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Illuminated Site of the Week
So we've got these forums set up now, and they're running pretty well. You should visit sometime. Lots of discussion threads about lots of things, and several about nothing at all.
(checks) 2,270 members, it says we have now. Not too bad.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Beware Of Shadows . . .
Dark and ancient, Cthulhu lies dormant under the black waters of the Pacific. There are those who would try and wake him. Shadows of Yog-Sothoth is an epic campaign to stop the rise of mankind's greatest foe. Just be sure you bring extra ammo. You may want the last bullet for yourself. . .
A Kentucky high school student has been arrested for writing a short story in which zombies overrun a school? Prosecutors asked the judge to increase bail because of the severity of the offense? Surely nobody's THAT stupid. Or are they? This report doesn't LOOK like a hoax . . .
And having heard Federal officers characterize one of my own games as "a handbook for computer crime," I know all too well that some people in law enforcement really can't tell fantasy from the real world.
I don't know if I think this is a job for the ACLU, or for SFWA!
-- Steve Jackson
So he won't mind if you steal his roleplaying books. Like, say, Ars Magica. Might as well help yourself to The Broken Covenant of Calebais while you're at it. Turns out the King had good taste in classic roleplaying. Poor taste in advisors, though. Oh well. . .
I've had about all of the semi-vacation that I'm allowed for a while. It did some good, though there was a scary interruption when I thought that I had come down with the plague that has been racking the office. Nope - just allergies. I do believe that I'm going to give away this bottle of Albertson's OTC meds and go back to Clari [tin|nex].
Austin is lurching into spring. We're still having bouts of chilly weather - it's supposed to hit 39 tonight - but the flowers are coming out. My purple iris is blooming, and so are a lot of other things, including a petunia that doesn't realize it was supposed to be an annual. (For those who like petunias, let me say that I've been very happy with the new Wave cultivars.)
And SJ Games is about to lurch into the spring conference season, with GDC and the GAMA Trade show. Traveltraveltraveltravelfunfunwheee. "Can you step over here, please, sir?" Goody.
But no doubt there will be sushi.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Ready . . . Set . . .
Go! What better way to start an Arcana Unearthed campaign than with the Arcana Unearthed Starter Set? Well? Can't think of one, eh? That's because there isn't one! Now you see their brilliant plan!
February 25, 2005: Illuminated Site of the Week: Gog, Magog, & Zogg
Ah, children, with their bright and eager eyes...those lifeless eyes...cold, dispassionate eyes. Eyes that bore into you and betray the inhuman and emotionless intelligence that lurks behind those baby blues. The Cuddly Menace threatens us all, and it's staring at us from something no more sinister than a simple children's book. -- Suggested by Stefan Jones
Warehouse 23 News: Chocolate And Peanut Butter?
No! Flowers & Fluxx! Although, as it turns out, they taste great together too. Now dig in! (Disclaimer: This product is not food. Really. Don't eat it. We were joking.)
This is the latest release from Steve Jackson Games, now on its way to distributors everywhere and soon to be on the shelves of a game store near you:
GURPS Infinite Worlds
Infinite Worlds . . . Infinite Adventure!
The good news is, there are other Earths. Maybe an infinite number. The bad news is, somebody out there doesn't like us.
The shuttles of Infinity Unlimited jump between parallel Earths, seeking adventure, profit, knowledge, and even entertainment. But a parallel called Centrum has also developed the technology to hop between the worlds . . . and they want to rule them all. The Infinity Patrol must deal with their ruthless rivals, as well as with world-jumping criminals, and with the possibility that the secret of dimension travel might escape to some of the really nasty alternate worlds like Reich-5.
Welcome to the core setting of GURPS Fourth Edition! Every other GURPS setting is on one of the Infinite Worlds timelines . . . whether they know it or not! GMs can use this to create a whole meta-campaign, or just as an excuse to move characters between worlds when the plot requires it.
Compiled by Kenneth Hite, the master of alternate histories, GURPS Infinite Worlds combines and updates material from GURPS Time Travel, GURPS Alternate Earths, and GURPS Alternate Earths 2 into one full-color hardcover volume, and gives dozens of new worlds to explore as well!
This is the complete genre book on both alternative-world gaming and time travel. It offers detailed advice on the unique challenges of running this kind of campaign, and on designing and playing characters who regularly cross between settings. It also provides a wide variety of suitable threats and hazards -- from evil cross-time Nazis and cosmic conspiracies to "ordinary" monsters and disasters. And it gives guidelines for building alternate worlds from the perspectives
of the setting, the story, and the rules.
Whether you're playing accidental travelers or the hardened troops of the Infinity Patrol, this book is your gateway to adventure. Infinite adventure.
240 pages. Hardback.
Stock #01-2001,
ISBN 1-55634-734-0.
$34.95.
Warehouse 23 News: Go Ahead. Poke Fun.
Laugh at the Great Old Ones all you want with Goomi's Unspeakable Vault (of Doom). Just pray they can take a joke. . .
If these are your co-workers, yes, that's sad. If that's YOU - oh, too awful to contemplate.
Worlds of Cthulhu #1 is an excellent source of supplemental game material for the Call of Cthulhu RPG. Unfortunately, reading it also makes you lose 2D4 Sanity. Sorry about that.
is coming up in San Francisco in just a couple of weeks. If you're planning to go, you know the details. Chris Maka and I will be there to talk about, yes, computer versions of our games. If you read this and thought "Hey, I should talk to those guys," drop me a line.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Buy Ironclaw, Fur Pity's Sake!
The Ironclaw Discount Bundle is everything you need to get started, get finished, and do all the nasty bits in between with the players in Ironclaw. How handy!
The German editions of Munchkin and its supplements are published by Pegasus! Their edition of Munchkin 3 - Clerical Errors will include some original cards. Here's one illustrated by Goomi of The Unspeakable Vault!
All Wound Up! Escape From the Cemetery is a neat game, sure, but you just want to buy it for the four wind-up zombies it includes. You know you do.
We're changing the faceless overlord of the MIB for a new faceless overlord. Mark Schmidt, MIB Control since February 2002, followed the lure of money. Well done, sir! A MIB since 1997, Mark drops back into his minion role in his copious free time.
The former MIB Regional Director for Europe, Colm Lundberg, steps into the role of Control. Colm has been a gamer for over 18 years, and heavily involved in convention organization in Ireland for about 10 . . . and a MIB for five years now, and RD Europe for two and a bit.
Replacing Colm as EURD is Jan "JHG" Hendriks, who likely engineered this
whole thing for his own advancement. Jan has been instrumental in spreading the MIB program to several new countries in Europe. He is also involved in the
translation of Dutch Munchkin and the distribution of questionable candy.
Two other Regional Directors have passed the secret black baton to others: Alex Yeager, North US Regional Director, and Roberto Hoyle, New England Regional Director.
Alex Yeager, one of the founding MIB members, has in the intervening years grown the North US region into one of the most active areas of MIB activity, and even scored some playtest credits within the Illuminati, In Nomine and Munchkin lines. He lives in Toledo Ohio and makes a better Long Island Iced Tea than you.
Roberto Hoyle, RD for New England since the beginning, was subverted by the Gnomes of Zurich and gave up the position. When the brainwashing wore off, he successfully backstabbed his way back to the top. Our agents developed sufficient blackmail on him to force him into hiding. He's considered armed and dangerous, having last been seen sneaking into . If spotted, please contact the Travel & Recreation Department.
Both Alex and Roberto continue as MIBs following routine interrogation and defrocking. Their replacements, Walter Schirmacher (North US RD) and Ethan Platt (New England US RD), have long suffered under their Regional Director's collective thumbs, but now THEY hold the reins! Bwahahaha!!!
We give our thanks for Mark, Alex and Roberto for their years of service, and to their successors for the years to come.
Warehouse 23 News: The Hitchhiker's Guide To Gamma World
Gamma World: Beyond the Horizon is a guide to what's left of Earth after the Final Wars. You need this book. The last thing you want is to be lost, naked, and alone in the wastelands. Trust us on this one. . .
Robert Bigelow is pursuing an incredible dream - to put a hotel in space - in a very methodical way. And he gives himself a 60% chance of success. Read the Popular Science story.
Warehouse 23 News: Buy The Jabberwock, My Son!
Jaws that bite and teeth that catch aside, the Plush Jabberwock is an excellent gift for children. Provided they have a vorpal blade, of course. You did buy a vorpal sword, didn't you?
February 18, 2005: Illuminated Site of the Week: Better Than A Telephone Pole
Rather than spend another fruitless Saturday afternoon cruising suburban streets looking for that big score, plot your course with Garage Sale Promotion. Check your state and see who's selling the farm. So far there doesn't seem to be a single listing anywhere in the nation, but that doesn't mean they won't soon have your special treasure. On an unrelated note, Warehouse 23 recently had an influx of unmarked crates.
-- Suggested by Casey
Warehouse 23 News: Here And There Be Dragons
Plush Golden Dragons to the left of me! Plush Chinese Dragons to the right! And here I am, stuck in the middle with you. Won't you order one? They look rather hungry. . .
We are about to have an entry-level position in Warehouse 23 open. This is probably not what you studied for in college, and it isn't about making games . . . but it is about helping the people who make the games, and there are definitely promotion opportunities.
Based on review of some of our best hires - and thinking about what went wrong on some of our not-so-best ones - we want to try hiring by personality type rather than by a specific skill set. We have an idea of the profile we’re looking for. You are:
- Educated. Not necessarily a college graduate, but we expect high literacy and computer literacy.
- Energetic, productive, and interested in learning. The people who do best here are builders. You don’t have to be a workaholic or a complete perfectionist, but if you are, you’ll be among friends.
- Not necessarily a frothing "people person," but capable of getting along with others.
- Very, very, very into the kind of games we make.
- A proficient typist who also has legible handwriting.
- And finally, you have a strong work ethic. We’re building something here, and we want people who will pitch in and help, not sit around and chat.
Experience isn’t really an issue; we expect to train you. On the other hand, if you happen to also have retail, customer service, and/or HTML experience, you'll be that much ahead of the game.
This is a full-time Austin position, open immediately, with fully paid health and dental benefits for those who pass the initial insurance qualifications. Pay is, as we said, entry level.
If you’re interested, send a resume to manager@warehouse23.com (remember to name the resume with your name, NOT "resume.doc").
Warehouse 23 News: In Space, No One Can Hear You Map
Capable of generating massive, 3D star charts, AstroSynthesis v1.0 has everything you need to map the galaxy. Just don't try saying it three times fast. We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.
I have become amazingly bad at goofing off.
On both Monday and Tuesday I got up, sat down at the computer to check mail, and was "at work" until the office closed. This is thoroughly lame of me. Granted, it didn't help at all that on Monday we found out that a supplier had basically ignored instructions, thus dropping one of our upcoming releases from On Schedule to Heaven Only Knows. (No, I'm not telling which. We're trying to work with the supplier without descending to public invective and humiliation. But "work with" means "give them the chance to get it right," not "let them whine and moan and offer us a discount to take this junk.")
So Monday was the sort of "vacation" day where you grind your teeth until little flakes of enamel pop off and skitter across the desk.
And tomorrow will be an office day, to sign a lot of approvals for various things and to thank everyone for trying to keep things off my back. It's hugely appreciated.
Still: the weather is moving steadily toward spring, my purple iris have started to bloom, and I have been reading books, surfing webcomics, working in the garden, and possibly regaining a bit of sanity. And if tomorrow goes well, maybe I can keep the mini-sabbatical going for a bit longer.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Ye Olde Roleplaying
Classic doesn't just mean "old". It means "tried and true." It means "guaranteed quality." It means. . . okay, there's no point in sugar-coating it. It means old, but don't hold that against Dungeon Crawl Classics #12: The Blackguard's Revenge. We're sure your players won't. They're probably old too.
February 15, 2005: GURPS China Breaks New Ground For e23
Uploaded today and available for sale is GURPS China, a long out of print historical sourcebook from Steve Jackson Games covering, as you may have guessed from the title, China. (Thank you, Captain Obvious . . .)
This is a bit of an experiment for us here at e23. When we first started thinking about going into the online sales business, we weren't sure we wanted to sell our old out-of-print titles at all. Barring doing a lot of expensive and time-consuming reconstruction work, we were looking at just straight page scans, which are a) memory hogs (the GURPS China PDF is 60MB); b) only so-so looking; and c) not searchable. Yet, lots of other companies post straight scans of their old out-of-print books - mostly dating from before the era of desktop electronic publishing - and sell them without complaint.
This is where you, the faithful e23 customer, weigh in. We have an e23 board on our public web forum, and you are invited to post there about how you feel about scanned in out of print titles. Or you can email us direct and tell us what you think that way. Should we bring you more books the same way we've done GURPS China, and do it now? Should we make them better looking, easier to download, searchable - and possibly more expensive - and take our time to do it right? Or should we not bother doing them at all? We look forward to hearing from you.
- Scott Haring, e23 Manager
e23@sjgames.com
Warehouse 23 News: Look At The BONES!
Okay, so there's no bones here, but the Plush Bloody Rabbit with Big Pointy Teeth - Miniature Size is still a cold-blooded killer! Speaking of cold-blooded, shouldn't you cover your feet with something fuzzy and warm? Even if it is a pair of blood-thirsty, man-eating rabbits, like these Rabbit with Big Pointy Teeth Slippers? You should. Trust us.
I know I pointed to A Miracle Of Science just recently. But I'm doing so again. This time I'm pointing not to the strip but to the commentary at the bottom of Strip 263. As a conspiracy fan since Day Zero, I'm standing up and cheering Mark's rant about A Certain School Of Authors.
No, I'm not going to quote it. You have to go look. But he's dead on. Vanilla frosting. Hee!
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: High-Powered Haiku
Heroes of Norrath
goes to level thirty-five.
Yay for EverQuest!
Spirit and Opportunity are doing wonderful work on the ground, but eventually we'll need to send flying rovers to Mars. One possible design is the "gashopper." It will use solar power to liquify CO2 from the Martian atmosphere, and then heat it and use it as a propellant, flying from site to site. Read the Universe Today story.
Warehouse 23 News: Because Dungeons Aren't Dark Enough
You need something horrific . . . but with level progression. Dark and creepy . . . but allowing for serious combat potential. Welcome back to Ravenloft. Are you sure you ever really left it?
If you're a Wil Wheaton fan but haven't checked his site recently, do it now . . . he got a good, fun gig! Go back to the Feb. 7 entry and then forward from there. Yea Wil!
-- Steve Jackson
"Before there was a World of Darkness, there was an age of savage adventure." That's the introduction to a plethora of perspectives on Exalted, a world of high-powered martial arts, arcane magics, delicately ruthless court politics, and more. From fiction to glass beads to sourcebooks, this product line has you covered.
February 11, 2005: Illuminated Site of the Week: I Been Hippo-Tized
Be aware, folks. On February 12th, hypnotherapists across the land will try to Hypnotize America. They say you'll feel ready to do everything you've been meaning to do, and your life will be filled with purpose. That's all. There's nothing to worry about. What else could someone in complete control of the suggestible minds of all Americans possibly do, right? The mind boggles - if they'll let it. -- Suggested by William Thrasher
Warehouse 23 News: Return of the Six-Siders
The D6 System is back, and is working industriously at supporting all three genres it's aimed at. You can collect all three core books at once with the D6 Core Set, or expand on your genre of choice with D6 Fantasy: Creatures and D6 Adventure: Locations.
The last few times I've tried to take time off, it didn't work out. I'm trying again, harder. If it's really urgent, of course . . .
WHAP!
If it's really urgent, of course, tell me later.
-- Steve Jackson
Tagon of Schlock Mercenary may be dead, but his spirit, image, and group of heavily-armed mercenaries live on in Tagon's Toughs. Show your allegiance (and possibly make yourself less of a target, should it come to that) with the Tagon's Toughs T-Shirt.
February 9, 2005: When They Say "Keep Austin Weird" . . .
. . . I don't think this is what they had in mind. Headquartered in SJ Games' hometown, Perfect Petzzz are mechanical kittens and puppies designed to look like the real thing when sleeping. That's all they do. Sleep. For four months on one set of D batteries. And they snore ever-so-quietly. The designers were obviously aiming for "Awww, how cute!" but got closer to "Umm, that's a little creepy." Especially as the website goes on at some length about how much better Perfect Petzzz are than the real thing.
Warehouse 23 News: Highly Effective Mottoes
Fans of Schlock Mercenary have long known the wisdom found in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates. Now you can keep one of those rules on your chest as a reminder with Rule #35 shirts: "That which does not kill you has made a tactical error."
They're officially writing it off. Read the depressing CNN story.
Gee, if we can't get organized enough to get a shuttle up there in the next few years, maybe we should try to contract the Russians to do the job.
-- Steve Jackson
It's science fiction! It's horror! It's post-apocalyptic! It has killer robots! It's from Palladium Books, which probably tells you even more about it. Splicers is a game that might or might not be set on Earth. But it definitely has killer robots, which is what's really important here.
A wiki is a collaborative Web document. Within limitations set by the creator, a wiki page can be edited online by anybody who can read it.
My first experience with wikis was the Wikipedia. I was, and am, skeptical of the value of a reference work that can be changed by anybody in the world. There are too many people out there who are massively misinformed and willing to share. But having said that, Wikipedia can often be a good information source; it can provide clues which you can then check with sources that you trust more.
However, I'm growing enthusiastic about wikis as business tools. There's a lot to be said for a system that makes it easy for a small group to mutually edit documents. So, for instance, our new Creative Staff Manual is being developed on a wiki. We have one for UltraCorps development. There are a couple of others.
There are are lot of wiki implementations out there. We are using MoinMoin.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Spooky Power-Gaming
The Rifter #28 is the Halloween Special, and thus naturally packed full of monsters, horror, demons, and dinosaurs. Because when one thinks of horror and Halloween, one thinks of dinosaurs. Or possibly it's because dinos would be good at eating people. Either way, it's Halloween fun for all sorts of Palladium games.
This story describes how (for instance) 75% of the students currently in high school don't even know what the First Amendment is; many think that the government should be able to censor publishers; and almost half think it already can censor the net. The full findings are here. Be very afraid - and support student media in your local schools, because there's nothing like BEING a publisher to teach you about the rights . . . and responsibilities . . . that go with First Amendment protection. Administrators need training too. For instance, 99% of high school principals agree with the general idea that people should be able to express unpopular opinion, but fewer than half think that student media should be able to report freely on controversial issues.
-- Steve Jackson
Dungeons of Doom: A Compendium of Fantasy Maps is a handy compilation of maps for the panicked GM trying to come up with a last-minute dungeon. And if you're feeling particularly wicked, you can even give your players the special handouts full of almost accurate information and cleverly coded maps.
Homaro Cantu prepares sushi on an inkjet printer. He uses an ion particle gun to levitate seasonings. He's planning to buy a Class IV laser. We are not making any of this up. Read the NY Times story.
Warehouse 23 News: Ring Around The Archfiend, Pocket Full Of Power
In many fantasy settings, rings are the epitome of portable power: compact, easily enchanted, and a stylish fashion accessory (unlike, say, spiked gauntlets or a gnarled staff). Artifacts of the Ages: Rings gives you dozens of complex new magical bits of jewelry for your game.
February 4, 2005: Illuminated Site of the Week: How Many Wonders Of The World Does That Make?
If you're specialized in your job, you go where the work takes you. For example, there's not much call for pyramid builders these days, so when Pennsylvania calls, you go. That's not the only Secret of Olyphant, either. Seems the whole place is one big homage to Egypt - or are they trying to supplant it as purveyor of mysticism and ancient rites? -- Suggested by Kenneth Hudson
Not too long ago, JTAS was actually printed on paper. Alas, as with so many things made of paper, it can be hard to find anymore. Now you can access these old issues in the latest compilation of JTAS issues: The Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society Issues 25-36.
The Alphabet Synthesis Machine lets you draw a squiggle, mutate it along a number of different axes, and then download it as a TrueType font. Use THIS for handouts at your next game session . . .
Warehouse 23 News: Warehouse 23 Top Ten
Check out Warehouse 23's top selling items for January at the Warehouse 23 Top 10 page.
GURPS Space is a toolkit for creating space campaign settings for GURPS, Fourth Edition. It covers system, planet, and society design; creating aliens to suit worlds and settings (from a primarily biological point of view, as the Basic Set already addresses the game mechanics); and character design, campaign planning, and GMing for space-oriented games. Based on the original GURPS Space, it has been radically revised and redesigned by James L. Cambias and Jon F. Zeigler.
The Space playtest will run from Friday, February 4, 2005 to Sunday, March 6, 2005 on a closed mailing list. Only Pyramid subscribers are eligible to participate, and list membership is limited to about 30 playtesters. Interested parties should write to the lead playtester, Jeff Wilson (jwilson@io.com), by no later than February 4, 2005. Please put [SPACE] in the subject line, and be sure that the first line of your e-mail contains your name and e-mail address, like this:
Jeff Wilson <jwilson@io.com>
Also include a brief note describing past playtesting experience and familiarity with GURPS, Fourth Edition. Potential playtesters should be aware that this edition of Space does not focus on gadgets or technology. The emphasis is on worlds and campaigns, and the expertise sought is scientific and creative, not game-mechanical or technological. As we anticipate many replies, we cannot reply to individual applications.
Interested but not a Pyramid subscriber? Subscribe today!
-- Sean Punch
It's the wacky mythos card game of cults and spells, now back in print! Creatures & Cultists features artwork by John Kovalic and a race to prove who's the most nefarious cult of all.
A British Museum exhibit is sending 20 of the famous Lewis Chessmen to visit a museum at Hadrian's Wall. The exhibit is called "Around The World In 18 Games." Read the Guardian story.
And since we are in the business of selling games as well as celebrating them, we will point out that if you'd like a reproduction set of Lewis chessmen of your very own . . . that's what Warehouse 23 is for. (And you should follow the link even if you don't need another chess set, because it's got a lot of info about the history of the Lewis pieces.)
The kids at ps238, the only elementary school for superpowered children, take a look at the past in ps238 #8 with the history of the Rainmaker Project. And then Tyler, the only kid in the school without superpowers, gets to go on a crime-fighting fieldtrip in ps238 #9. Can gadgets and cleverness let an ordinary kid keep up with the supers?
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