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Illuminated Site of the Week
Scientists have discovered a gas giant about 2-1/2 times the size of Jupiter circling a distant pulsar. Named Methuselah, the planet is estimated to be 12.5 billion years old (by comparison, Earth is considered to be only 4.5 billion years old or so . . .). This is important because the discovery of a planet this old, in a location where they had previously not expected to find any planets at all, means there could be many, many more planets out there than previously thought. And the more planets that are out there, the more likely some of them contain life.
Read the Science News Online story for more information.
-- Scott Haring
Promised Sands details greater than a dozen races, over twenty-five cultures, and more than two hundred occupations as well as provides plot hooks, character creation options, and a rich, full world in which to adventure.
July 30, 2003: Pass The Liver . . . And The Kidneys
Scientists at M.I.T. and Harvard have developed a new process that uses nanotech to help support the growth of functional human organs in the laboratory. That brings us one step closer to Transhuman Space . . .
Read the ScientificAmerican.com article for all the details.
-- Scott Haring
Warehouse 23 News: The Kids Of Dork Storm Press
SnapDragons #3 and ps238 #2 are now available.
July 29, 2003: The Iraq Situation Is Unsettled
Our local Iraq situation, that is. Target: Iraq has been removed from the schedule for now. Note: "removed from the schedule" is not a euphemism for "cancelled." It means "OK, it won't come out when we thought it would, and we don't feel comfortable just announcing a month's delay, so you no longer see it on the Upcoming Products pages."
The problem is basically this: the first draft rules that we received would have done SPI proud. In the old big-box format. There was lots of great stuff there . . . but lots of words, too. It needs to be a LOT shorter, text-wise – both to fit the format and to make it accessible, since the goal is to have a wargame that can be played fairly quickly. But we don't want to lose any play value. So the designer is working on it. More on this when there's more to report . . .
-- Steve Jackson
Spam evolution is clearly headed in very strange directions. This one got past my spam filter, but I'm at a loss to find out what they're selling ... if anything.
Subject: Dimensional Warp Generator Needed wfc py d rxvj
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(Actually RELIABLE in providing the below equipment) Contact details
of vendor required, including name and phone #. If they turn out to be
reliable in supplying the below equipment I'll immediately pay you
$5,000. We prefer to work with vendor in the Boston/New York area.
1. The mind warper generation 4 Dimensional Warp Generator # 52 4350a
series wrist watch with z80 or better memory adapter. If in stock the
AMD Dimensional Warp Generator module containing the GRC79 induction
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Devices isolinear modules, This unit also has a menu driven GUI
accessible on the front panel XID display. All in 1 units would be
great if reliable models are available
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with built in temporal displacement. Needed with complete
jumper/auxiliary system
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from readily available parts.
If your vendor turns out to be reliable, I owe you $5,000.
Email his details to me at: info@federalfundingprogram.com
Please do not reply directly back to this email as it will
only be bounced back to you.
reverse
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-- Mark Cogan
July 27, 2003: Yes, But Does He Get Comps For Playtesting This Stuff?
This guy is a prime example of why life just isn't fair. You know you wish you had his job.
-- Sage
July 26, 2003: And I Signed, And Signed, And Signed . . .
Today is that happy day that comes only four times a year . . . royalty payment day. And it came a little bit sooner than usual today, because the business office crew got everything sorted out, and the checks printed, almost a full week before the end of the month. Which is a Very Good Thing. It's important to us to pay on time, and too often that means that the couple of days right before the deadline are . . . unpleasant. Big backpats to everyone concerned for making that NOT happen this time.
The only downside is that I have to sign hundreds of royalty checks and letters. But I'm almost done with that . . .
Warehouse 23 News: The Quest For The Magic Carrot
Killer Bunnies: Violet Booster Pack sports new Specialty bunnies, which make taking double turns a snap!
July 25, 2003: Illuminated Site of the Week: ...Signifying Nothing
American Technology Corporation is on the cutting edge of audio
developments. They make woofers and speakers . . .
. . . and, oh yeah, sonic bullets.
-- Suggested by Euel Ball
Classic BattleTech: Map Set Compilation 1 contains 24 previously published maps for use with Classic BattleTech.
If you're a Pyramid subscriber and you ordinarily get your fix of articles at the end of the week, you may want to move up your reading plans for this week's issue (7/25/03). Like, say, before Monday, 11:59PM EST.
Why? We can't tell you.
And if you're not a subscriber yet, you may want to come on board now for . . . um . . . the thing we can't tell you about.
– Steven Marsh
Editor of Pyramid Magazine
This was my first San Diego Comic-Con. Wow. I was extremely impressed.
First, it was very professionally managed in most ways. They contacted me well in advance, assigned me a very competent at-con liaison, and generally made sure that avoidable problems were avoided.
Second, it was BIG. Really, as Douglas Adams would have said, somethingorother mind-bogglingly big. From one end of the exhibit hall, I could not SEE the other end, and I think it had to do with the curvature of the Earth.
Third, it was well attended by people I wanted to meet! After much correspondence, I finally got to shake hands (and talk about Evil Plans) with Wil Wheaton. Ditto for Howard Tayler, creator of the really excellent Schlock Mercenary, which I commend to all of you. I also met Maritza Campos, who writes and draws College Roomies from Hell. (I've been reading her strip for a long time, but never sent fan mail. I just meant to stop by her table, spend money, and make fan noises, but we ended up talking for a while. She impressed me! She really thinks about what she does, and she pays attention to other webcomics.)
And I renewed acquaintance, albeit briefly, with Jon and Phillip of Goats . . . and showed Jon the printout of his "Fowl Fiend" card from Munchkin 3 - Clerical Errors, and enjoyed his burbling. And speaking of Munchkin, John Kovalic and I DID talk about further projects . . .
And many more. No doubt five minutes after this posts I'll be going "Right! How could I leave XXXXX out!"
Fourth (we were numbering things, remember?): I got to do a couple of talks to large audiences who asked interesting questions. And at one of those talks, I was presented with the con's "Inkpot Award," for service to comics and related fields . . . in this case, gaming. THAT goes up on the wall, you bet.
Fifth: our line was being represented at the con by Adventure Retail, which is one of the truly primo con-retailing outfits. They set up booths at Origins and GenCon and so on, so WE don't have to. We get to pay attention to the con and the fans, instead. And bossman Jerry Corrick himself was there, showing the world how this convention-booth stuff ought to be done. A bravura performance.
And sixth: the con had a game demo area set up right in the dealer room, right next to Jerry's booth! So I got to spend a lot of time with some of our best Men In Black, and with a whole lot of fans. We demonstrated Frag with the neat 3-D board that Phil Reed built; we showed off B&W proof copies of Strange Synergy – and people really loved it. I was delighted. And, of course, a whole lot of evil Munchkining. This was the first outing for Munchkin Fu, and Jerry's booth sold out halfway through the third day of the four-day con. Woooooo!
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: A Game Of Hunting Game
Hip Pocket Games: Safari Jack Remix is a pleasant little game about exploring, discovering, and killing things.
July 22, 2003: Back! And Now Shipping . . .
First: Yes, indeed, the zine newsgroups may still be down as you read this. If they are, we're working on it.
Second: I'm back. It was a heck of a show, and I mean that in the good way. There will be a report tomorrow. Not today, because today is the day for:
New Release Announcements!
Look for all these in a game store near you in the very near future:
GURPS Character Builder 3.0
The newest version of the official character-creation program for GURPS. The GURPS Character Builder lets you design, optimize, store, modify, and print out characters in all the most popular genres. All the system's standard advantages, disadvantages, and skills are supported, with complete character creation rules from the GURPS Basic Set and GURPS Compendium I, as well as GURPS Magic, GURPS Grimoire, GURPS Psionics, GURPS Martial Arts, GURPS Supers, GURPS Wizards, GURPS Warriors, and even GURPS Fantasy Folk! Lots of extras, including a die roller, round out this package . . . and Version 3.0 adds a Template Builder function to make custom character creation even easier.
(For Windows only. Sorry, Mac fans.)
CD-ROM in DVD case.
Stock #5401,
ISBN 1-55634-024-9.
$24.95.
GURPS Shapeshifters
Shapeshifting . . . changing from one form to another . . . is a classic element of fantastic fiction. It might be caused by magic or by an alien biology . . . or by some wondrous gadget!
Here are complete rules for creating shapeshifter characters in GURPS, tying together material from several previous books. Many examples are included, from powerful individuals to whole races of shapeshifters that are the stars (or the villains) of their own campaign settings.
Create shapeshifter heroes, or fight body-switching menaces. From the traditional werewolf to the modern anime "house pet that becomes a giant robot," here are rules and creatures that every campaign can use.
128 pages.
Stock #6533,
ISBN 1-55634-452-X.
$22.95.
Transhuman Space: High Frontier
"One giant leap for mankind . . ."
In the year 2100, Earth-Lunar space is the most densely populated area of the solar system outside Earth itself. Come visit:
- Earth orbit, buzzing with busy factories and bustling spaceports, under the watchful eye of rival orbital weapons platforms. But the biggest danger is not the threat of war but the ravages of 150 years of space junk, moving at 25,000 miles per hour!
- Lagrange 4, where giant cities in space glitter like jewels in the night, presided over by the massive O'Neill colony Islandia.
- Lagrange 5, the ghetto of the solar system, colonized by dreamers, ideologues and undercapitalized entrepreneurs. Sometimes a dream and a prayer aren't enough.
- The Moon. We're back, and this time with bulldozers. Luna is the solar system's industrial park, with Helium-3 mines that feed the fusion reactors on Earth, and more cybershell robots than people. But it's not all machines: the north and south poles are home to the pleasure domes of Moonshadow and thriving transhumanist Luna City. And on Luna's farside, a massive telescope array unravels the mysteries of the cosmos . . .
144 pages.
Stock #6704,
ISBN 1-55634-709-X.
$24.95.
Warehouse 23 News: Spider-Man, The X-Men, Daredevil, The Hulk . . .
The Marvel Universe RPG lets you play more than 40 of your favorite super heroes and super villains or create new heroes and villains of your own.
Yes, our site was unreachable for a while last night, as Sage worked on the server upgrade we announced Saturday.
Phil and I are on our way home from a truly excellent Comic-Con, and will hit the ground running . . . just in time to see Ross and Michelle off to GenCon.
-- Steve Jackson
Are you tired of worshipping Cthulhu by yourself? Do you need a cuddly companion to join you in your dark rituals? The Cthulhu Cultist Teddy Bear is cute, soft, and shares your devotion to the Elder Gods.
The scheduled maintenance performed yesterday was a little rocky, but has ended well. However, due to some of the changes made, you might notice some problems. Most notably, the Pyramid newsgroups are currently not available. We are aware of the problem and are working to fix it. Any other problems should be reported to sysadmin@sjgames.com, and copied to webmaster@sjgames.com, and marq@sjgames.com.
-- Sage
Or, "Get others to do unto you what they were hoping you would do unto them."
By now, everyone should be aware of the so-called "Nigerian" or "419" scam, where for a modest investment, you too can partake in the MILLIONS OF US$ looted from some small African country in the throes of upheaval. Scam-o-Rama is a site dedicated to all the permutations of this scam, including tips for not being taken, stories of those who were taken, and interchanges of varying humorousness between would-be scammers and wouldn't-be scammees.
Probably the best ones are the transactions in which the scammer ends up forking over valuta of his own. Out of that select few, this story takes the gold.
Literally.
-- Andrew Hackard, Managing Editor
We will be updating software on the webserver during the afternoon today (July 20). This will mean some downtime and strange behavior as we get everything sorted out. Please bear with us, and come back to a healthy, updated machine on Monday!
Thanks,
-- Mark Cogan
Warehouse 23 News: We Catch Them All!
Display your true feelings for everyone's favorite electrified rodent with the PokéGONE Extermination and PokéGONE Rat Trap T-shirts, both illustrated by John Kovalic.
People working for the French government will no longer be able to send or receive e-mail, according to CNN.
Warehouse 23 News: Experience Metal On Metal Action!
Warmachine Prime details an extensive history of the Iron Kingdoms and the background on all of the Warmachine factions, and includes complete army rosters with dozens of characters, units, and warjacks, so you can build the army you desire.
July 18, 2003: Illuminated Site of the Week: Fer Yer Comput-Arrr
Why bother with a full system setup if you use an economy of language
to begin with? It's the pirate
keyboard.
-- Suggested by whit
Warehouse 23 News: Rousing Tales Of Blood And Thunder!
Face down ancient horrors and evil magic with hot lead and cold steel, and woe be to the swab who dares water your rum! The Tales of Freeport are ready to be told.
Steve Jackson Games has announced the following products for an October, 2003 release:
Dork Tower
Now you can play John Kovalic's Dork Tower characters . . . as they play their characters . . . in a magical quest for the ultimate prize where no strategy is too low, no player too Munchkiny, and no rule is safe!
Adventure through the land of Aurora, smiting monsters and growing in power, until you are strong enough to challenge the evil wizard in his tower. Slay him and you win . . . fail, and be cast from the heights . . .
This is a fast-moving game for 3 to 6 players, from the same folks who brought you the wildly popular Munchkin card game and its hilarious follow-ups.
Dork Tower features a full-color game map with a 3-D central tower, over 100 monster and character disks, pretty dice, spell cards, rules, and character sheets . . . all illustrated, of course, by John Kovalic!
Boxed game, with 56 cards, over 100 monster and character disks, game map with 3-D central tower, rules, character sheets, and two dice.
Stock #1370,
ISBN 1-55634-714-6.
$39.95.
Spooks
You don't have to outrun the monsters . . . if you can outrun your friends.
In this fast-moving game, you play your cards by matching numbers and suits. The first player to empty his hand wins . . . and the spooks get everybody else! Each suit (Spiders, Ghosts, Goblins, Skeletons, and Bats) has a special rule, and the top card in each suit has a special power . . . so you don't know who will be first to escape the haunted house until the final card is played. Spooks is a great quick party game . . . kids will enjoy it, too!
56 full-color cards in a small tuck box.
Stock #1425,
ISBN 1-55634-717-0.
$9.95.
GURPS Faerie
They lie, steal, kidnap, maim, and kill -- and we put them in our children's nurseries. They are the Fair Folk . . . the Little People . . . the Faeries.
You may think they only appear in tales, but they are everywhere: in the shadows, behind the trees, beneath the hills -- and yes, even under the bed. They have lived beside us since the very beginning. Some are pretty and delicate, with gossamer wings . . . others are 10 feet tall with a taste for human flesh or wizened killers with blue skin and iron claws. This book lets you incorporate them all into your GURPS game.
GURPS Faerie contains:
- A guide to faeries of the world, from Alaska and Australia to Brazil and Japan.
- Templates for many different types of faeries . . . and the mortals who know them.
- A guide to faerie magic.
- Campaign settings, from traditional European folklore to paranormal investigation or supernatural cyberpunk -- or build your own with the tools provided!
Keep cold iron and Scripture close to hand, believe the opposite of what you hear, and don't trust anything you see. And, whatever you do, don't eat their food.
128 pages.
Stock #6043,
ISBN 1-55634-632-8.
$22.95.
GURPS Covert Ops
Adventure In The Shadows . . .
Assassins, saboteurs, and terrorists have been with us all through history. Sometimes their deeds have changed the course of empires. If you want to change history - or stop those who would - then GURPS Covert Ops is the book you're looking for.
GURPS Covert Ops features:
- A comprehensive catalog of the tools of the trade, from guns and bombs to disguises and forged documents.
- A guide to the defenses and countermeasures that operatives will have to defeat to accomplish their mission.
- Covert operations for historical, science-fiction, and fantasy settings.
- Templates for agents in any setting, from the street-corner thug to the secretive poisoner, from the mercenary to the religious fanatic.
- Profiles of organizations that can be used as sponsors . . . or adversaries.
GURPS Covert Ops can be used in any roleplaying game that involves assassins, saboteurs, or terrorists, either as the heroes - or the enemy. Come play in the shadows . . .
128 pages.
Stock #6549,
ISBN 1-55634-658-1.
$22.95.
Witching Hour: The Art of Larry MacDougall
Long popular with White Wolf and FASA fans, Larry MacDougall's artwork has a deep, passionate, almost primitive feel. Witching Hour: The Art of Larry MacDougall collects some of Larry's finest work . . . including many selections, never before published, from his private sketchbooks! Fans of whimsical art owe it to themselves to add this fanciful tome to their library.
Hardcover, 64 full-color pages.
Stock #60-1010,
ISBN 1-55634-630-1.
$26.95.
With four distinct module styles - including an event-based murder mystery and a real-time fortress infiltration - Epic Tales: Race for Retribution provides both "roll" and roleplayers hours of enjoyment.
We'll just assume that this is not an editorial comment from the Almighty . . .
Warehouse 23 News: Because RPGs Really Need To Be Made Fun Of
RPG Blues, Vol. 1 is a 64-page collection of your favorite strips plus seven never-before-seen gags.
From Thursday through Sunday this week, Phil Reed and I will be at the San Diego Comic-Con, the biggest comics convention in the country. I have never been there before, so it was a compliment to be invited as one of their guests of honor!
I'll be doing two talks:
Thursday at 5:30 pm (till 7) - "What's New at Steve Jackson Games," in Room 9
Friday at 4:30pm (till 6) - "Spotlight on Steve Jackson," 4:30-6 in Room 8
A lot of our MIBs will be there, running a lot of games (focusing, for some reason, on Frag). Boom! So I will be looking in on some of those, and I may even be wearing the target for a couple of rounds of "Kill Evil Stevie."
So far I have been VERY impressed by my contacts with these folks. If their convention is as professional as their pre-convention correspondence, this will be one of the neatest and smoothest-run events I have ever attended.
If you're coming to the con, come by and see me. If you weren't planning to come, change your plans!
-- Steve Jackson
Rifts: Chaos Earth is the stand-alone prequel to the Rifts RPG series. Rifts: Chi-Town 'Burbs - Firetown & the Tolkeen Crisis is the second of several Chi-Town 'Burbs sourcebooks fleshing out the world in the shadow of Chi-Town.
July 14, 2003: People Who Should Not Ask Us For Jobs
Which is rather the point of this cartoon, yes, but it bears repeating.
Please, if your resume looks like that, don't bother writing -- we don't have work for someone with your, uh, unique talents.
Everyone else, enjoy. (Thanks to Archangel Beth for the link!)
-- Andrew Hackard, Managing Editor
Warehouse 23 News: Discovery, Power, Horror, And Conspiracy
Nightbane is a game of supernatural shape-changers who can appear completely human, but are really superhuman creatures from the twilight dimension known as the Nightlands.
If you wrote articles for the late and lamented d20 Weekly, and you have not been paid for those articles, please contact Cyndy with the name of your article, the issue in which it appeared, the word count, and whether you prefer a check or a merchandise voucher. She will look into it for you and we'll proceed from there.
We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
-- Andrew Hackard, Managing Editor
Warehouse 23 News: Paper Dice With Spaceships
Diceland: Space is two Diceland expansions based on the computer game Strange Adventures in Infinite Space.
In response to many requests, we have started a mailing list for announcements of new errata posted to our website. It should (we hope!) be a very low-volume list.
To subscribe, go here and fill out the subscription form.
Thanks to Sage for setting this up!
-- Andrew Hackard, Managing Editor
Warehouse 23 News: The Birthplace Of Espionage Awaits
Shadowforce Archer: European Commonwealth includes new European Commonwealth allies, mission protocols, and resources - everything needed to play a Commonwealth agent or campaign.
July 11, 2003: Illuminated Site of the Week: ...And If It's A Girl, Kumquat
Maybe they're bored. Maybe they're drunk. To be fair, it's tough to give a child an identity when names are either too common or too esoteric, but some parents don't even come close. If you're having a child or know someone who is, don't let them name the kid without a trip to Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing. The dignity you save may be your own.
-- Suggested by Roderick Robertson
Warehouse 23 News: Holy Sites And Classic Adventures
Penumbra: Sacred Ground presents four plug-and-play holy sites useful as home bases, adventure settings, or lairs. The Penumbra: Classic Adventures Bundle offers the opportunity to acquire the early classics of the Penumbra line all together at a special price.
Some of these titles are already on your local game store shelves, and the rest will be there very, very soon. Check them out!
Munchkin Fu
If you loved Munchkin . . . look out. Here they come again.
"I'm a Ninja with the Dragon Tooth Katana!"
"I'm a Monk with the Sai of Spleen-Mangling. Fear my Drunken Monkey Kung Fu!"
"I'm a Yakuza with a gun. Run away!"
The Munchkins are back! Now the game is chop-socky Hong Kong action. The characters are Samurai, Ninja, Yakuza, and Monks. The foes are mooks, demons, and assorted bad guys from all the worst martial arts films you've ever seen. Collect treasures and learn new styles to build up your character's powers. Kill the monsters, take their stuff, and be the first one to 10th level!
Created by Steve Jackson. Munchkin Fu is completely compatible with the original Munchkin (and with Star Munchkin, if you're really nuts).
Boxed game with 168 cards, rules, and die.
Stock #1412,
ISBN 1-55634-677-8.
$24.95.
GURPS Ultra-Tech 2/er
(Reprint)
Welcome to the Future!
GURPS Ultra-Tech is a sourcebook for science-fiction technology, from the 21st century to the farthest reaches of the future. From the vacuum of interstellar space to the murderous intrigue of the court of the Galactic Empire, to the lowest dives of the asteroids, an adventurer is no better than his gear. GURPS Ultra-Tech, Second Edition Revised has been reorganized for ease of use -- equipment is now sorted by type, not by Tech Level.
128 pages.
Stock #6032,
ISBN 1-55634-315-9.
$22.95.
GURPS Traveller: Humaniti
In the far future, mankind has scattered to many worlds and divided into many races . . . and some are very alien, despite their Human ancestry. GURPS Traveller: Humaniti describes 16 Human-descended races from the far reaches of the Imperium and beyond, including the technologically advanced Darrians (with their sun-smashing Star Trigger), the carnivorous Dynchia, the dour warrior Azhanti, and the aggressive Itharans. Compiled by Loren Wiseman, this book is a valuable resource for any GURPS Traveller campaign.
144 pages.
Stock #6623,
ISBN 1-55634-521-6.
$24.95.
Chez Geek 2 - Slack Attack
(Reprint)
Chez Geek is the award-winning card game that throws open the door on apartment life - the cheap booze, the interrupted sleep, the shrieks of your roommate's S.O. Now add even more stress to your living situation with Chez Geek 2: Slack Attack. This 56-card expansion adds new stuff, new activities, new annoying "friends" - and, yes, new nookie! - to the all-important quest for Slack.
56-card boxed supplement.
Stock #1333,
ISBN 1-55634-450-3.
$9.95.
GURPS Lite
(Reprint)
GURPS Lite is a 32-page distillation of the basic GURPS rules. It covers the essentials of character creation, combat, success rolls, magic, adventuring, and game mastering.
The purpose of GURPS Lite is to help GMs bring new players into the game, without frightening them with the Basic Set, Compendiums, and a stack of worldbooks! With GURPS Lite, you can show your players just how simple the GURPS system really is.
It can also be used as a neophyte's stand-alone introduction to roleplaying . . . but it is really designed as a tool to let the experienced player bring his friends into the game.
And it's available free, both in PDF form and direct from Warehouse 23 (we'll include one free with any purchase if you ask, but if you order it by itself, it will cost $2.00).
32 pages.
Stock #6094,
ISBN 1-55634-443-0.
$FREE!.
Warehouse 23 News: Modular Cardstock Buildings & Terrain
Dirt Cheep Cityscapes is three complete sets of scenics (Skyscrapers, City Blocks, and Vehicles) scaled for popular adventure gaming miniatures and ready to be printed from any computer that can read PDFs.
At a park in Ohio, all you need to hunt for fossils is a bucket and a willingness to get dirty. Here's the CNN story.
Warehouse 23 News: The First-Class Roleplaying Game For Third-Rate Heroes
Stuperpowers Deluxe! transforms players into superheroes with silly, useless, and downright disgusting superpowers and sends them into battle with the only slightly less ridiculous forces of evil!
July 8, 2003: The Telescope Works Both Ways
Some bright people at MIT have figured out that if the U.S. government plans to increase intelligence-gathering operations on its own citizens, there's no reason at all that U.S. citizens shouldn't be gathering intelligence on the government.
And so they are.
-- Andrew Hackard, Managing Editor
Warehouse 23 News: Opens Up Whole New Worlds For Heroes
Each volume in the Master Class series of d20 sourcebooks introduces a new core class for the d20 System and provides everything needed to fully integrate that class into a campaign.
Our thanks go out to Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld series! At Origins, he was kind enough to sign 10 copies each of the Discworld RPG and Discworld Also. We'll be donating nine of the sets to various conventions for their charity auctions. The tenth set will go into our own auction to give everyone else a chance at getting the pterrific one's autograph!
Warehouse 23 News: Slaves & Soulmechs
Investigate a series of strange disappearances, but beware becoming a slave to technology in Dragonstar: Heart of the Machine.
July 6, 2003: The New York Times Discovers Transhumanism
And they're not sure what to do about it. Here's the Nicholas Kristof column.
Warehouse 23 News: One Hell Of A Good Time
Be the first to enter the 9th Circle of Hell and defeat Lucifer in Dante's Inferno.
July 5, 2003: The First One Sank Into The Swamp. The Second One . . .
There's a guy who has been building a castle in Florida. No, he's not using Cardboard Heroes Castles; he's using old printing plates. Tours are available.
Read the CNN story.
-- Andrew Hackard, Managing Editor
Land of Og brings the modern world the joy of grunting, banging on chests, and trying to communicate with only 18 words.
July 4, 2003: Illuminated Site of the Week: A Frank Discussion About Art
Unless you can read Japanese, you won't understand a word of it. But art is a universal language, and these pieces of hot dog art speak for themselves.
-- Andy
Warehouse 23 News: High-Powered Epic Space Fantasy
Join CORE Command and protect the universe from an encroaching evil that menaces the entire space-time continuum. This is the first Dream Pod 9 line to use the new Silhouette CORE rulebook.
Origins 2003 was, for me, a hoot. From what I have heard, everyone who attended Steve Jackson Games' events had a great time and walked away with "something," be it a game they won, a supplement, or a bookmark. I would especially like to thank all the cheerful MIBs that devoted their time to run some spectacular games and Alex Yeager for his excellent organizational skills.
Of our events at Origins, one of my favorites is the GURPS Iron GM Competition. Nine players squared off for a challenge that lasted way into Saturday night/Sunday morning. Six randomly selected GURPS books were divided between two groups of players. The "green group" created characters using GURPS Traveller: Planetary Survey 4 - Glisten, the Hellboy RPG, and GURPS Magic Items 3. "Blue group" struggled with GURPS Illuminati, GURPS Alpha Centauri, and GURPS Blood Types. Whew! Let me tell you it was not easy. As celebrity player and judge, it was a struggle for me to come up with a character for each, and I had all the time I needed before Origins even started! My bouncing every hour from group to group made the GMs work overtime this year. This year's GURPS Iron GM was Dave Choat.
Congratulations to all who played. Every player won a GURPS item and the GM contestants won their respective random titles. Dave was awarded the Grand Prize of any GURPS book in print . . . he selected GURPS Alpha Centauri.
Will Dave be back next year to defend his title? We shall see.
-- William Toporek
Warehouse 23 News: The Omniverse Is Exploding
Mutants & Masterminds: Time of Crisis is a world-spanning adventure that challenges the heroes to save not just one Earth, but four!
This was my first visit to the Columbus incarnation of Origins. It went pretty well! The convention center (which I'd seen before, at a MarCon) is a good facility. There were definitely over 10,000 people there; I don't have an official number. Most things went pretty smoothly. We'll not dwell on my Guest of Honor speech, which was listed as "sold out," and had no location given in the program book, but I really enjoyed talking to the eight people who managed to find it anyway.
Other things went better. The Pirate Game ran better than expected as four game sessions of only two hours each. (All thanks to those who helped me, especially Robin McNeil, who was there from setup to breakdown and had good ideas for making it run more smoothly.) The room was the best I've ever had for the game, the wireless microphone was useful, and 30 players at once makes for one heck of a pirate melee.
Frag was fun in 3-D. We were doing a "Frag Evil Stevie" scenario in which I was a giant lizard-thing with acid immunity and very good stats. I died anyway, but only once.
And I got to see a lot of old friends. All told, it was a good weekend, and I made it back here with all my hit points.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: To Seek Out New Life And New Civilizations
Star Trek: Aliens presents all of the information necessary to include many of Star Trek's most popular life forms in your game.
What do you get when you combine James Ernest's neat Diceland game with the dark and explosive world of Ogre?
Duh. You get Diceland: Ogre. You get 17 big cardboard dice (and one HUGE one) that you toss onto the table; each die represents a unit, and they move and shoot and die and come back . . .
Produced under license by Cheapass Games, this game's centerpiece is the GIANT cardboard die for the Ogre. Too much fun. I really enjoyed testing this one with James at GAMA. It's a stand-alone game, but it does combine with other Diceland games. And yes, you can now get it from Warehouse 23.
-- Steve Jackson
Check out Warehouse 23's best selling items for June on the Warehouse 23 Top 10 page.
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