stat-blocks, and was able to do so at no cost to myself. Again, if you’re a lower end game designer, use all the P.D. and stock art you can- it will dramatically increase your profitability.
I’m also hard at work on two new Thinking Races supplements, one focusing on Planar Races, and another focused exclusively on monsters from Greek mythology. I’ll be commissioning some art for the Planar Races book, as well as doing some stuff myself. Expect that one out in a month or two, and the Greek book shortly there after.
I’ve just sent a couple of fantasy manuscripts over to Louis Porter, one of which brings Ley Lines, geomancy and Ebberon or Final Fantasy-style magi-tech to D20 Fantasy. Hopefully, they’ll get picked up and published. Go buy ‘em when they do, Louis usually puts out some pretty cool stuff.
I’m also putting together a freeform, race creation cookbook which allows playersto build ‘furry’ style anthromorphic races. The manuscript on that one is about 90% complete, though I’ll probably be tweaking it a bit till release. I’ll find some of the sexiest, coolest furry stock art I can and maybe do some of my own. Don’t expect Freeform Anthromorphica until August though- I have every intention of supporting Paizo’s Pathfinder GSL, and will probably release Freeform Anthromorphica as a Pathfinder compatible sourcebook at midnight on the day their ‘streetdate’ restriction expires. I have a feeling that book, hitting at that time, will be a damn good seller for me.
Right now, I’ve got about 50 pages or so of material for Otherverse America’s APEX sourcebook. I’m delving very deeply into the military structure and history of Otherverse America, and focusing lots of attention on the APEX organization itself as well as 2107’s various federal law enforcement agencies. Expect another big ass sourcebook with lots of assorted crunch and fluff. Right now, I want the final sourcebook to top out at between 150 and 200 pages, so I still have a lot of work to do.
Readers, if there’s any thing you want to see in the APEX sourcebook, or questions you need answered after reading the Otherverse America campaign setting, let me know, and if I can I’ll address it in this upcoming sourcebook.
Free Stuff
Finally, I’ll leave you with an excerpt from my yet-to-be-named Greek Thinking Races splatbook- a full racial write up for the Cyclops. Enjoy, and let me know how these big boys work out in your home campaigns. The art on the side by the way is a piece from a Todd Lockwood Magic: the Gathering card, which I’ve always sorta liked.
Player Species: Cyclops
When the world was young, a nation of Cloud Giants allowed a primitive tribe to worship them as gods. The proud giants taught the humans to write, to harvest, to carve runes and to craft weapons- first from bone and wood, and than, as the human’s skills increased, from finer things. And in time, the human tribe became more and more like their giant fathers, becoming as strong and enduring as the mountains that both races called home.
Appearance: Cyclops resemble gigantic, transfigured humans, hinting at the species’ origin as a servitor tribe. The massive creatures have lean, ropy physiques corded with dense muscle- the Cyclops are nearly as powerful as their giant benefactors. They are swarthy, with dark skin, hair and a dark single eye. A Cyclops’ caramel skin is inlaid with slender golden and silver threads, and their large, but dexterous hands are concealed beneath thin, gauntlet-like, bronze plates. Their metallic adornments are gifts from the Cloud Giant Nation for the Cyclops’ millennia of loyal service.
Cyclops have only a single enormous eye under a heavy brow. Flakes of gold float within the creatures’ dark amber pupil. A Cyclops’ single eye is incredibly keen, able to see at a distance as clearly as a well-made spyglass, and as adept at picking out fine details as a jeweler’s eye-lens.
Cyclops of both genders wear their curly, dark hair long, and favor simple styles. When working or waging war, the Cyclops pull their hair into a practical top-knot to keep it out of the way. When at rest, a Cyclops lets its hair hang freely; Cyclops tradition views bound or braided hair as a sign of war-like intent. Cyclops diplomats and rulers rarely tie or braid their hair, for that reason.
Cyclops are excellent smiths, who craft superb, finely decorated weapons and armor, as well as non-military goods such as caravan wagons and long-ships. Cyclops enjoy well-made armor, favoring highly decorated, colorful, full suits of scale armor. Crafting a fine set of scale mail is considered more of a test of a Cyclops’ crafting abilities than building a ‘simple’ suit of full plate, which leads to some interesting rivalries and contests of skill with Dwarven and Rune Troll armor-smiths. When discussing their skills at the forge, Cyclops can be insufferable braggarts, but they have the talent to back their haughty words up.
When at peace, Cyclops wear loose flowing cloth tunics, and both genders will go nude (or nearly so) when the weather is comfortable. Cyclops favor heavy, two handed weapons which take full advantage of their massive strength, with most Cyclops warriors carrying mammoth warhammers and pole arms longer than a human trading wagon.
Reproduction: Cyclops have no set breeding season and enjoy sex for pleasure. Their culture is strongly patriarchal. Though Cyclops females have a few rights and can own property, their lives are ruled by their fathers and husbands. Females are traded between Cyclops clans to cement allegiances or presented as gifts from a vassal to his jarl (ruler).
The Cyclops are a created species, which adds an odd dimension to their pregnancies. Cyclops pregnancies do not come to term until the mother-to-be is ritually blessed by a Cloud Giant, who touches her swollen belly and wishes her unborn child strength and good health. Any Cloud Giant can perform this simple ritual, and even the most evil Cloud Giant will willingly assist a Cyclops female with bringing her child to term. The Cyclops female enters labor within hours of the ritual’s completion; without the assistance of a Cloud Giant, a Cyclops’ pregnancy can last for years, perhaps even decades or centuries, without progressing. Cyclops always give birth to a single son or daughter.
Lands: Cyclops favor mountain homes, especially homelands that look out over a human-held valley. Cyclops enjoy the company of both their giant benefactors and their distant human cousins, and prefer to build their homes near both species. Cyclops have relatively small settlements- most aren’t much bigger than a village, and many are just glorified trading posts.
Relations: Cyclops often act as mediators between the two species that shaped their culture, negotiating peace treaties and trade agreements between humans and the more civilized giant nations.
Alignment: Cyclops share many of the traits of the giants they worship as living gods, a moral outlook not the least among them. Like Cloud Giants, they are often neutral good, though they hold little malice toward evil giant races. Even the most good hearted, crusading Cyclops would rather negotiate with evil giant-kin rather than do battle, but can and do fight evil giants when necessary. Adventuring Cyclops can be any conceivable alignment.
Adventurers: Cyclops adventurers may leave their mountain homes on some errand for their Cloud Giant allies, as part of a trading caravan, or they may simply venture into human lands to find out how their human ancestors lived.
Names: Cyclops names are based upon metallurgical terms, and the proud giants trace their heritage through their father’s line. A Cyclops prefaces his father’s name with the prefix Saka- ‘son of’ or Dakka ‘daughter of’. Once married, a female Cyclops will adopt her husband’s lineage. There is little difference between male and female names otherwise.
Male names: Brannz Saka Iryn, Iryn Saka Cappar, Stylgld Saka Malaky
Female names: Brannz Dakka Sylv, Styl Dakka Brazz, Tyn Dakka Cappar
Languages: Cyclops are equally fluent in Common and Giant. They may select Dwarven, Terran, Auron or Celestial as bonus languages.
Cyclops Racial Traits
Size and Type: Large Giant. As a large creature, a Cyclops receives a +4 size bonus on grapple checks, but suffers a -4 penalty on Hide checks and a -1 size penalty to Armor Class. Cyclops have a base landspeed of 40 ft.
As giants, Cyclops are immune to effects which specifically target humanoids, such as charm person, but are especially vulnerable to spells, weapons and tactics designed to slay giant-kin.
Ability Score Modifiers: +4 STR, +2 INT. Cyclops are strong and tireless, and are highly intelligent. Even the dullest Cyclops can hold their own in philosophical debates with the sages of other species.
Racial Skills: Cyclops enjoy working metal, and all Cyclops (even females) are taught the secrets of forging fine Cyclops-smelted steel during their adolescence. Cyclops settlements ring with the sound of hammers hitting anvils at all hours of the day and night. A Cyclops may add his STR modifier as well as his INT modifier on all Craft (blacksmith) checks.
Cyclops are deferential to giant-kin of all kinds, and are welcome in most giant villages. They receive a +1 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks made against other creatures with the Giant type, including other Cyclops.
Racial Feats: Cyclops receive Alertness as a racial bonus feat, thanks to their keen, giant-granted senses.
Enhanced Senses: A Cyclops has lowlight vision, and even more incredible day vision. Cyclops suffer no distance penalties on Spot checks made in conditions of bright illumination. They can easily recognize a familiar face on the distant horizon.
Favored Class: Any. Like their human forebears, Cyclops are a skillful folk, able to master a diverse array of skills. A multiclass Cyclops’ highest class level does not count when determining if the creature suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
Level Adjustment: +2. Cyclops are strong and clever enough to gain levels much more slowly than a member of one of the smaller races.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)