Steve Jackson's Blog, page 392

March 8, 2015

March 7, 2015: Drama And Dracoliches

I once spent several minutes exchanging pleasantries with a dracolich, causing my family to convulse with laughter. We were playing Castle Ravenloft , a rather fun cooperative boardgame distillation of the Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition ruleset that sends the heroes on missions where they have to work together to accomplish their goal. In this case, the goal was "kill the dracolich"; we'd gotten halfway to that goal by finding the dracolich, and then it boiled down to combat primarily between me (the best fighter of the party) and the undead beast.



Unfortunately, neither the dracolich nor my fighter could roll above a 6 on a 20-sided die (and we each needed at least a 10), so we both just kept missing each other. After about four rounds of this, I started making up both sides of the conversation about what the hellbeast and I were really doing instead of hitting each other.



"Sooo . . . How's it going? You like it here?"
"Oh, it's not bad. Get to kill a lot of heroes; that's fun."
"I bet it is! Yep. [rolls a 5] Say, nice weather we've been having."
"[rolls a 3] Is it? I can't tell; I'm trapped here in a castle serving my evil master."
"Oh sure, that makes sense. [rolls a 6] Say, do you like cinnamon rolls?"
"Not a big fan. I don't have a stomach, so anything I eat just rolls out the ribcage. [rolls a 1] Whoops; almost tripped and fell on you!"
"No worries! Anyway, where were we? Ummm . . . Who's your favorite Beatle?"



(etc.)



My son and wife – while trying to maneuver their heroes to my area to help – were cracking up at this improvised drama.



But that's why my favorite games have a strong narrative pull to them, encouraging players to make up their own stories, like the time a Zombie Dice green die rolled five footprints in a row, and I concluded he was some kind of marathon runner who didn't even notice he was being chased by a zombie. Some of the games I find most fun make it really easy to imagine the story that's taking place, such as the entirety of the Munchkin line. (And, of course, I help keep things running smoothly on the GURPS line, which strongly supports storytelling as its raison d'être.)



So for everyone who makes up the stories that take place behind the games, I salute you all. And a special thanks to all those at my gaming table who find my improvisational antics amusing – or at least don't get so annoyed that they feed me to the dracolich (who, I've learned, is actually a Ringo fan . . .)



Steven Marsh



Warehouse 23 News: Go Dungeon Delving, With Pyramid!



More GURPS Dungeon Fantasy adventure awaits with Pyramid #3/76: Dungeon Fantasy IV . Become a psychic slayer, explore living dungeon rooms, get new magical items for martial items, and much more. Download this treasure separately or as the first issue of a subscription; adventure awaits at Warehouse 23!
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Published on March 08, 2015 14:03

March 8, 2015: More Awful Green Things!

The Awful Green Things from Outer Space

That's right, we're reprinting it! In June, The Awful Green Things from Outer Space gets a reprint, in all its glory.

Monsters Everywhere!



The crew of the exploration ship Znutar just wanted to cruise around the Galaxy, discovering strange new worlds and playing pool. But then their ship was invaded by the Awful Green Things . . . and suddenly they were fighting for their lives!



In this wacky two-player game, one player controls the Awful Green Things. They grow and multiply every turn – especially if they can gobble up a crew member! The other player commands the crew, frantically trying weapon after weapon (pool sticks, fire extinguishers, cans of Zgwortz) to find something that kills the monsters.



This classic game by Tom Wham first appeared in Dragon Magazine in 1980, and has been a fan favorite ever since! This edition includes Tom's "Outside the Znutar" rules and counters, for going out the airlocks and fighting on the surface of the ship, and upgraded components: a mounted gameboard, heavy die-cut counters, and a full-color rulebook!



Brian Engard



Warehouse 23 News: Won't You Take Me To... War-Torn Town?



Spruce up your game descriptions with Urban Dressing: War-Torn Town . Roll some dice and get immediate descriptions of sights, sounds, businesses, plots, and more. Flavor is a download away, thanks to Warehouse 23!
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Published on March 08, 2015 14:03

March 4, 2015

March 3, 2015: Interview With Denis Loubet, The First Artist Hired At Steve Jackson Games

With the 35th anniversary of Steve Jackson Games just around the corner, I thought it'd be a great time to interview the first artist ever hired by Steve Jackson Games back in the 80s. He did cover paintings and interior illustrations for Space Gamer magazine, Fantasy Gamer magazine, and "games and supplements too numerous to mention." If you'd like us to do a live Google Hangout with Denis Loubet, let us know using the #SJGamesLIVE hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, or post to our Forums.



When did you first start working with Steve Jackson Games?



Space Gamer - Demons



Well, I can tell it was in 1980, because that's when the Demon cover came out.



I was living in Houston working as a darkroom technician when my friends from college invited me to Austin to attend a feast put on by the Society for Creative Anachronism. They told me to bring my Demon painting because they wanted to show it to Steve Jackson, who happened to be the local Baron at the time. When, in medieval garb, I showed the painting to Steve, he looked at it and said he wanted it for the cover of the Space Gamer magazine. And so, surrounded by knights and ladies in waiting, I made my first professional sale to Steve Jackson Games for $250.00, and began my career.



Shortly afterwards, Steve decided to hire me as their typesetter and staff artist. That was half of a good decision. As a typesetter I sucked big time, but soon Steve was able to support me as full time staff artist. I was glad to leave the Selectric typewriter's frenzied golfball behind and work entirely on science fiction and fantasy art.



What was your favorite thing you worked on at that time?



I really liked doing the spot illustrations in Space Gamer and Fantasy Gamer magazines. The breadth of genres and themes for the articles forced me to draw all sorts of weird and unlikely things. Creatures from A.E. van Vogt novels to characters from Star Trek, it was all good. I was doing art 8 hours a day, and that improved my quality enormously.



I also learned a lot. I remember being very proud of myself for concocting a passable skin tone from two unlikely spot colors, and keeping my technical pens working in a wax-rich environment. (We used thin layers of wax to paste up the pages we sent to the printers. Wax that would instantly and permanently clog any technical pen that came in contact with it.)



What else did you work on?



Autoduel Quarterly Nightstrike



Everything. I did counters for Car Wars , maps for Ogre and G.E.V. , and insane numbers of Cardboard Heroes at very nearly actual size. Cover art and illustrations for Space Gamer, Fantasy Gamer, and Autoduel Quarterly magazines.



Cardboard Heroes



I also met a lot of amazing people there. It's where I met Richard Garriott, AKA Lord British of Origin Systems and Ultima fame, and the late Aaron Allston who later applied his talents and wisdom to Hero Games and became a New York Times Bestselling Author for his Wraith Squadron novels set in the Star Wars universe. Among the gaming industry folks in Austin, SJ Games became known as Steve Jackson University, because it seemed that everyone in the industry had to graduate from it at one point or another.



What are you doing now?



G.E.V. Map



Since Steve Jackson Games, I worked as a freelance artist for many years doing illustrations for companies like Iron Crown Enterprises, Hero Games, and Origin Systems. But as I was debating whether to try my hand at comics and realizing it was going to be far too much work for far too little pay, I got the call from Origin Systems to be their Staff Artist.



After being the first artist hired at Steve Jackson Games, and the first artist hired at Origin Systems Inc, I remained in the computer game industry for the next 20+ years until today.



During that time, I've been an owner of some companies, an employee of others, and even contract artist at a few. I was there at the birth of the computer game industry, and have watched it evolve and grow with some misgivings. Now it's a hidebound adventure in staffing up, laying off, and outsourcing, and not something I want to be a part of any more.



Draw My Character



What I'm doing now is trying to work directly for my fans. First, I'm trying to put together a business called DrawMyCharacter.com, where you can get your favorite roleplaying character drawn by a professional artist. I intend to have a cadre of hand-picked artists operating out of a slick website, but currently the website is not slick, and that cadre is me.



Second, I'm into Patreon. When the crowdfunding idea blossomed a few years ago, I eyed Kickstarter as a part of my future, but its intent didn't seem to match what I had in mind. However, last year I heard about Patreon, which is sort of an on-going Kickstarter that simply funds artists so they can do more art. The idea is that you become a patron of the artists you like, and fund them a few dollars each month. With enough patrons, the artist no longer needs to seek employment with a company, and can instead work directly for his fans and patrons. This also allows the artist to take risks he could never afford to take before. He can try new mediums, and new tools, and new approaches to his art without fear of financial ruin. Patreon is a potential game-changer for artists and musicians.



For me, Patreon means I can work directly for my fans. For instance, if they want me to create a new set of Cardboard Heroes , I can deliver! (With Steve's permission, of course.) If they want 3D printed Ogres , I can do that too. The possibilities are endless.



GURPS Robots - Hamlet GURPS Robots - Chess GURPS Robots - Ship



You can find my website at: www.denisloubet.com



You can find the closest thing to the Drawmycharacter site at: www.denisloubet.com/drawmycharacter.htm



And finally, you can find my Patreon project at: www.patreon.com/denisloubet



Rhea Friesen



Warehouse 23 News: Take Your Madness Underground!



Muchkin Cthulhu made you insane. Now take your madness subterranean with Munchkin Cthulhu 4: Crazed Caverns . This expansion comes with sixteen portal cards that transport you to new dimensions and twenty dungeon cards. Can you survive the Arena of Azathoth or the Lightless Lair of the Lloigor? Grab a copy from Warehouse 23 and spread the madness.
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Published on March 04, 2015 04:56

March 4, 2015: Fear The Munchkin Princesses!

A perfect thing to do with the Munchkin Bricks pieces:



Steve Jackson



Warehouse 23 News: Will You Give Up The Ghost?



In the latest expansion for Gloom , you take your family's skeletons out of the closet for more gloomy fun. Reanimate dead family members or turn them into Vampires and shapeshifters and let them loose on the town. Gloom: Unquiet Dead comes with 55 new cards that add morbid new modifiers. This set also includes new rules and is fully compatible with Second Edition Gloom and its other expansions. Available from Warehouse 23 .
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Published on March 04, 2015 04:56

March 2, 2015

March 2, 2015: Blank Munchkin Cards On Warehouse 23

Blank Munchkin Cards

Making stuff up is fun. Heck, making stuff up is what we do for a living. Now you can too! Warehouse 23 is now offering packs of blank Munchkin cards (Doors and Treasures) that you can use to add your own brand of zany to the game! 



Brian Engard



Warehouse 23 News: Gloom Is Back!



Gloom Second Edition has arrived at Warehouse 23. Featuring new art and updated card text for easier play – backwards compatibility is completely maintained between editions. Your goal is sad, but simple: you want your characters to suffer the most horrible fate whilst helping your fellow player's characters live a long and happy life. Grab a copy today and spread the cheer, but keep the gloom for yourself.
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Published on March 02, 2015 03:51

March 1, 2015

March 1, 2015: Munchkin Badge Ribbons At PAX East

Munchkin badge ribbons.

Are you going to PAX East? Stop by booth C605 to pick up one of these sweet Munchkin badge ribbons, and demo some games while you're there!



Brian Engard



Warehouse 23 News: Collect Them All!



We have six different colors of Munchkin Pins for you. Each one gives you a +1 in combat, so get all six for a massive combat boost. Available exclusively from Warehouse 23.
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Published on March 01, 2015 04:04

February 28, 2015

February 28, 2015: Small World, Tom Siddell . . . Small World!

[Image]

As the Munchkin comic deal with Boom! Studios became a real thing, one of the writers' names hit me like a +5 Electric Radioactive Acid Potion: Tom Siddell. Tom Siddell!



I know that name . . . as the artist and author behind Gunnerkrigg Court , which has been on my "Read as soon as it updates!" webcomic list for years and years. It continues to keep my interest . . . in fact, it just keeps on getting better. If I say "It's about a school where strangely talented kids, human and near-human, study magic and hypertechnology while Momentous Events Unfold," I've described it – but only in the same sense that I could describe Moby-Dick as "This psycho guy picks a fight with a whale. Whale wins."



In other words: it's complicated. Gunnerkrigg Court is very smart, and very well drawn, and very well plotted, and every so often there's a page that transcends webcomicity and becomes very beautiful.



So it makes me very, very happy to be working with Tom, even at a remove. And this increases the chance that someday I'll get to meet him, and THAT will be amazing.



And here's a pointer to a review of Munchkin #2; Tom scripted one of the stories. Good story.



Steve Jackson



Warehouse 23 News: Ken Hite, By Popular Demon'd?



The latest installment of the Ken Writes About Stuff #2 subscription is here, with GUMSHOE Zoom: Goetia . Ken Hite's introduction to the hierarchy of Hell lets you add flavor and spice and things not-so-nice to your game. Download it individually from Warehouse 23 or as part of the money-saving KWAS subscription bundle!
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Published on February 28, 2015 03:54

February 27, 2015

February 26, 2015: Munchkin Temporary Tattoos On Warehouse 23

Munchkin Temporary Tattoos

Do you want to permanently mark your body with Munchkin art for an in-game benefit? No? How about temporarily? You're in luck! We just released these temporary tattoos on Warehouse 23, and they're pretty sweet!



Brian Engard



Warehouse 23 News: "Chained Coffin"? Sounds Perfectly Safe...



The heroes must appease that which lies within the Chained Coffin, lest a terrible dark age fall upon the land. The secrets of Dungeon Crawl Classics #83: The Chained Coffin – along with its intriguing spinning wheel puzzle – are just a download away, thanks to Warehouse 23!
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Published on February 27, 2015 05:33

February 27, 2015: A Thing Happened

I've been in the Marketing Department at SJ Games for around a year and a half now, and I've been enjoying myself quite a bit. Apparently I was also busy impressing folks, because they just promoted me to Marketing Director! Heh, suckers.



In all seriousness, I'm thrilled to have this opportunity. SJ Games is a great place to work, and I love working in the Marketing Department. I've been gradually assuming more responsibility over the last few months, but now that responsibility is official in a way that it wasn't before. I'm excited to see what kinds of cool marketing things we can do in 2015! (Hint: I know some things you don't. Just sayin'.)



Brian Engard



Warehouse 23 News: Get In The Fight With Battlemaps



The beautiful maps from the Basic Paths series are available now separately, in the Basic Paths: Battlemaps Compendium . Use these full-color tactical maps to bring new encounters and excitement to any square-based fantasy game. Download, print, and enjoy, thanks to Warehouse 23!
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Published on February 27, 2015 05:33

February 25, 2015

February 24, 2015: Chi-Fi In Chicago

I will be a guest at Chi-Fi on March 19-22. Their motto is " Celebrate Geekdom ." That works for me.



The hotel is the historic and swanky Palmer House, the third of that name on the same site. The original opened on September 26, 1871, and stood a mere 13 days, until the Great Chicago Fire. The second one was built to be fireproof, but it collided with an iceberg and sank. No, I made that up. It in fact endured, both unburnt and unsunk, until the mid-1920s, when it was replaced by the current humongous yet spiffy structure. Which stands today, all shiny in the middle of the amazingness that is Chicago, and yes, the hotel was one reason I accepted the invitation! Very good choice, Chi-Fi. Well played.



Chi-Fi's guests also include the historic and swanky talented and peculiar Paul and Storm, who I so recently saw at JoCo Cruise Crazy 5. Well, here we are, together again, in a venue with (possibly) an even nicer ballroom, but (definitely) fewer palm trees. There will be a lot of other guests, none of whom I know well enough to make fun of in this report. I'm looking forward to meeting them, and perhaps we can change that! The Guest of Honor page is kind of easy to overlook on their site, so I'm going to cheat and link it here so you can read about them.



Yes, I know that most of that website is in eye-searing ALL CAPS. Forgive them; they know not what they do. My advice is to pick somebody you don't like and get them to read it to you.



Come see me in Chicago and we shall celebrate geekdom amidst really neat Gilded Age surroundings, and if you say "This is sooo steampunk!" nobody will wonder what you mean.



Steve Jackson



Warehouse 23 News: Who Can You Trust?



It's hard to say in the strange land of Al Amarja, but maybe that nice Englishwoman can help you find that magician you're looking for. Over the Edge: Friend or Foe? is a collection of thirty-four GM characters that can be added to any game in the Edge to help your players find the right or wrong way. Available from Warehouse 23 in print or pdf.
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Published on February 25, 2015 03:48

Steve Jackson's Blog

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