Steve Jackson's Blog, page 85

July 22, 2023: Smosh Games Says "Happy Birthday" With Munchkin

The massive YouTube channel Smosh Games recently celebrated producer Spencer's birthday by playing his favorite game: Munchkin ! The result was a really fun playthrough, where, in the truest spirit of boardgaming, rules were ignored, minor (major?) accidental cheating occurred, and cards may not have been fully read. The energy was great and everyone had a blast, so if you like Munchkin and having a good time, you should definitely check it out. Just don't use it as a guide on how to use the Kneepads of Allure . . .

Happy birthday to Spencer! And if you're reading this and want to jump into Munchkin , check out the Watch It Played video from Rodney Smith first. It's a great introduction to the game (and might help you avoid some of the pitfalls Smosh experienced)!

– 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!

July 21, 2023: Wiz-War Miniatures Kickstarter Ends Today!

Our Wiz-War Miniatures Kickstarter campaign is ending today, and we have unlocked a ton of stretch goals! This project features 3-D printable STL files for the eight wizards from Wiz-War , based on art by the illustrious Phil Foglio, as well as bases for each wizard. And treasure chests! Backers have helped us unlock even more files for other Wiz-War components like Granite Cubes, Thornbushes, tokens, portals, and enlarged busts of the miniatures, perfect for miniature hobbyists. We've got a few stretch goals left for even more busts as well. (If you missed out on the boardgame itself, you can also get it through the Kickstarter.)This truly is the deluxe wizard-battling experience! 

But if you're a miniature hobbyist, or you play tabletop RPGs, these also make a perfect addition to your collection. We highlighted some of Ben's paint jobs in our recent #SJGamesLive stream. Plus each character gets their own bust, which were specially designed for painting. No matter what you like to do with miniatures, these are great for your 3-D printing collection! Get in on the last day of the campaign, ending this afternoon. 

– 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!

July 20, 2023: Visit SJ At ConnectiCon

This weekend, July 20-23, SJ is making his first trip to ConnectiCon as a special guest! He'll be joining a stacked roster of personalities at Connecticut's longest running pop-culture convention. In addition to tabletop gaming, they cover video games, anime, comics, and much more. In addition to his traditional "What's New" panel where attendees get a sneak peek at upcoming releases, Steve will be taking part in daily RPG panels covering topics ranging from horror in games to improving your storytelling. You can find the full schedule on the ConnectiCon site. 

Make sure to use our referral link to get your ticket! It saves you 10% and lets the convention know that Evil Stevie sent you. 

– 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!

July 19, 2023: Vote Now For The ENNIE Awards!

The ENNIE Awards are an annual award ceremony held at Gen Con to recognize designers, writers, and artists for their work in tabletop RPGs. They're a people's choice award, and voting is currently open for the 2023 nominees!

A lot of really incredible art came out in the last year, and there's some real gems up for awards. If you're a fan of tabletop roleplaying, and want to see the teams behind the games and supplements you love get some well-earned recognition, check out the 2023 Nominees and 2024 Judge Candidates and cast your vote! Voting is open through 7/23, and the awards will be announced during Gen Con – the ceremony is at 8pm Eastern on August 4.

Of course, this article wouldn't be complete if I didn't abuse my position to give shout-outs to a couple of the titles I'm most excited to see up for awards . . . 

 

 

Pasión de las Pasiones is a delightfully inventive game inspired by telenovelas. If you love running games full of passion, drama, and shocking twists, you should definitely check it out. It has a well-deserved nomination for Best Game. I loved this book, and I hope I get to play the game one of these days!

 

 

Women Are Werewolves  is a stunning narrative-forward game presented entirely on a gilded deck of tarot-sized cards. The innovative format and stunning execution have earned it a spot for Best Layout and Design.

9th Level also has two more nominations this year – the third volume of Level 1 Anthology is up for Best Free Product, and Horseshoe Academy is in the running for Best Family Game. I could gush about everything 9th Level does, given the space, but I'll let you see for yourself!

 

So go make your voice heard, and let me know in the forums which games you're rooting for this year!

– Irene Zielinski

P.S. If you see me at the ENNIEs, say hi!

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!

July 18, 2023: Bug Your Players!

I've been a fan of roleplaying games for decades. However, I suffer from a curse that I suspect afflicts many gamers: I'm a GM who loves the rich tapestry of in-depth campaigns and detailed developments, but I'm also really lazy when it comes to taking notes. However, I've found a possible solution that might be useful for your gaming table, depending on your talents and inclinations: Record your players!

With a portable recording device (such as, for me, my trusty iPad) and maybe a microphone (depending on the proximity of the group and how sensitive the recorder is), I can record all the activity at the table. This greatly obviates the need to take copious notes, since I can be reasonably certain I caught the action in the moment. Then, after the session, I can use audio software to skip to different points, listen at double speed to catch the highlights, and search for important bits. (I'm a fan of Sound Studio for my Mac, but there are great free options out there as well.)

If the recordings are good enough, I could even use snippets to reintroduce important bits from past sessions – the tabletop version of "Previously on . . ." If you're a GM who likes to use different on-the-fly voices or mannerisms for NPCs, it can also be a great way to remind you how certain NPCs sound.

Of course, only record the group with their permission! If you make the recordings available to them as well, you'll help them refresh their memories of past sessions or interactions quickly and more accurately.

If you go this route, you may still want to jot down really important notes during the session. These notes can serve as a backup in case the recording fails, and can also provide an "outline" to make searching the audio file easier.

If you use this technique – in your GURPS game or otherwise – I'd love to hear about your experience!

– 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!

July 17, 2023: Sea Urchins Need Love And Hats

We have Bored Panda to thank for this article. Perhaps more than we needed to know, but never more than we want to know. Thank you, BP!

– Susan Bueno

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!

July 16, 2023: Make Your Own Tuckboxes!

If you're like me, then 1) keep being awesome, and 2) you're always looking for cool ways to make your games snazzier. One simple craft project I've used often is making my own tuckboxes for sets of cards. This can be especially helpful if (say) you get a print-on-demand set of Super Kitty Bug Slap from DriveThruCards.

This website from Craig P Forbes makes it easy to create PDFs of tuckboxes to your exact specifications. Just input the measurements, print on a quality card stock, and fold/glue/tape as needed. I strongly recommend prototyping on a sheet of paper first to make sure the size is right, since an extra millimeter or two can make all the difference.

You can, of course, make your boxes prettier using whatever method you like; creativity abounds when it comes to the gaming community!

– 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!

July 15, 2023: The Isle Of Sedra: Funded And Ends Today!

Gaming Ballistic is in the last day for the Infinite Archipelago: The Isle of Sedra . The campaign funded (yay!) and we're in the home stretch. The campaign could use more support to help drive additional development for future products . . . like the neighboring Isle of Elazar (home to Dark Lord's Doom and other adventures).

The Infinite Archipelago seeks to bring easily importable setting material into Cidri for The Fantasy Trip. This setting and supporting adventures by David Pulver feature:

The Sedra Sourcebook . The preview image shows the main map, with geography, political boundaries, important NPCs and factions, and monsters all given inspirational treatment, with plenty of room for your own adventures. Minimum 32 pages (likely more). Monster Hunter Belladonna . The lethal Belladonna returns, a new member of the Duke of Thorns' Monster Hunters' Guild. Don the red cloak of the Guild as Bella herself or your own monster-hunting heroes. 40-page solo/programmed adventure. The Scorpion Labyrinth . Beneath the town of Tamuz, on the edge of the Red Desert, an innkeeper finds a long-lost door to an ancient ruin. What trouble lies beyond the door? He doesn't want to find out . . . so he's hiring you! 28 pages.Also features Decks of Destiny -style cards – at least 100 cards – for the new material. If you're new to The Fantasy Trip , or missed some of the older projects, there are starter sets and package deals available. Gaming Ballistic would appreciate your support on this project. Hopefully, for the 400 folks following but not yet backing, that's a pledge. But it could easily be sharing the campaign in your favorite RPG forums! A nod from a fan carries more weight than a shout-out from the creator. Please act now to get it before time runs out. If you need a little more convincing, check out these reviews by James Eisert at Castle Archon of both The Scorpion Labyrinth and Monster Hunter Belladonna :

– Douglas Cole

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!

July 14, 2023: Wiz-War 3D Printable Figures

Unless you've been squashed under a Granite Cube since January, you probably saw we're bringing back Wiz-War  – our 9th Edition funded on Kickstarter earlier this year and shipped to backers in June. If you're like me, you've admired the cool Phil Foglio art in the game, from the box cover to the eight colorful wizard standies. You might have even wished those cardboard playing pieces could be real 3D figures. Well, your wish has been granted: Now they can!



The incredibly talented Kim Beaton has brought Phil Foglio's art to life. All eight of the chromatic wizards are ready to print on your 3D printer and paint: grumpy Black with her cat, meditative Purple sitting cross-legged in mid-air, and (my favorite) Orange looking calm and serene as she prepares to blast her opponents to smithereens. You'll also get STL files for their treasure chests, the bases with your choice of pegs or magnet holders for the chests (including a special flying base for Purple), and all of the wizards' emblems to attach to the bases, including a blank emblem badge for custom designs.

In addition, backers will have the opportunity to pick up a physical copy of  Wiz-War  as an add-on; this is the last chance to get a copy ahead of its Gen Con retail release.



I can't talk about all the stretch goals yet, but they will include the Thorny Vines and Granite Cube obstacles from the game and a set of player Lair tokens to fit into the holes in each sector – see those in my lighted gameboard build to the right! When backers blast through those goals, as I expect you will, there will be more . . .I was demoing Wiz-War at LibertyCon two weeks ago, and the 3D figures (painted by the incomparable Ben Williams) really took the spell-slinging action to another level. I lost every game, but I lost in style. And at least I wasn't the one who had to punch his way through the wall behind a perfectly-placed hunk of immovable igneous rock! The unbased figures stand around 50mm tall, with some variation. The files come both professionally pre-supported, for printing as supplied, and unsuppported so you can more easily scale them to use as character figures for RPGs, large display figures, and so on. These are almost  the only official STLs of Phil Foglio's art out there. Don't miss your chance to grab a set, whether as Wiz-War playing pieces or for a spectacular display. Get yours on Kickstarter before July 20!

– Jean McGuire

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!

July 13, 2023: The Latest In (Old) Gaming-Table Tech

I'm always looking for interesting innovations to enhance my gaming experience. One such nut that I've often tried to crack is easily getting music to the table. I recently stumbled onto a possible solution in a very unlikely source: the Nintendo 3DS.

This venerable device from last decade has a surprisingly robust MP3 player. It has a visualiser with some attractive options, buttons that are easy to tap or access in the moment, and – most importantly from my perspective – built-in speakers. It's not incredibly loud, but the output is more than acceptable for a battle sting or ambient music/atmosphere to set the mood during a session. And the device folds up fairly compact and ruggedly, to reside in a backpack.

The 3DS also allows for self-inserted memory cards with a decent amount of storage (I have a 256gb card in one of mine), so you can keep a bunch of music or sound effects at your fingertips.

It does have drawbacks; not all file formats are supported, and it's sometimes a bit sluggish, especially with huge libraries. The speakers are also quite tinny (although I could add external speakers via a headphone jack if I needed better sound quality). I don't necessarily recommend going out and buying one specifically for this purpose. But if you have one in a drawer you haven't visited in a while, why not give it a try? You might be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

– 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!