Over 5313
people caught wasting company time here in the last seven days.
In typical fashion for this project, the routine customs examination turned into a week-long "let's x-ray every container" exercise, pushing the release of the Vorkosigan Saga Sourcebook and Roleplaying Game back. But don't worry! I've received word that the print run has arrived in our warehouse, and copies will start shipping out next week. Look for them on store shelves the last week of the month.
To keep your mind off the impending arrival of such an anticipated book, I offer a trio of sneak peeks. First, we have a pair of pages about ships -- the sort that cross interstellar distances. These, of course, are background material. Gearheads will want to check out the starship design system on pages 184 to 207 of the full manuscript.
The second peek is of vital interest once you have a ship, and you want to do something illegal with it. Yes, smuggling may not be the oldest profession, but it's still quite a bit of fun.
Finally, we look at the engine that drives roleplaying sessions: complications. In Miles' world, things like greed and vengeance have their place, but so do duty, family, and honor.
That's it for sneak peeks! The physical book will be available in a few weeks, and the PDF is available right now.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Come Sale Away
Arion Games likes to save you money on metal miniatures by offering up cost-effective paper alternatives. Well, they must have felt they weren't saving you nearly enough, because all Arion Games products are now 20% off this month. Savings on top of savings? It's like some kind of wonderful savings sandwich, and you're right in the middle, baby!
November 4, 2009: What Does an RFID Field Look Like?
That's the question design consultants BERG asked. The answer -- which they discovered via clever use of a stop motion camera and an LED -- is both informative and beautiful.
The link to the blog is here, but take the time to watch the video. The illumination in motion elevates the entire experiment to art.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Heck of a Name
Time was when people were named by their profession. Bob Baker baked, Sally Smith smithed, and nobody talked about what the Humperdink family did. So one has to wonder just what the heck would get someone the moniker "Warbringer." With any luck, Dungeon Crawl Classics #63: The Warbringer’s Son will shed some light.
Not satisfied with traditional LEDs, researchers in South Korea and Spain have developed an organic molecule that emits orange and blue light in the proper ratio to form pure white light. In the past, molecularly produced light has always had a colored tint, sharply limiting its uses.
At the moment, the molecule is significantly less energy efficent than a normal LED, but this, says the scientists, was just proof of concept. But when production brings down the costs, these mini-mini-mini-bulbs will have a broad range of applications, from clothes to personal electronics. Yep, the world of Ultra-Tech is one day closer.
-- Paul Chapman
We now have Colonial Gothic: Witchcraft available for purchase on e23. It's perfect for running a spooky game during a spooky time of year. Hurry and buy your copy today, because Halloween is only 362 days away!
Most adventurers aren't too picky which holy symbol the cleric has on his shield. Their only concern is that he's following a deity that grants healing spells. Oh, and if he could put that shield at the front of the party, that would be swell, too. But not all gods are created equal. Some are rather nice. Some are bit temperamental. Some require their priests to wear silly hats. Some only grant spells that turn chickens into wine. Point is, there are lots of different kinds of gods. So why aren't there lots of different kinds of clerics?
Well, now there are! We've got a book called Dungeon Fantasy 7: Clerics that addresses this very issue. It offers up 15 different kinds of deities to worship, and lays out how the holy men and women for each one would work, and suggests appropriate rules stuff.
Oh, and on page 36, there's a bit about a magic weapon called a "Sacred Shovel of Zombie Beheading." Enjoy!
-- Fox Barrett
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Book Book Book
e23 has books! Sometimes, we get new books. And we can proove it! See, here's Gaslight Demons. It's a new book. Come buy a book!
In the "Who really needs this?" category is James Dyson's newest invention, the Air Multiplier. In simpliest terms, it's a bladeless fan.
Does it move more air than a normal fan? Not really. Is it more energy efficient? Nope. Is it safer? Well, yes, if members of your household -- small children or production artists, for instance -- have problems sticking their fingers into whirling blades.
But is it hundreds of dollars safer? That's right, this wonder of innovation costs $300 more than the desk fan you can pick up at your local big box store. Sure, it has a certain geekiness to it, but so does a Munchkin Bobblehead. Sit one of those next to your average desk fan and you'll maintain your geek cred -- and your cool -- for a fraction of the Air Multiplier's price.
-- Paul Chapman
Hey, gang. We've got some more royalty free art for you, courtesy of Postmortem Studios again. It's ZelArt 3: Female Fantasy this time, a collection of fantastic females (or pictures of them, anyway) for you to put in . . . well, whatever you want! Canned adventures, setting books, PowerPoint presentations, whatever. They're not picky. They're pictures!
October 31, 2009: Illuminated Site of the Week: Real Estate Has Gone To Hell
The housing market is low - lower, in fact, than you think. Pandemonium Real Estate has listings for all the best properties in the Underworld. Want a lakeside view with a dock? Something overlooking the Styx? Don't wait to go to Hell before negotiating these things - order them now! And if you're convinced a loved one has one foot in the grave and another in perdition, it makes a lovely gift. They won't be able to enjoy the overly warm summer evenings on the veranda yet, but they'll receive a handsomely framed certficate informing them of their eternal reward. And anyway, no matter which side of mortality you're living on right now, you already know you're going to hate your neighbors.
-- Suggested by Michael P. Owen
Warehouse 23 News: e23: "We're On a Mission From God."
Stand fast, ye unholy abomination! For righteous fury comes for you, the hammer of the of the All-Mighty in hand! Or maybe it's not a hammer so much as a big stick. Oh, or perhaps a trident! That might be cool. You see, righteous fury can take a lot of different forms if GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 7: Clerics is to be believed. We're having a hard time picking just one, however. So you might want to sit fast, instead. Could take a while.
Today is our traditional Halloween Game Day! We'll be playing games, eating way too much sugar, and trying to navigate the office with costumes on.
What that means for you, our loyal fans, is a slight delay on responses. We'll be checking email and dealing with burning emergencies, but most things we'll let slide until Monday. This "office outage" includes Warehouse 23.
As always, e23 can automatically process your order and deliver PDF files to your inbox. In fact, Dr. Kromm just mentioned a bunch of scary-themed GURPS books here.
Have a fun and safe All Hallows' Eve!
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: e23: And "Evil" Is Really Subjective, Anyway
0one's Blueprints: Hunters' Lodge is not a dungeon. It isn't a tower or a keep. It's not even a catacomb. It's just a nice lodge out in the woods. A very nice lodge, in fact. Not really the sort of place you go to clear the stench of evil from, though. Oh! Hey, maybe it's run by an eeeeeeevil ranger. And if it isn't . . . well, you could always just tell the authorities he was evil. You're heroes, right? They'll totally buy it.
