Steve Jackson's Blog, page 339

August 17, 2016: Bring The Law To Your GURPS Gaming Table

The forces of law and order make your campaign come alive, thanks to Pyramid #3/93: Cops and Lawyers . This issue looks at various agents of the legal system and the police forces tasked to ensure peace. Play out tactical encounters between police and criminal groups using GURPS Mass Combat ; pilot two common U.S. Coast Guard vehicles (with GURPS stats); and look at how the legal system might adapt in GURPS Supers or GURPS Psionic Powers .



This issue also ventures beyond the modern day, with a guide to the legal system of the classical Islamic world, plus an exploration of trials by combat and ordeal . . . including what might happen in realms where gods really do interfere. And there's still more in this issue – check out another vignette set in the new Car Wars universe!



Your day in court begins with Pyramid #3/93: Cops and Lawyers! Pick it up individually or subscribe today for this and many more months of gaming excitement.



– Steven Marsh



Warehouse 23 News: The World Of Cthulhu Beckons . . .



Cthulhu lies both dead and dreaming, waiting to consume any who venture near . . . The last player to leave will forever be Lost in R'lyeh ! Escape the terrible and ancient city in this evocative card game, or go mad trying. Face your darkest fears by getting your copy from Warehouse 23!

August 16, 2016: Announcements For November

We've got some fun, some strange, and some cape-wearing new releases coming this November! Look for these products at your friendly local game store as we draw nearer to the Thanksgiving season.





Munchkin Standard Card Sleeves: Spyke



Spyked and dangerous.



Don't you want Spyke to protect your poker-sized cards? Now he can! Guard your cards from animal attacks and scratches with this high-quality accessory. Each package comes with 50 sleeves. 



But that's not all Spyke can do. Armed with his Bloody Chainsaw of Dismemberment, a sword, a hammer, and a decidedly evil grin, he's sure to make your foes quiver when they see the card sleeves you've chosen.



They'll fit on any standard-sized cards – including cards for the upcoming Munchkin Collectible Card Game !





Munchkin Standard Card Sleeves: Flower



A Flower by any other name would be . . . just as terrifying.



These sleeves, also for poker-sized cards, feature an image of Flower armed with her shield, a spear, and her signature Unnatural Axe. The art is from the original  Munchkin  illustrator, John Kovalic.



Each package comes with 50 sleeves. Buy a mixture of Flower's and Spyke's sleeves to outfit any of your future Munchkin Collectible Card Game decks.





Discworld Roleplaying Game



The world is round. And also flat.



Sir Terry Pratchett created an odd and wonderful world in his 40-plus novels, and he called it the Disc. This complete roleplaying game helps players create brand new adventures on the Disc. You can visit settings from Pratchett's novels and meet characters like Rincewind the incompetent wizard, Granny Weatherwax the witch (known to trolls as She Who Must Be Avoided), Captain Carrot the six-foot dwarf, Archchancellor Ridcully, Susan Sto Helit (granddaughter of Death), and a cast of strange and unique characters. Now players can step into this fantastic setting and have adventures of their own. 



This is the second edition of the Discworld Roleplaying Game . It contains everything from the first edition as well as everything from the supplement GURPS Discworld Also .





12 Days of Munchkin Coloring Book



On the first day of Christmas, my chainsaw slew for me . . . 



This adult coloring book chronicles the adventures of Spyke during the 12 days of Christmas. And guess what he's up to during that season of warmth and good cheer? That's right! Killing things and collecting treasure.



It's got 28 pages of art by Len Peralta, and all of it's ready to color. Plus each coloring book comes with 10 new Munchkin cards that shuffle right into any game. You may have plenty of Net Troll cards by now, but what about the Comment Troll? 





Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game



Things are getting dice-y, Batman! 



This November, Steve Jackson Games and Cryptozoic Entertainment, in partnership with DC Comics, are publishing a new game based on Batman: The Animated Series.



Players take on the roles of the most nefarious villains in Gotham City in this newest member of the One More Roll™ line of press-your-luck dice games, joining Dino Hunt Dice , Trophy Buck , and Zombie Dice . In Batman: The Animated Series Dice Game , Poison Ivy, Catwoman, The Riddler, and The Joker are attempting bank heists all across Gotham City. Assume the role of one of these evil-doers and use your unique power to foil the World's Greatest Detective and escape with the most loot!



– Ariel Barkhurst



Warehouse 23 News: Add More To Your Zombie Dice Experience



This School Bus is full of tasty brains, but watch out because the kids are packing shotguns! Add the Zombie Dice 3 - School Bus expansion to your Zombie Dice game for loads of new mayhem. For even more ways to eat brains, check out Zombie Dice 2 - Double Feature . Both are available now on Warehouse 23!

August 15, 2016: "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" Turned Out To Be Amazon.Com

When you see Katie Cook's new art for the Amazon.com-exclusive Munchkin Oz Guest Artist Edition, there's really only one thing you could possibly say –



" . . . I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!"



That is, if you enjoy terrible, cliché jokes. Which you may or may not. Who's to say? 



Whatever your response, behold Katie's new cards! Her take on Munchkin Oz is available on Amazon.com right now, and you can see all 168 of these adorable cards by just clicking your heels three times ordering your copy today!



You've done that? Good. Hopefully the images in this post will tide you over until the game arrives. They demonstrate the difference between Katie's interpretation and the original John Kovalic version.







Both are fabulous (that's why we made both games, guys), but the new illustrations bring a sense of adorable chibi fun to the land of Oz!



Take Curse! Petrified, for example. Where there was previously not a cuddly little cat, there now is a cuddly little cat. You can't go wrong with more cats. 



And in Curse! Meet the Lonesome Duck!, the duck becomes a duck of many colors. An adorable, but still annoying, duck of many colors. 



So order today! Because now, you don't have to go somewhere over the rainbow to reach the land of Oz. You just have to go to Amazon.com. That's much closer.



– Ariel Barkhurst



Warehouse 23 News: Fresh, Fast, And Delivered Anywhere!



Now you can join the elite Ninja Burger delivery team in Ninja Burger (Secret Ninja Death Touch Edition) . Learn the secrets of stealth, swordsmanship, and customer service. Fight for honor, respect, big tips, and that coveted promotion with this hilarious card game. Failure is not an option! Bring honor to your franchise now by ordering from Warehouse 23.

August 14, 2016: Dungeons Just Got More Dangerous

Tombs are more treacherous as Peter V. Dell'Orto (co-author of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 1 ) unleashes 16 new threats with  GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 3: Born of Myth & Magic .



Some of these creatures are based on legend: medusas, basilisks, dryads, and more. Others are wholly new creations, forged of magic and madness: living pits, phase serpents, shadow warriors, and other dangers.



In addition to complete GURPS stats, the monsters come with tactics, variants, and other devious ideas. (For example, not every entity here needs to be an adversary . . .) This supplement also offers meta-traits and three new monster prefixes, for more versatility. Fight holy rock trolls, flying octopus blooms, furious doppelgangers, and other threats.



A well-stocked dungeon can always use more monsters, and now your catacombs can be even more cacophonous with GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 3: Born of Myth & Magic . Don't delay; download it today, only from Warehouse 23!



– Steven Marsh



Warehouse 23 News: Party On, Dudes!



Strange things are afoot, and you have an oral history-report due! Hop into the phone booth to travel through time and collect famous historical dudes and dudettes with Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame ! Get your copy now from Warehouse 23.

August 13, 2016: Almost 200 Ways To Play SJ Games Today

It's a great day for Steve Jackson Games fans!



We've got events in retail stores all over the country, and we're at a con. So put your pants on, get out of the house, and #PlayMunchkin. 



You could go to one of nearly 200 #PlayMunchkin Events happening all over the U.S. – and a few not in the U.S.! At these events, retailers are hosting Munchkin games and giving away scads of unique promo cards and bookmarks. You can post pictures playing Munchkin  on our social media channels with the #PlayMunchkin hashtag for a chance to win some sweet loot. 



And if you're in Austin, you can visit us at our booth at Board Game Bash. From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, we'll be running demos of Simon's Cat Card Game , Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame , Moop's Monster Mashup , and more. And swag. We'll have swag.



– Ariel Barkhurst



Warehouse 23 News: GURPS Gaming Is Easier Than Ever



Getting started with GURPS is easy with How to Be a GURPS GM . Learn which supplements you need, how to help players design characters, and what elements make a great GURPS campaign. It's just a download away, and only from Warehouse 23!

August 12, 2016: Come See Us At Board Game Bash: We'll Have Cats, Dudes, And Mixed-Up Monsters

Here at Steve Jackson Games, many of us have fully rejected the concept of sleep. How can we sleep when there are so many conventions, and every one of them is a chance to demo games and give our fans free stuff?



(Please send help.)



That's why, even though some of us may not have unpacked our Gen Con bags, we'll still have a booth at Board Game Bash, right here in Austin. We'll be there all day Saturday, so be sure to stop by then.



We'll be demoing Simon's Cat Card Game , Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame , Moop's Monster Mashup , and other new and upcoming releases. One of our retail partners, Child's Play Games and Geekery, will be there selling stuff. All the stuff. And while we sold out of Simon's Cat waaaay before Gen Con was over, Child's Play will have fresh, new copies available at BGB!



Did we mention the free stuff? We'll be giving out Munchkin  swag and special  Simon's Cat promo cards. 



So come on over. Otherwise we might fall asleep. We can't have that.



– Ariel Barkhurst



Warehouse 23 News: The End Is Nigh . . .



Perhaps your party of adventurers has what it takes to stop the end. The world has faced devastation in four ways, and Ars Magica: Dies Irae – A Book of Wrathful Days tells the harrowing tales surrounding each one and the aftermath that the survivors must live through. With the fate of the world in your hands, will you rise to the challenge? Available now from Warehouse 23.

August 11, 2016: The #PlayMunchkin Events On August 13 Will Solve At Least One of the World's Problems

Do you ever ask yourself, "What's wrong with this world?"



We do, too. And usually, we come up with a whole lot of very different answers. Some of them relate to the 2016 American presidential election or to the current state of pop music. But one of the answers we come up with is this: "There just aren't enough people figuratively stabbing each other in the back en masse on the same day all across the seven continents and calling it the '#PlayMunchkin Event'!"



And seeing as we are a company that makes games, there really isn't much we can do about the presidential election or terrible generic "folk" music, but we can do something about that third thing we mentioned.



That's why this Saturday, August 13, almost 200 friendly local game stores across the country will host their own #PlayMunchkin Events! 



To help you find the closest one, here's a list of the participating stores. Each one will host its own Munchkin event, and each one has #PlayMunchkin Event-exclusive promo cards and bookmarks to give out to fans. And while you're playing, don't forget to post a picture to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram of your  Munchkin  game with the #PlayMunchkin hashtag for a chance to win cool prizes! 



You really should go. You know you've been saying you need to get out more.



– Ariel Barkhurst



Warehouse 23 News: In GURPS, Magic Is Mightier Than You Think



With GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery , you have the flexibility to create and cast any spell you can imagine . . . and some you didn't think were possible! Wield your magic as an extension of yourself, and show your enemies what you're really made of. Get your download today, only from Warehouse 23.

August 10, 2016: Jingle All The Slay With This New Coloring Book

Spyke is up to his usual chainsaw tricks in the 12 Days Of Munchkin Coloring Book , which I'm 99% sure will get him on Santa's naughty list. I don't think Spyke cares, though, because he gets to slay monsters all season long! It's a munchkin's dream come true.



Inside you'll find 12 ready-to-color line drawings of Spyke's chainsaw-fueled holiday, drawn by Len Peralta ( Star Munchkin Guest Artist Edition , Munchkin Apocalypse Guest Artist Edition ). Of course, the coloring book also comes with 10 promo cards featuring Len's distinctive style, because the holidays are a time for giving.



Make sure to include the 12 Days Of Munchkin Coloring Book on your wish list; it'll be available in November!



– Hunter Shelburne



Warehouse 23 News: Take This Munchkin Gear For A Spin!



Keeping track of the levels on both sides of your Munchkin fights is easy with the Munchkin Steampunk Kill-O-Meter ! It features two bonus Munchkin Steampunk cards, awesome artwork, and fun dials to spin. Innovation awaits on Warehouse 23!

August 8, 2016: Yum! Fresh Zombies, Anyone?

Nothing says "versatile" like "zombies".



They can be genuinely scary. They can be funny. They can be romantic. They can be cute and cuddly. They can be tools of capitalism or tools of critical thought. They can be a cereal flavor or a nightmare, a dessert topping or a floor wax. They can be anything – which is why approximately 50% of modern movies are about them.



It's this adaptable quality of zombies that made it so easy to choose Munchkin Zombies as one of our Guest Artist Edition games. And it's why we're so excited now to show you more of guest artist Greg Hyland's zombified art!







Where John Kovalic's original zombie illustrations are more cartoon-like and family-friendly, Greg Hyland's new Munchkin Zombies Guest Artist Edition – due out in October – is a bit more graphic and loose. Both versions are great in very different ways – like, say, Night of the Living Dead and Army of Darkness, or peanut butter ice cream and mountain pine-scented hand soap.



Just look at the Ghoulbladder cards. John's drawing is hilarious, but there's not a gut or a glob of blood in sight. Greg's zombie, on the other hand, has an open chest cavity. Mm-mm, good.



Other cards from Hyland are reinterpretations, like his Slacker or his Tax Man. 







This is why we're doing these Guest Artist Editions – these cards lend themselves to interpretation. You can see Greg's fresh take on the other 164 cards when the game rolls out in October. 



Hyland is the creator of Lethargic Lad, a comic strip (and now webcomic) that has been running since the late 1980s. He has worked with us before; he illustrated the original Munchkin Fu , as well as Burn in Hell  and Chez Guevara . 



So when Halloween season rolls around, remember that this game will be in stores, and that it's probably a better use of your money than yet more zombie movie tickets. 



– Ariel Barkhurst



Warehouse 23 News: The "Most Wanted" Supplement For GURPS Games?



The forces of law and order make for great gaming, and they come to life in Pyramid #3/93: Cops and Lawyers . With so much GURPS material to challenge heroes and criminals in the courts or on the streets, this issue is sure to make your most wanted list. Download it individually, or subscribe today – only from Warehouse 23!

August 9, 2016: Surviving Gen Con's "Upside Down"

For many, Gen Con is four spectacular days of gaming wrapped around an untold number of chances to discover the latest games. Our booth alone offered up four new games – Simon's Cat: The Card Game , Bill & Ted's Excellent Boardgame , I Hate Zombies , and Moop's Monster Mashup – and when you include all of the new releases by other publishers at the convention, you find an overwhelming number of new games.



Awesome stuff, yes, but there's also a secret Gen Con that many of you may not know exists. An "Upside Down" Gen Con, if you will, where those of us working on games meet to plan, share information, and create new deals. Surviving this secret Gen Con requires careful planning, a willingness to adapt and strike when opportunity hides in the shadows, and more luck than any of us should ever rely on. At this year's Gen Con, our team survived and thrived, meeting distributors, retailers, publishing partners, and press, sitting in on almost 100 different meetings across a blur of days. Great work, team! Thanks for your dedication, and thank you for sacrificing sleep and comfort to make our 2017 even better.



(And if "Upside Down" means nothing to you, then I have one suggestion: Watch Stranger Things. Now. Today. Seriously. It's a fabulous show and more fun than I expected.)



– Phil Reed



Warehouse 23 News: Do You Have The Need For Steed?



Face off against an Uzi-wielding Ooze as you ride into battle atop your very own Chicken, Eagle, or Giant Mutant Gerbil! Munchkin 4 - The Need for Steed expands your Munchkin possibilities, and it can be yours today from Warehouse 23!