Steve Jackson's Blog, page 82

August 21, 2023: Unleash Your Inner Goblin With GURPS Fantasy Folk: Goblins And Hobgoblins

You've spent time getting to know the ways of the forest with GURPS Fantasy Folk: Elves , and now you want something a little less . . . haughty? GURPS Fantasy Folk: Goblins and Hobgoblins provides essential information about two closely related fantasy folk. This volume – from the quill of Phil Masters – includes details on gobliny origins, GURPS templates and professions, new combat possibilities and equipment, and more.

Whether you seek scary adversaries, comedic allies, or offbeat heroic alternatives, Goblins and Hobgoblins has what you're looking for. Start "goblin" it up today, only from Warehouse 23!

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

August 20, 2023: The Computer Is Your Friend

It was the first thing you heard when you came out of the clone tank. It'll probably be the last thing you hear when you're lasered down like the Commie mutant traitor that you are.

Yep, we're playing Paranoia . But we're also playing Munchkin .



By permission of the High Programmers themselves, I will be writing, and John Kovalic will be illustrating, Munchkin Paranoia for a late 2024 release. It will be the most perfect form of Munchkin ever to be created, because the Computer says so.*

This is a match that only the Computer could have come up with. Races = mutations. Classes = Secret Societies. Level = color clearance. Monsters = your fellow citizens of Alpha Complex, mostly. Victory = Reach High Programmer status!

I have been a Paranoia fan since the very first edition, and I am absolutely delighted to be working on this project. Of all the RPGs ever created, Paranoia is hands down the one that I wish I had worked on, and now I can!†  A lot of the cards will write themselves. A lot of the rest, I can steal! And, of course, I will. What would a game of Paranoia be without Hot Fun, Cold Fun, and Bouncy Bubble Beverage?

Invited to comment, World Famous Game Designer Greg Costikyan opined: " Munchkin . Paranoia . What could possibly go wrong? (Flees rapidly for cover.)"

___________________________

* It is possible that arguing about the rules will be punishable by Death. Further playtest is needed.

† Mike, wherever you are, I hope you're proud!

– Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

August 19, 2023: Bike The Barns With John Kovalic

This one goes to 11! Bike rides, that is. Munchkin artist, Dork Tower creator, and all-around-awesome human John Kovalic is participating in his 11th Bike the Barns Charity Bike Ride. John is used to taking things to 11 with these bike rides, adorning his outfit with various plushies and accessories (in rain or shine) based on how much he raises. The money is going to a great cause in FairShare CSA Coalition, which brings organic food to low income families. 

Plus, John includes some awesome bonuses for the amazing people who donate. There are multiple donation tiers that unlock rewards like plushies, writings from Neil Gaiman, Patrick Rothfuss, and Gail Simone, and of course, the yearly Munchkin postcard (seen below). Now you can crank it up to 11 from the comfort of your home, while John does so  on his bike while covered in plush tentacles! Donate today – and good luck to John on the bike ride! 

– Hunter Shelburne

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

August 18, 2023: Outdoor Encounter Cards Now Available Via DriveThruCards

Need a random encounter for The Fantasy Trip ? Then adventure is in the cards . . . Outdoor Encounter Cards , that is!

This beloved, quick-and-easy addition to TFT has been out of print for quite some time, but no longer, thanks to the print-on-demand wizardy of DriveThruCards! Which of the dozens of encounter seeds will you draw and expand into a memorable moment? That's up to fate! But when the Game Master hits the deck, it's likely the players will, too . . .

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

August 17, 2023: Homebrewed Tabletop Interview With Will

Will Schoonover, game developer extraordinaire and  Munchkin  Line Editor, took an interview at our Gen Con booth for Homebrewed Tabletop on YouTube.

They had a great conversation about getting into gaming geekdom, including how licensed tie-ins can make great gateway games. Watch below: 



A big thank you to Nightharrow for taking the time to talk with Will (and for sending us a link)!

Check out Homebrewed Tabletop if you're interested in a growing community around TTRPGS, boardgames, and gaming industry news. He was busy at Gen Con – check out this playlist to see all of his interviews from the convention.

– Irene Zielinski

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

August 16, 2023: SJ Games To Sponsor Hoop And Stick Con 2024

About a month before I got hired at Steve Jackson Games, my husband and I took a vacation to Ravenwood Castle in New Plymouth, Ohio. We had seen ads for the inn on Facebook and were intrigued by its location and offerings – not only is Ravenwood located a short drive from Hocking Hills, the Moonville Tunnel trail, and Ohio University, but it is also a unique inn that caters to gamers of all ages. People who stay at Ravenwood can check out boardgames from the extensive library, participate in scavenger hunts, or even play chess using their giant outdoor chess board. There's also no better place for TTRPG one-shots than the Great Hall. Ask me how I know . . .  Ravenwood Castle hosts a wide range of events throughout the year, but the one that they're most proud of is Hoop and Stick Con. Since 2016, Hoop and Stick Con has raised money for Extra Life, a fundraiser that supports Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Every employee I spoke with at Ravenwood talked about their love of the event and how proud they were to raise money for such an important cause. I wanted to be involved in the convention, but I had no idea that I'd end up doing so with Steve Jackson Games! That's right – in 2024, Steve Jackson Games is helping to sponsor Hoop and Stick Con. Our sponsorship money will go directly to Extra Life to help kids access life-saving treatments and procedures. In addition to sponsoring the event, we'll also be contributing a collection of signed games for the event's online auction. The auction is a great way to get involved if you can't make it to Hoop and Stick Con in person; we'll be sure to post more information when the time comes. One of the best things about the tabletop gaming community is how it enthusiastically supports good causes. Everyone here at Steve Jackson Games is excited to support Hoop and Stick Con, and we hope you will be too!

– Katie Duffy

 

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

August 15, 2023: Burn In Hell Now Available Via DriveThruCards

If you've ever wanted to collect the souls of the damned but don't want to reward the crime of greed by paying usurious prices to online sellers, you're in luck! The early 2000s hit Burn in Hell is back again, thanks to the wizardry of DriveThruCards.

Designed by Steve Jackson and illustrated by the inimitable Greg Hyland, this set-taking game has been out of print for years. But no longer! Now you can once again gather unto you the souls of Jack the Ripper, Al Capone, Josef Mengele, and other unsavory folks from history.

Note that the print-on-demand version only comes with the cards, and you need to download the rules from online. Thus, you might need to make your own storage solution, like building your own tuckbox. But the cards are just a click away to buy, and that's the soul of the game . . . err, so to speak.

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

August 14, 2023: Uganda School Crowdfunding Boardgame Convention & Science Camp

While most of us here are gearing up for Gen Con, a group out of the UK is hoping to use games as a gateway to science education. Chrysalis Youth Empowerment Network is a Birmingham-based charity that aims to help children and young adults in Africa. The organization sponsors a school in Omoro, Uganda, that also happens to host, "the largest library of boardgames in Uganda," according to their website.  It's probably no surprise that a school that offers boardgaming as an extracurricular activity would play host to a convention, but this year they're trying something new. In addition to hosting a jam-packed schedule of boardgames, tabletop RPGs, and a LARP session, the convention will also feature numerous science experiments designed to get kids aged 8-15 interested in STEM. As the crowdfunding campaign puts it: "We believe that far too many children in rural areas get an impression while still young that science is too hard for them and they need encouragement into the sciences. One of our young people - Peter - that we started supporting in 2011 recently graduated as a doctor and has started operating in a disadvantaged area. If more rural children became doctors and scientists, then we might see reduced infant mortality and early deaths from malaria before children build up their immunities. Mixing science games and science experiments is our way of affecting lives in our remote location." Chrysalis Youth Empowerment Network hopes to raise £2,650, or about $3,500, to help with program expenses that range from purchasing new games to providing food, bedding, and mosquito nets for attendees. They currently plan to host 150 children, but will be able to host up to twice as many if they reach their first stretch goal of £5,000. (If they hit their final stretch goal of £7,500, they'll be able to host a three-day sports tournament after the gaming convention ends.) To learn more about the project and its progress, check out the Uganda Village Boardgame Convention and Science Camp page on Crowdfunder.co.uk.

– Katie Duffy

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

August 13, 2023: Gen Con Battle Jacket Roundup

Battle jackets (or cutoffs, depending on your community and region) have long stood as a sartorial staple of a slew of subcultures. And as the TTRPG zine community has seen more aesthetic and community overlap with punk/metal/DIY music scenes (in large part thanks to the influence of Mörk Borg and others in the OSR), battle jackets have been cropping up at conventions with increasing frequency.  The Stockholm Kartell team model their iconic matching battle vests. The DIY elements of this style especially work for gamer geeks, as we tend to have multitudinous hobby skills just waiting for unique applications . . . such as unique appliqués! These easily adapt to adding patches, whether professionally embroidered, hand painted, heat-transfer-vinyl-ed, or cut from old tees; embellishing with studs, spikes, and grommets; or altering the base jacket itself with fabric dye, paint, or hand embroidery. Here is a selection of jackets I spotted at Gen Con this year. I love the mix of gaming, music, and other inspiration that goes into these unique pieces!   And of course this article wouldn't be complete without me flexing my own pride and joy, my monochrome acid-wash denim jacket with UV-reactive neon green stitching and custom embroidery . . . oohing and aahing is encouraged, folks!   First the lively lanyard discussion, now this? Is the Daily Illuminator becoming a geek-chic publication? Only time can tell! If you've got any other hot con-style topics for us to cover, send them my way!

– Irene Zielinski

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

August 12, 2023: Introducing Allison Page, Managing Editor

Hi! I'm Allison Page, the new Managing Editor at Steve Jackson Games. You might be thinking "Managing Editor at a tabletop RPG, board, and card game company? What does that even mean?" and I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.  When it comes to my career, there's one constant: whatever my job is, no one can believe it exists. Before coming to SJ Games, I spent eight years as the Artistic Director (and eventually Executive Artistic Director) of a nonprofit sketch comedy company, something that is somehow a real position. I've also been a Narrative Designer for video games, an advertising script writer for a dating site, and I toiled away in the immersive world of Tony 'n Tina's Wedding for the better part of three years as a fake bridesmaid entertaining hordes of tourists in San Francisco. Anyone who knows me can tell you I've always been competitive, even when it couldn't be more unnecessary. A friendly race to the bottom of a hill? Seeing who can type the most words per minute? Forcing my family into a game night that borders on a hostage situation? I'm your gal. Games became a regular family event at my house every holiday. Prizes included both legitimate (sausage) and prank (toilet paper) varieties. 

Allison with her edible prizes after a rousing game of BINGO, while a terrifying doll watches in the background. So, naturally, I couldn't be more excited about joining the SJ Games editorial team, and not because I can now easily justify forcing my family and friends to play games with me under the guise of "work." Well, not only because of that. Having spent significant time in the world of startups and video games, where companies come and go in the blink of an eye, joining a company that's been around over 40 years is almost a shock to the system. I'm thrilled to be enveloped in a group of passionate game-makers and to be part of creating the future of Steve Jackson Games for both our dedicated base of players and folks who have somehow not been captured by our all-seeing eye . . . YET.  When not at work, you can catch me writing stage plays and screenplays filled with monsters, contributing to the world's overpopulation of podcasts, and baking exceptional breads.

– Allison Page

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!