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Illuminated Site of the Week
April 30, 2004: Illuminated Site of the Week: When The Chips Are Down
Sure, the site is mostly shameless promotion for the Chip of the Month Club, but they do have the even more shamelessly named Paranormal Potato Chip Gallery of All-Stars . . . and isn't a potato chip shaped like Elvis really what it's all about? -- Suggested by Lynette R. F. Cowper
Warehouse 23 News: Bundle Of Buccaneers
Filled with more piratey anarchy than you could hoist a Jolly Roger over, the Pirates of Freeport Bundle contains three Freeport books for less than they would cost put together. And when you're playing a pirate, it's in character to go for such a steal.
Sometime around 10am Wednesday, our provider, Birch Telecom, suffered a beaut of an outage, affecting Austin, Houston, and other parts of Texas. We didn't get our service restored until around 8pm. But we seem to be fine now. Apologies to those who tried to reach us and couldn't!
Staff reactions were more or less evenly divided between "I cannot function without the net" and "Oh, goody, where's my slide rule?" "I'll see your slide rule and raise you an abacus."
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Lights. Cards. Action!
Action movies make for great eye candy, but they don't always do much to engage your brain. Try making the movie interactive! Film Frenzy: Action Movie Edition gives you cards to score points on all those over-used action movie cliches, in a game you can play while you watch.
The Warehouse 23 Basement is finally open again, after a long absence. Those who remember the Basement are now leaping with joy. Those who don't remember it . . . well, that's what the link is for.
The Basement was closed for a long time due to infrastructure issues, and the more than 5,000 boxes down there languished lonely and unopened. A few weeks ago we figured out what the problem was and repairs started. Unfortunately, one of the repair crew accidentally broke something down there and cut off the flow of random numbers without which Warehouse 23 itself cannot operate . . .
I swear, all the above is literally true.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: In The Far Corner Of The Ring . . .
Add a new face to your BRAWL games with Ting Ting, a limited edition deck for the real-time fighting game. It's a preview of the Shadowfist series for the game, and includes her unique card, the Wild Block.
The search engine on this site hasn't been everything it should be. In particular, searches didn't reliably find Daily Illuminator material, because of the way the files were stored. This has been addressed by marq, and we think it's better now. At least, it just worked for me . . .
And Kira just fixed up the Top 50 Page, so those who are curious may see which SJ Games pages get hit the most. Warehouse 23 is its own domain, of course, so is not covered in this report.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Xenovores From Outer Space
There are dinky skirmishes among the stars, and then there are full-blown military wars. Star Hero: Alien Wars is the latter, with a full-scale war between two species bent on each other's extinction. The xenovores want to eat the humans, the humans would rather not be eaten . . . No, they can't just all get along.
April 26, 2004: Illuminated Site of the Week: A Hot Time In The Hot Town Tonight
Unless you've been living under a rock (or were chased there by a drifting cloud of radiation), you'll recall Chernobyl is the Russian town where a nuclear accident killed off or chased out all the citizenry. The streets are wide open, but to go cruising through it on a motorcycle, you'd have to be crazy. Or her. Or both . . . -- From Multiple Suggestions
Warehouse 23 News: Wait, Where's The Door?
A haunted house sounds like a great place to waste a boring evening. But that's when its rooms and halls stay where they were put. Now that the very architecture is twisting around you, all that matters is who gets out the door first. Race your friends through The Haunting House, and hope you make it out alive.
April 25, 2004: The World's Largest Dork Tower
John Kovalic is finishing up the Munchkin Blender art, and he gave me a heads-up about something really cool he did on his trip to Vienna. If you're a Kovalic fan but don't read his blog . . . you ought to go look at this one. No hints . . . click the link.
-- Steve Jackson
It's not much fun being a secret agent saving the world from the forces of evil when the forces of evil don't bother to show up; it's even worse when the forces of evil aren't a challenge. Save your Spycraft games from boredom with Most Wanted, a compilation of the nefarious, misguided, and just plain mean.
Some of our peers from the University saw yesterday's Illuminator, and laughed! "Ha!" they said, "That Canadian looks nothing like the Baron!" But behold! Photographic enhancements highlight the mind-boggling similarities. That noble brow, the manly chin, the glint of devilish charm in the eyes. Those fools at the University must be blind!And for those of you looking to enter the contest, we've added similar enhancements, linked to the characters here. Just click on the image to see an up close and personal view. Oh, and don't worry about finding the Baron. As you can see, his look-alike has been located.
It's three systems' worth of supers goodness in The Dragon's Gate, a Chinatown supplement for supers games. Take the NPCs, historical information, and plot hooks, and use them with Mutants & Masterminds, Hero System, or Action! System. More adventure seeds than you can shake a dragon at.
During the GAMA Trade Show, we discovered that a major character in GURPS Infinite Worlds (due in December) has a parallel version here in our own timeline! Baron Janos Telkozep, agent of ISWAT, and Jeff Mackintosh, Art Director for Guardians of Order, are seen here. Obviously, given a few twists of fate, the Baron could be watching anime in the Great White North, and Jeff could be dimension hopping.
However, a single parallel version won't persuade those Fools At The University. They laughed at our theories! But you can help! Find our local equivalents of the rest of the ISWAT crew, and we'll finally be able to RULE THE WORLD!
Here's how to help: find a lookalike for one of the iconic characters (as pictured here), and take a picture. Send us the image, along with your name and address, as well as the name and address of your subject and a letter, signed by the subject, giving us permission to use the photo for this contest. We'll evaluate the best parallel version for each character, based on closeness to the character, props, and sheer coolness. The photographer will receive signed copies of the GURPS Basic Set (both books), and the subject will receive a signed copy of GURPS Infinite Worlds. Submissions will be accepted until midnight, July 31, 2004. The winner will be announced in August 2004.
You may note, of course, that finding a parallel version of C31R07 ("C-31" to its friends) may be difficult. So . . . build one. Bonus points will be awarded for the model being actual size, mobile, and/or an AI. Including active weaponry is not encouraged unless we get to keep the model, in which case, cool.
All submissions become the property of Steve Jackson Games. We cannot acknowledge individual submissions. And all your base are belong to us. Fnord.
Centauri Knights takes place in the distant future, full of technology, factionalizing, and menacing alien powers recently awakened. It's terror and heroism beyond the stars, and it's all designed for the BESM d20 rules.
Here's what's heading to distributors this week. Look for them on your local game store shelves any time now:
GreedQuest
Greed Is Good!
. . . and there's treasure to be won, so what are you waiting for? Three to six players race to the bottom of the dungeon to grab The Hoard. Now all you have to do is get out with it . . . but everyone else is between you and the exit!
Each player has his own deck of cards that control movement. Bluff, scheme, and strategize your way to the head of the pack . . . but some cards will change the rules when you least expect it!
This is a fast, unpredictable game, easy to learn and fun for all ages, with lots of quick replay value. And it's illustrated by Phil Foglio!
Boxed, with 168 full-color cards, six stand-up color figures with bases, map, and rulesheet.
Stock #1435,
ISBN 1-55634-727-8.
$24.95.
Transhuman Space: Toxic Memes
Believe It Or Not . . .
Though you might not have a choice. 2100 is ruled by memetics -- the science of analyzing, engineering, and manipulating ideas. Memeticists know how to get into your head for power, money, and religion. Or just for the fun of it.
Transhuman Space: Toxic Memes explores cults, conspiracies, urban legends, and fads from around the world at the end of the 21st century. In a world where belief, fear, and ideology can be sculpted like clay, how does anyone know what they really think?
Transhuman Space: Toxic Memes is a sourcebook for the Transhuman Space setting, and includes detailed rules for the creation and propagation of memes, technologies for controlling information and managing reputations, new characters, new templates, campaign ideas, and over a hundred cults, movements, conspiracies, myths, and fringe sub-cultures to use as adventure seeds, background flavor, and to enhance your game's sense that the world of Transhuman Space is a very strange place indeed.
144 pages.
Stock #6712,
ISBN 1-55634-726-X.
$26.95.
GURPS WWII: Motor Pool
By Land, Sea, or Air . . .
World War II raged from the deserts of North Africa to the jungles of the South Pacific, the mountaintops of the Alps to the beaches of Normandy, to the high seas, the undersea depths, and the skies above it all. And everywhere were the machines of war -- the bombers, fighters, tanks, jeeps, ships, submarines, landing craft, and more, thousands of designs built by dozens of different countries.
GURPS WWII: Motor Pool is the definitive sourcebook for it all. Using the WWII Modular Vehicle Design System from the GURPS WWII Core Rulebook (itself derived from GURPS Vehicles), Motor Pool has complete stats for combat vehicles of all types, from all theaters and combatants, in mankind's greatest conflict.
No matter what type of GURPS WWII game you're playing, Motor Pool has the info you need to ramp up the action!
128 pages.
Stock #8011,
ISBN 1-55634-642-5.
$24.95.
GURPS Greece
(Reprint)
The land we call Greece was the home of one of the greatest cultures the
world has ever known. With GURPS Greece, you can experience
the challenges of the heroes of myth:
Contend with the love and the wrath of the gods as you set out on epic
quests. Fight for loot and honor, or earn a bitter death on the plain
before the gates of fabled Troy. Win prestige as a statesman in the city
Assembly - or lose everything as the people turn against you and send you
into exile.
GURPS Greece includes detailed timelines and maps describing
the world as the Greeks knew it, information on their religion, rules for
the magic of the Hellenic myths, and a Bestiary describing the monsters
and animal foes faced by Greek heroes.
128 pages.
Stock #6075,
ISBN 1-55634-096-6.
$24.95.
GURPS Low-Tech
(Reprint)
From the dawn of civilization to the Middle Ages . . . or in any
fantasy game . . . GURPS Low-Tech is a universal resource for any
campaign set before the age of gunpowder and the printing press. It's 128
pages of detailed research and game ideas:
- Weapons: Cleave an enemy's skull with a stone axe, stab him with
a bronze sword, or impale him on your obsidian-tipped spear.
- Armor: Whether it's the crudest leather or the finest iron chain, any
armor is better than none. Plus new rules for piecemeal armor!
- Vehicles: Steer a dogsled across the Arctic, sail a trireme
across the Mediterranean, or ride your chariot over the battlefields of Asia.
- Equipment: Yokes and plows, adzes and hammers, sundials and locks;
everything it takes to build a town or a nation.
- Plus shelter, science, and civilizations . . . from the Stone Age
to the Middle Ages.
Whether you're playing cavemen fighting to stay alive, armored knights
jousting for honor, or time travelers searching for the truth about
history, GURPS Low-Tech brings the past to life!
128 pages.
Stock #6526,
ISBN 1-55634-343-4.
$24.95.
GURPS Traveller: Star Mercs
(Reprint)
A Sourcebook for Military/Mercenary Operations in the Far Future
Everything you need for a military-oriented campaign in the
universe of Traveller! This book covers combat (and a
soldier's life) in the 57th century; how to recruit, organize, and equip
a mercenary unit; and the Imperial rules of war. There are descriptions
of how armies are organized and equipped for Tech Levels from 5 to 12,
discussions of strategy and tactics, and a comprehensive rundown on
weapons and the other tools of the soldier's trade. In addition, deck
plans for the 800-ton Broadsword class mercenary
cruiser are included.
Star Mercs also includes templates for military and
mercenary soldier characters, sample missions, and a variety of units and
NPC personalities your mercenary group might encounter, including the
famed and feared Imperial Marines.
128 pages.
Stock #6604,
ISBN 1-55634-364-7.
$24.95.
GURPS Traveller: Far Trader
(Reprint)
Next to the mercenary game, the "independent trader" campaign is the most popular among Traveller players. This new book is the complete support volume for the Trader campaign. You can:
- Develop sector-wide trade routes, following the demands of
commerce on an interplanetary scale.
- Start your own character-run business, raise capital, and finance
your money-making ventures.
- Make contacts, find niche markets, and exploit opportunities the big corporations miss.
- Learn what it takes to run a successful commercial starship.
- Expand your world with 15 new character templates.
- Run entire mercantile campaigns, including free traders, smugglers, and pirates.
Far Trader complements the GURPS Traveller volumes on
Starports and Starships. It is also fully compatible with GURPS Space, and a useful supplement for any science fiction campaign.
144 pages.
Stock #6606,
ISBN 1-55634-373-6.
$26.95.
Warehouse 23 News: Cute And Fuzzy Death
Plagues, people dying in the streets, entire continents devastated . . . Keep the memory of those nostalgic days alive with the Plush Black Death. Or if you're in the mood for commemorating a more modern epidemic, how about Plush Ebola? Cute. Cuddly. Diseased. Who could ask for anything more?
We've had a lot of questions about the status of our miniature figures. At last we have some answers, and they're good ones. The executive summary: we will be working with someone we know and trust, who is very familiar with the line, to keep the figures available.
The very talented Richard Kerr, who was our chief sculptor, has reactivated his own company, Gray Cat Castings. He will be producing the Steve Jackson Games Ogre miniatures line for sale through Warehouse 23.
We don't have firm dates yet, but Richard is working now to get his casting facility up and running and cranking out very small war machines. We will restock on the already-released figures, and then bring out the new ones that were announced before the closedown. Says Richard: "The Ninja, Doppelsoldner, and Vulcan have been completed and mastered. I am hoping all three will be available by the end of the year.
"The resin buildings are at this point still under evaluation. They
are not economical to produce, but I will probably at least do small
runs for the sake of the loyal fans.
"There have been several inquiries about the Missile Crawlers. The
masters for the original PE version which we bought from Ral Partha are unusable. I would prefer to go back to square one on the design for both and do them in CAD as we did for the newer Ogres and other vehicles. This will require time and money not currently available.
"Gray Cat will also produce several of its own lines, starting with Off the Wall Armies, to be sold through Warehouse 23. In late 2004, Gray Cat Castings will become available to do small run custom and limited edition casting projects on a contract basis.
"Gray Cat Studios will begin taking orders for freelance sculpting work starting in July of 2004."
Warehouse 23 News: For The Cheapskate Inside Us All
You've heard about BESM d20 - lots of options and system you know you can find players for - but with so many RPGs out there, can you afford one more? Fortunately for the cheap gamer, there's Big Eyes, Small Mouth d20: Stingy Gamer Edition. No art, small print, lower price, all the rules.
April 20, 2004: Penguicon Report, With Pictures
Okay, this combination Linux/SF convention was a lot of fun. And me without a digital camera. (Have had a small one, just for such trips, on order from Amazon for three months. Maybe someday it'll come.)
So I'll have to describe Penguicon in terms of photographs that don't exist. This has advantages, though . . . they are all in perfect focus, and they take way less bandwidth.
- This is me grinning like a loon in my new Schlock Mercenary T-shirt. When we got there Thursday, the first person I ran into was Howard Tayler, and he gave me this. We got to spend some actual quiet time talking. Neat. Later in the con, he drew some great caricatures of the guests, and here's the one he did of me!
- This is me and Michelle starting the Chaos setup on Friday morning. She got the parts organized by type while I built a simple framework. With the help of a couple of early arrivers, we got a single simple ball-return circuit working. Then we walked away and left it. Pretty sparse, isn't it? It got better . . .
- This is Tom Smith performing his new song "Talk Like A Pirate Day." Arrrrr! Pretty soon you'll be able to hear it on the appropriate website. The blond guy behind Tom, coming in on the chorus, is the talented and manic Luke Ski. The other one, the guy in the pirate necktie, is me! Yep, I got to perform on stage with Tom Smith. Wow. I'm still whistling the tune.
- This incredible Tron costume was created by Jay Maynard. The glowing blue lines are electroluminescent wire. Is this not the coolest thing you have ever seen?
- This is the Chaos machine on Saturday, after people have been playing with it for a day. LOTS of people have been playing with it . . . I'm delighted. Sometimes it's completely surrounded by people tearing out track, putting in track, or plotting new track. Saturday was the day I heard:
- (from floor level) "I've just about got this bug fixed."
- (from behind the machine) "I don't think you can fix that. We're going to have to do a patch."
- (from atop a chair)"Well, I'm working on a new feature up here."
- This is me and Pete Abrams and Rob Balder talking about the "Get Nifty" game that Rob designed and Pete illustrated with Sluggy Freelance cartoons. We have no official announcement whatsoever to make about this. Move along, nothing to see here.
- This is Michelle dressed to kill for the Saturday night parties. Rainbow hair, lace, and jeans . . . worship her, for she is the Geek Goddess. We ran into a lot of people I haven't seen in a while . . . Eric Raymond (who will be coming to Austin this October for Linucon), Steve Macdonald . . .
- This is the panel on blogging. I haven't had this much fun on a panel in a long time, which is why I'm half standing on my chair listening to Neil Gaiman. He, Jeff "Hemos" Bates, and the audience were all coming up with great insights.
- This is the Chaos machine Sunday morning right before teardown. It reaches nearly to the ceiling. It has spread out in all directions. It has five working drives and I-have-no-idea how many feet of track, and it uses parts in ways the designer never dreamed . . . a cantilever section is supported by duct-tape girders, and a large piece of plastic (dubbed the Error Handler) catches dropped balls and funnels them to one of the drives. Sometimes. It is the biggest and coolest Chaos machine I have *ever* seen.
- This is Neil Gaiman being interviewed Sunday afternoon just before we left. I'm out of the frame, off to the left, just listening. He is a very, very interesting guy. Observant, experienced, and incredibly articulate. He was kind of buzzed at the con, because his novella "Coraline" was up for a Nebula . . . and on Saturday night word came in that he'd won. I've been a fan of his work for a long time; I'm now his admirer as well.
- This is the van leaving for the airport, full of tired but happy guests. A good time, as they say, was had.
-- Steve Jackson
After a long day at work, there's nothing quite like sitting back and relaxing with some carb-heavy beer and bread. And who can you thank for these things? Why, none other than your friendly neighborhood Yeast. Give that little organism a hug. It's done so much for you.
I'm sure SJ and Michelle will have many nice things to say about Penguicon soon enough, but Giles and I attended Chimeracon in San Antonio this weekend, too.
Much fun was had; many games (some new, some old) were played. Giles and I tag-teamed a well-attended talk about what's new and coming up at SJ Games. Many good questions were asked and evaded. Fnord.
Thanks to everyone for a great time!
-- Andrew Hackard, Managing Editor
Warehouse 23 News: Battle Of The Isms
Communism, capitalism, fundamentalism, fascism, imperialism . . . Sure, they sound dull, but what if you're calling the shots? Ideology: The War of Ideas sets you up as your very own -ism, battling it out with other players for resources, territory, and cultural influence.
Here's what's coming from Steve Jackson Games in July, 2004:
Munchkin Blender
Stir Things Up!
It's the ultimate party kit for Munchkin fans! Munchkin players really like to combine their sets . . . Munchkin, Star Munchkin, Munchkin Fu, all in one game. That gets really weird . . . but it can also slow the game down.
There are a lot of ways we COULD have addressed this problem. But this is Munchkin, so the solution we chose was to create a lot of really overpowered new cards. Why be a Super-Munchkin when you can be an Ultra-Munchkin? If a Half-Breed isn't enough, you can be a 1/3-Breed. And if a single Cheat card doesn't do it for you, you can Cheat With Both Hands!
There are also a lot more monster enhancers . . . and ITEM enhancers, too. There are several new low-level monsters to help you get those easy kills. Unless somebody takes that Sock Puppet and turns it into the Ultra-Rare Extremely Sneaky Sock Puppet With Extra Cheese . . .
This set also includes the complete, updated Epic rules, covering all races and classes released in every Munchkin game so far.
Munchkin till you drop!
Munchkin Blender -- just add players!
112 cards and rules sheet in shrink-wrapped folder.
Stock #1424,
ISBN 1-55634-731-6.
$16.95.
Toon Deluxe Edition
(Reprint)
Let's Get Silly!
TOON is a different roleplaying game. Remember
those great Saturday morning cartoons? Now they're back - and
you're the star!
TOON lets you be a rabbit, duck, mouse, moose,
woodpecker, wombat, crocodile, caveman . . . whatever you want.
In TOON, anything can happen, and nobody ever
gets killed. Been punched? Blown up? Steamrollered Don't worry - you'll
bounce back in the next scene, ready for more!
This book includes quick, simple rules, plenty of silly charts and
tables, and lots of cartoon adventures - a joker's dozen! This edition of TOON includes all the material from
the original version, plus everything from Toon Silly
Stuff, Son of Toon, and
Toon Strikes Again - and lots of brand-new
material, including two new Feature Films!
Ready to get silly? Get in TOON!
208-page softcover book.
Stock #1205,
ISBN 1-55634-197-0.
$24.95.
Cardboard Heroes Modern Characters
Enough full-color miniatures for every modern game you'll ever play! Over 400 human figures, plus hundreds of weapons, accessories, corpses, and other lie-flat counters. Soldiers and cops, Nazis and gangsters, cowboys and Indians, and lots and lots of modern-day civilians for all your games.
16 sheets; over 400 characters.
Stock #2120,
ISBN 1-55634-437-6.
$24.95.
Warehouse 23 News: Destiny Is Written In The Cards
It was one of the most dramatic periods in Chinese history: lords and kingdoms battled it out for the control of an empire, and allies could become enemies in a heartbeat. (Or, more commonly, with a knife in the heart.) The Romance of Three Kingdoms Card Game lets you rewrite history in your own image.
April 17, 2004: Illuminated Site of the Week: Rock My World
With a few simple bits of data, the Earth Impact Effects Program tells you the predicted results of various collisions with the Earth. Although they make no guarantees as to accuracy (for scientists, they sure seem to skimp on the experimentation phase), it should be close enough for Transhuman Space aficionados, Roswell enthusiasts, and science alarmists. Let's just hope it doesn't fall into The Wrong Hands. -- From Multiple Suggestions
Warehouse 23 News: Exquisite Tomes Of Delightful Learning
The Dying Earth RPG presents three new books for you, gentle reader, to peruse. Begin with Turjan's Tome of Beauty and Horror, a treatise on those most dangerous of men, magicians. Then step along to Demons of the Dying Earth, where unreliable advice on dealing with occult forces awaits. The Primer of Practical Magic brings your journey to a close with wondrous magics of peculiar nature.
Michelle and I are in Detroit as you read this, for Penguicon, the combination Linux and SF convention. Two great tastes that . . . aww, you've heard it already.
We're going to be doing panels, setting up the biggest Chaos machine anybody has ever seen, and, no doubt, geeking out at the appearances by Neil Gaiman, Eric Raymond, Pete Abrams, Tom Smith, Howard Tayler, and many others . . .
-- Steve Jackson
Playground fights have never looked so good. See your enemies fall before you in truly embarassing ways with the Humiliation T-Shirt, based on the card from the Lunch Money card game.
You can play 20 Questions against a computer. And you might lose. But even if you beat it, you're helping it get smarter.
Have you studied the art of defeating your enemies while looking really cool in the process? Are you dissatisfied with the paltry bonuses to your damage that do not express the true power of kung fu? Then Martial Arts Mayhem will give you all you need to make your fu in the d20 System impressive in both effect and style.
April 14, 2004: The Following People Should Report To The Office:
We had several out-of-house playtesters for GreedQuest whose addresses we -- uh, I mean our loyal but inept minions -- failed to obtain. If you are Dianna Bennett, Brian Cook, Jeff Graber, or Matt Westmoreland, and you playtested GreedQuest, send your address to Andrew Hackard so we can get your well-deserved comp copy out to you.
Thanks for all your help!
-- Andrew Hackard, Managing Editor
Freeport has always been known as a pirate city, but in Black Sails Over Freeport, it's time for even those bloodthirsty scoundrels to get nervous. War, rioting, invasion . . . Who knew that a city accustomed to existing on the brink of anarchy could actually run into a crisis it can't handle?
April 13, 2004: The Sisters Of Murphy Need YOUR Contributions
The good news is that, thanks to the inimitably talented Greg Hyland, Pyramid has had a Murphy's Rules installment at least every other week for months!
The bad news is that . . . umm . . . thanks to the inimitably talented Greg Hyland, Pyramid has had a Murphy's Rules installment at least every other week for months!
But we're running perilously low on submissions.
So please send your favorite broken rules and silly gaming assumptions to Greg at murphy@sjgames.com. If it's funny enough, it might get drawn up . . . and adored by millions (well, thousands) of Pyramid readers.
And, because it's been a whole week since our last shameless self-promotion, I'll mention again that if you aren't a Pyramid subscriber, you should be! It's the best in gaming, every week, for only $20 a year! Subscribe today!
- Steven Marsh, Pyramid Editor and Shameless Plugger
Warehouse 23 News: Honor. Swords. Rabbits.
The Usagi Yojimbo Roleplaying Game brings the manga to your game table, so that you too can follow in the steps of that katana-wielding anthropomorphic lagomorph through the wilderness and cities of ancient Japan.
April 12, 2004: Job Opening: Warehouse Supervisor
Few of our readers will be qualified for this one, and fewer still will be jobhunting and ready to relocate . . . but it never hurts to ask. If we find someone with game industry experience, that would be a plus! So:
Warehouse Supervisor position open at our Las Vegas location. Must have UPS Worldwide and FedEX freight shipping experience. Applicant will be responsible for shipping, receiving, and inventory control.
If you're interested and qualified, send your resume to gail@sjgames.com. If the resume is an attachment, give it YOUR name - don't call it resume.doc . . .
In 3026, it seems like everyone is at war, with a dizzying array of mecha, tanks, and aircraft. Fortunately, Classic BattleTech: Technical Readout - 3026 Revised is there to explain all that tech. And if you're looking to make a living in this turmoil, Field Manual: Mercenaries Revised can tell you how.
The GURPS Fourth Edition Frequently Asked Questions have been online for a little while now, but it seems that with all the excitement about the cover competition I forgot to write an Illuminator about it.
Special thanks to Andrew Hackard and Paul Chapman for compiling these. If you have more questions (and we know you do) watch this space for additional opportunities to join the authors and editors in Pyramid chats.
-- Giles Schildt, Webmaster
Warehouse 23 News: Defenders Of Freedom
Every supers setting needs a group that fights for freedom, justice, and all that is good. That's what UNTIL does. Of course, they need someone to fight against, and that's where Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth comes in, with an enemy so insidious the criminal organization it's using doesn't know what's going on.
Greg Rickards, widely known in roleplaying and gaming circles in Australia, died March 10 of a heart attack brought on by undiagnosed diabetes. His funeral was held in Sydney on March 29th.
Greg was for decades a motivating force in Australian roleplaying and writing. He is remembered for his passion, his endless fount of ideas,
his ability to inspire others to create and write, his willingness to
help people, and his innovative design. Greg loved to tell stories,
both in person and in writing, and he collaborated with many people to
create them.
Fans of Car Wars will remember Greg as one of the authors of The
AADA Road Atlas and Survival Guide Volume Four: Australia.
Among roleplayers he was perhaps best known for co-designing and running the unique miniatures-based roleplaying game "Saga of Raven's Nest" at Australian cons throughout the 1980s and 90s. Greg had planned to begin a new chapter of the Saga later this year. Each Raven's Nest game was linked to the events of earlier stories, and it was possible to play a character multiple times. (Stephen Gryphon has spent a lot of time documenting the Saga and has made the player's guide available on the Internet.)
Whenever he could, Greg played in other convention games as well,
both freeform and tabletop. He continued to be involved in roleplaying
and writing (for example, he was actively participating in online/PBeM
roleplaying on alt.starfleet.rpg) until shortly before his death.
He will be sorely missed.
A service for Greg will be held in Brisbane on Thursday, April 22, at 11:00am
at the Star of the Sea Church, 65 Passage Street Cleveland.
In this civilized and enlightened age, we no longer entertain ourselves with brutal gladiator fights. More's the pity. Fortunately, you can slake your bloodlust with Monstrosity, a card game of arena battle. And it's even better this time around, because mad scientists have ways of improving the things fighting down there . . .
April 9, 2004: Illuminated Site of the Week: The Farce Is Strong With This One
Judge him by his make and model, do you? Obi-Shawn has spent the last four years channeling the Force into his Honda del Sol, turning it from an ordinary street car into the H-Wing Carfighter, darling of car shows and charity events across the gala...er, California. If you think the car had a lot of work put into it, wait until you see the website. -- Suggested by Rus Hall
Warehouse 23 News: Masterwork Painting
Some people dabble in painting miniatures; others take it seriously. For the serious painter, Reaper offers the Master Series of paintbrushes. These brushes are designed for the highest quality detail work in painting miniatures, for when your scantily-clad elf maiden wielding two katanas has to look just right.
April 8, 2004: It's A Fnord World After All
One of our deep cover operatives on the West Coast snapped this picture, showing clear evidence of Illuminati infiltration of Hollywood.
Not that this came as a surprise to anyone . . .
The joy of dinosaurs, the joy of toys. Fortunately, there's one near-perfect fusion of joys: Beanosaurs, 30 different dinosaurs (and a few not-dinosaurs like the Quetzalcoatlus) in cute beany-filled plush toys. For those who prefer fantasy, there are also mini Fat Dragons to get in on the cute reptilian cuddling.
The winner was #2, created by Victor R. Fernandes, a graphic artist who lives in São Paulo, Brazil. Victor says, "I've been playing RPGs since '93, and working with them since 2002 - first as a writer for a major Brazilian RPG magazine, and now working on a few of my own projects and a (soon to be online) gaming website, and some articles too." What we're showing you here is the same mockup that Victor sent us and we used in the poll . . . we don't have an ETA for a "publication" version yet, but we'll post it when we do. Even as a mockup, Victor's work is way better than some real covers we've all seen . . .
A clear majority of you liked this "look" the best. Victor's design was the choice of 58% of the 2,535 voters! In second place was the sepia design created by Boris Sirbey, with 26%. (Comment from more than one of the judges: "If we ever do a new edition of In Nomine . . .") In third was Lance Schroeder's reframing of the Second Edition with 10%, and in fourth, with 7%, were the original cover images displayed on the announcement date. (Yes, because of rounding, those add up to 101%).
Thanks to everyone who entered. It definitely felt traumatic to discard what we'd done and throw it open to all comers . . . but we're glad we did.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Where Legends Come From
Elves hate dwarves, dwarves hate elves, everyone hates orcs, and the dark elves hate everyone. Ever wonder how it all started? Dawnforge takes you back to the time when the races were young, and heroes were becoming legends. Age of Legend is the player's guide to the setting, with even more races to play.
April 6, 2004: I Sense A Great Disturbance In The Pyramid . . .
Regular Pyramid readers have already discovered the "prank" we pulled this week for our annual April Fool's issue. Six of our regular contributors swapped features, resulting in . . . weirdness. But fun weirdness.
John Kovalic's Suppressed Transmission?
Ken Hite's Dork Tower?
And more . . .
Suffice it to say, if you're not a regular reader yet, you should be. So what are you waiting for? Subscribe today!
--Steven "Shameless Huckster" Marsh
Editor of Pyramid Magazine
But What About The Cover Contest?
Executive summary: #2 won decisively, and we have indeed decided to base the new GURPS Fourth Edition cover on this design. At the moment we know nothing about the winner except his name and e-mail . . . we're holding off the more formal report for a day while we wait to hear back from him . . .
You've always known Los Angeles is full of evil (vampires, demons, lawyers, the usual sorts), but what can you do about it? You go fight it, that's what; if you're lucky, you might even make a living at it. The Angel RPG (also available in a Limited Edition) will show you how.
Romanian police are investigating allegations that a man dug up his dead brother-in-law, cut out his heart, burned the heart to ashes, then mixed the ashes with water and gave it to sick members of his family, all to stop said brother-in-law's vampire attacks against them.
No, really. One version of the story appears in the Tallahassee Mercury-News website.
-- Scott Haring
Heavy Gear's new edition gets in motion with companion books for two important planets - Earth and Terra Nova - and the ever important Vehicle component of the setting. From politics to pistons, these books will have you covered.
April 4, 2004: Illuminated Suggestions Needed
For years we've been bringing you the Illuminated Site of the Week. We like telling you about the strange, the offbeat, the silly, and, quite often, the Definitely Not From This Planet. And for a lot of that we depend on the eyes of our faithful readers. So . . . if you've noticed a fascinating, frightening, or just plain demented website that we haven't profiled, let us know! The being whose earthly shell answers to Andy Vetromile will happily read your suggestions at dntpnc@aol.com.
Warehouse 23 News: Can't Get Enough Zombies
Ah, the beauty of the variety in zombies. You've got your fast-and-nasty ones, your slow-and-dumb ones, the undead ones, the diseased ones, the cursed ones, the unkillable ones . . . Atlas of the Walking Dead gives you dozens of varieties to play with. Think a bullet in the brain will take any zombie out? Think again.
April 3, 2004: Illuminated Site of the Week: They Laughed At Him At The University
Whether they try to clone dinosaurs, launch death rays into low orbit, or create armies of superbeings for world domination, mad scientists always seem to have one thing in commmon: fabulously strange forces beyond mortal ken at their beck and call. The scariest thing about unassuming string theory co-creator Michio Kaku and his theories on time travel, hyperspace, and the theory of everything - they make sense. -- Suggested by Dean Randle
Warehouse 23 News: Games, Games, Games
Packed with more games than you can shake an evil rabbit at, Chief Herman's Next Big Thing holds over a dozen games from the marvelously strange minds at Cheapass Games, including two unplayable games. You just need to supply the decks of cards, the poker chips, the dice, the pool table . . . but not all at once.
We got well over 50 entries in our cover design competition, and we're very glad we did it. We've narrowed the field to three concepts . . . it was not easy. Those of you who prefer the "original draft" will have the opportunity to vote for that one, too.
Some very good ideas didn't make the cut because we thought they weren't right for THIS project. Their creators will hear from us.
We wanted you to vote on the basis of graphic design rather than selection of illustrations, but as it turns out, one of the suggestions is to use the Third Edition, Revised cover with the Fourth Edition frame, and, well, it looked good. So there you go.
The poll is here. Come vote!
Warehouse 23 News: A Shortcut To The Stars
Strange new worlds, an evil power to overthrow, and most of the aliens speak English. What more could you ask for? Fantastic Frontiers explores the first season of Stargate with ways to run every episode in your own game. If you still want more, Living Gods is a guide to the nastiest of the nasties, the Goa'uld.
A Gaslamp Fantasy with Adventure, Romance, and Mad Science!
Steve Jackson Games is delighted to announce that a 2005 release will be the Girl Genius RPG, set in the world created by Phil and Kaja Foglio in their Girl Genius comics and graphic novels.
To be written by Kaja Foglio (assisted by Michelle Barrett on the crunchy bits), and illustrated by Phil and Kaja Foglio, the Girl Genius RPG will be a complete, self-contained gamebook using the Fourth Edition GURPS rules. It will include complete information on the steampunk world of Transylvania Polygnostic, rules for creating "Sparks," Jägermonsters, and other unique character types . . . and, of course, Sparky technology (clanks! giant clanks! giant clanks with guns!) and bio-tech (MONSTERS!).
Like other Fourth Edition GURPS books, this will be a hardback with full-color illustration throughout.
Adventure with Agatha Heterodyne and her motley crew . . . or create your own heroic Sparks to deal with the wonders and menaces of a world ruled by Mad Science!
There will be more news as it develops. In the meantime, if you haven't yet discovered Girl Genius, visit the Studio Foglio site and see what you've been missing. And yes, we do carry the graphic novels in Warehouse 23!
-- Steve Jackson
The d20 rules cover skirmishes and individuals locked in hand-to-hand combat, but what do you use to represent entire countries going to war? Fields of Blood: The Book of War brings large-scale combat to the d20 System, with rules for battles, sieges, and leading your own troops into the thick of the fight.
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