Steve Jackson's Blog, page 363

December 20, 2015: Futuristic Furry Fun For GURPS!

Guess who's back? It's sparrials – those furry aliens who excel at taking that which doesn't belong to them! GURPS Aliens: Sparrials is the first GURPS Fourth Edition guide to an entire alien race. Written by Elizabeth McCoy (co-author of GURPS IOU ), this meaty supplement offers insight into the sparrial mindset, society, history, and more. Discover their penchant for wanderlust, learn about their predisposition for purloining, understand their unusual mindset about "family," and absorb other vital details that make them truly alien and interesting.



This supplement also includes game stats and goodies for these kleptomaniac characters. It provides a racial template, variant races, martial arts, and other intel to create interesting and memorable protagonists or antagonists! You can also meet their pets, take a ride on one of their spaceships, and learn what spells or psionics they might excel at. Sparrials also suggests ways to use this race in your games – including fantasy settings!



Science-fiction excitement isn't limited to the movies; you can make your own galaxies come to life at the gaming table! Download GURPS Aliens: Sparrials from Warehouse 23 and let the sparrials take your breath away . . . and whatever else they can get their hands on!



– Steven Marsh



Warehouse 23 News: Order With Confidence!



The Warehouse Staff may be on break for the holidays, but you still can get loads of fun right now. Warehouse23.com is your 24-hour source for exciting GURPS PDFs and more. Click, buy, and download instantly!

December 19, 2015: The Best Catalog Of The Season?

Forget fruitcakes or dog sweaters; here's a catalog that'll really get your motor running. The beloved Uncle Albert's Catalog from Hell – for Car Wars Classic – is available to download – over 200 pages with all the goodies from the Car Wars Compendium , Boat Wars , Aeroduel , and much more. It also has other neat stuff, including upgrades from ADQ and earlier Uncle Albert's Catalogs , advanced jumping rules, and more fun stuff.



Don't settle for the catalogs that clutter up your mailbox; get the catalog you'll really love. Uncle Albert's Catalog from Hell – it's the gift that keeps on giving!



– Steven Marsh



Warehouse 23 News: Build Character, With GURPS!



Templates are a great way to make characters in GURPS . . . and now it's never been easier to make templates! Sean Punch's meaty indispensable guide GURPS Template Toolkit 1: Characters takes you through step-by-step advice for defining, creating, and optimizing templates. Download it today, only from Warehouse 23!

December 18, 2015: All That Glitters Is Great!

One of the most-popular supplements for GURPS Dungeon Fantasy has been GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 8: Treasure Tables . . . and for good reason! Folks love conjuring their own loot out of nothingness, with little else but the roll of some dice. However, sometimes you want more. And we're here to help. With GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Treasures 1: Glittering Prizes , Treasure Tables author Matt Riggsby is back to offer additional options for generating loot. Don't let your coins be humdrum; alter their shape, size, composition, embellishments, and more. Use paper money, shells, or even rai stones as rewards! Harness the power of magical coins. And discover other captivating currency characteristics.



The volume also includes insight into money matters, such as the troubles of accurately counting coins, the risks of cursed hoards, and more. Cash isn't just a way for heroes to keep score; it can also be a great reward on its own, and even a gateway to further adventure! Download Glittering Prizes today, and treasure it forever.



– Steven Marsh



Warehouse 23 News: Last Day For Deals!



Today is your last chance to snag the Mostly Munchkin Grab Box and the Surprise Me! Grab Box . You never know what you'll get, and if you get both, you qualify for FREE SHIPPING!



Don't forget that today is also the last day of our Free Shipping on orders over $65. Put your order in before the end of the day to get it shipped before Christmas!

December 17, 2015: JoCo Cruise Crazy VI - The Caribbean - February 21-28, 2016

Only a few days left to get on board!



Last year's JoCo Cruise was an amazing experience. It was my first cruise ever; I met a lot of gamers; I heard a lot of music. I also ate too much, but I am given to understand that that is traditional.



What is the JoCo Cruise? Look here. Or, for those who didn't click the link: it's a week on the Caribbean on a humongous luxurious boat, with some excellent musicians, starting with Jonathan Coulton himself and backed up by Paul and Storm and a lot of other talent. You really ought to go click that link.



While music is The Big Thing on the JoCo Cruise, gaming is The Other Big Thing. There's an active 24-hour game room with frequently-replenished munchies. SJ Games sponsored it last year and is sponsoring it again this year, because it was good. Among other things, that's where I first got to play Splendor . (While I am mentioning things that have bigness, I should point out that writing is also a Big Thing. If you are a would-be writer, please note that there IS a writing track, and that the guests on the cruise include John Scalzi, Patrick Rothfuss, and Wil Wheaton. All of whom can write, and will talk to you about writing.)



But I digress. This year we are doing three special events for the cruise's gaming track: a general "What's New at SJ Games" event at which secrets will be revealed, a status report on the Munchkin Shakespeare brainstorm that we did on last year's cruise, and a NEW brainstorm at which the attendees will get to help me and Andrew rough out a new, NON- Munchkin game.



The fourth of our third events will be a Munchkin playoff. Four aspiring munchkins will win seats at that table during the cruise's earlier gaming events. They will play against me. If I win, I keep the prize.



Last year's cruise was unlike anything I've ever done. I really had no idea what to expect. But I was committed to the 2016 event before the 2015 cruise docked. You really ought to be on board too, and as I understand it, there are very few cabins of any size left, and the deadline to get one of those is fast approaching. So either act now and join me on the cruise, or don't act now and endure my telling you later how unbelievable it all was.



– Steve Jackson



Warehouse 23 News: Get Quirky!



Sure, powers and skills are great, but sometimes the best characters are defined by their quirks. Learn more about what you can do with GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks , a guide to all things quirky in GURPS . Choose from the nearly 200 quirks herein, or use the advice to create or modify your own! It's all a download away, and only from Warehouse 23.

December 16, 2015: Steve Jackson Games Is Hiring A Copywriter And Marketing Designer!

Our marketing department has immediate openings for a copywriter and a designer. If you think you're the perfect candidate for one of these positions, read the job descriptions and follow the instructions there. Pass it on!



Yes, this is a test.



– Rhea Friesen



Warehouse 23 News: Unleash Madness, With Kenneth Hite!



Kenneth Hite is your guide to a GURPS Horror campaign that sets the heroes against unimaginable forces that seek to impose their reality on ours and erase history! Discover the truth – and how to fight back – in the pages of GURPS Horror: The Madness Dossier . Download it today – only from Warehouse 23 – or else there may not be a tomorrow!

December 15, 2015: Five Days Of #MunchkinGiving

If you saw our Twitter feed yesterday, you may notice the #MunchkinGiving hashtag. We are running Munchkin Giving contests until we leave this Friday!



Everyone who plays Munchkin knows that when you're an Elf, helping comes with benefits. Be our holiday elves and help share your love of Munchkin with others . . . to your own benefit, of course. Each winning elf gets two prizes, one to give away, and one to keep! Check our social media feeds all week for contest details.



For our Daily Illuminator readers, here are a few hints . . . there may be more



Today - Facebook - Munchkin Christmas Lite



Wednesday - Instagram - The Munchkin Comic compilation book from BOOM! Studios



Thursday - Facebook - Munchkin Yule Log



Friday - Twitter - Munchkin Christmas Lite



Note: Winners must contact marketing@sjgames.com with their address by 11:59 PM on December, 18 to claim their prizes.



– Rhea Friesen



 



Warehouse 23 News: Wildcards, I Think I Love You . . .



Play GURPS quicker, easier, and more cinematically with GURPS Power-Ups 7: Wildcard Skills . Use one skill to cover a myriad of situations, learn updated and expanded options, and unleash a multitude of new wildcard skills. Never have exclamation points been so useful on your character sheet! Download it today, only from Warehouse 23.

December 14, 2015: More Munchkin Guest Artist Edition Shirts!

We promised more Munchkin Guest Artist stuff and we are delivering on that promise right now. Check out these sweet new additions:



1) The Munchkin Fu Guest Artist T-Shirt , with art by John Kovalic: Are you able to deal out Samurai-twitching pun-ishment? It's probably polite to warn others that you're a Pun Fu Warrior!




2) The Super Munchkin Guest Artist T-Shirt , with art by Art Baltazar: We liked the Super Munchkin Guest Artist Edition cover illustration by Tiny Titans' Art Baltazar so much, we turned it into a shirt! It's hard not to feel super with this shirt on.




3) The Munchkin Zombies Guest Artist T-Shirt , with art by Greg Hyland: All he wants to do is give you hugs, but all people do is shriek and run away! Pity the poor zombie.




Don't forget to peek at the previous three designs if you missed them. All of these shirts are made in limited quantities, so don't miss out: order now! (You definitely want to hurry, because Warehouse 23 will be closing for the holidays this Friday.)



– Andreas Stein



Warehouse 23 News: Know Your Limitations . . . They're Awesome!



Tweak your GURPS abilities in new and different ways with GURPS Power-Ups 8: Limitations . This supplement compiles dozens of additional limitations, plus it has lots of new info to get your powers to do exactly what you want. Download it today only from Warehouse 23, and let your only limit be your imagination!

December 13, 2015: Last Week For Grab Boxes At Warehouse 23!

Christmas is just a few weeks away, and over at Warehouse 23, our online store, we're celebrating the holidays with two Grab Boxes of surprise loot. This is an idea that has been tossed back and forth in the office for a few years now – Alex Kosarek, our webmaster, has probably mentioned this to me a dozen times over the years – and we thought it might be something many of you would enjoy.



And enjoy it you have! We've been stunned by the number of Grab Box orders, and after we finish inventory later this month we'll have to restock the warehouse to replace all of the goodies that you guys have snatched up. Thanks, and I hope you're using some of the stuff to introduce someone new to your favorite game!



You've not yet grabbed your box? Better get to it, gang, because these close down on December 18. Grab yourself a box or two before it's too late!



– Phil Reed



Warehouse 23 News: Just In Time For The Holidays!



Grab a copy of Munchkin Holiday Surprise for that munchkin in your life! Comes with 68 holiday themed cards, two special Christmas dice and a holiday themed Kill-O-Meter.



Get yours from Warehouse 23 today! Or if you're in a hurry, check out your Friendly Local Game Store!

December 12, 2015: The Near-Future Of GURPS Is Now!

Tomorrow advances continually toward us, and with it comes the progress and promise of technological advancement. In this month's Pyramid, we look at what might be available for GURPS games set in the not-too-distant future, with Pyramid #3/85: Cutting Edge .



This issue features a guide to designing ultra-tech GURPS armor from David L. Pulver; an assortment of styles, skills, and developments for near-future shootists from Phil Masters (author of the recent Transhuman Space: Bio-Tech 2100 ); and a comprehensive look at zero-G environments in GURPS . The topics also cover musicians and musical tech in cyberpunk environments; some new perks suitable for netrunners; and even a vignette from Matt Riggsby that offers a sneak peak at the new Car Wars universe, and another piece of incredible artwork from Brandon Moore, the artist who brought this month's amazing cover to life.



With Pyramid #3/85: Cutting Edge, you can add the newest developments to your science fiction games, or amp up your modern-day games with a bit of the bleeding edge. Download this issue individually, or subscribe to Pyramid today and get the latest and greatest in GURPS for months to come!



– Steven Marsh



Warehouse 23 News: Upgrade Your Transhuman Space Games



Update your Transhuman Space campaigns with Transhuman Space: Bioroid Bazaar and its new rules, latest options, and upgraded templates for all things biological. This is one crunchy supplement . . . and not just because of the optional exoskeletons! Download it to your inner cyberware today, only from Warehouse 23.

December 11, 2015: Roll With The Power Of SCIENCE!

We have just started shipping our amazing, shiny Munchkin Steampunk SCIENCE! Dice to game distributors. Add these to your Munchkin Steampunk Deluxe set to take your game to the next level of AWESOME.



This set also includes four new cards for Munchkin Steampunk , so it's perfect for stuffing your favorite Munchkin fan's stocking! But not while it's being worn.



– Anna Meade







Warehouse 23 News: Come To Your Senses, With GURPS!



Bring new, amazing, and strange sensory abilities to your heroes with GURPS Powers: Enhanced Senses . Whether you're in a supers universe, a realistic science-fiction world, or a fantasy realm, you can "see" things in a whole new light! Download this senses-shattering supplement today, only from Warehouse 23!