More of an official survey this time round, though only four questions that need answering. This WILL effect the development of Frozen Skies so answers are sought after.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZJWQS2J
Friday, 24 July 2015
Wednesday, 22 July 2015
Rogue's Gallery: Boris MacKay
Part of a new little series to run alongside Creature Feature and the Alyeskan Gazetteer; Rogue's Gallery. This series intends to build a cast of characters for those in Frozen Skies, either serving as friend or foe depending upon the situation.
To kick things off we take a look at one of Alyeska's eccentric aviators.
Boris Mackay
Not much is known about MacKay's history, he was born in Alyeska and spent a bit of time in the Commonwealth military. It is thought that they served as a fighter pilot in the Great Darmonican War but had been mustered out or even court martialed, but he's stayed silent on the matter...well that and thumping anyone who asked. He flies a single-wing STOL bush plane that he's called Lil' Nellie, though unarmed he has defended his plane time and time again with the aid of a submachine gun that he fires out the aircraft's cockpit. When not flying he often can be found in some tavern out drinking anyone he's managed to get into a drinking challenge with him, though the years certainly haven't been kind and he no longer has the lean body he once did.
Typically he does small cargo runs, frequently carries mail and the occasional passenger as well. He is also surprisingly little troubled by sky pirates and is claimed to be a regular flier to Broken Spires, though many doubt this. What very few people actually know is that he is an informer for the sky pirates, he wouldn't have the coin to fund his drinking habit otherwise. The Air Police don't suspect anything but MacKay has been keeping his ears open for news of valuable shipments, usually by frequenting bars and taverns where drinks loosen up lips. When he carries passengers he listens in to see whether they have anything of note to say about Ancient Terran artefacts or other treasures.
He's likely to offer a flight at cheap rates to any adventurer who needs to get some place or has an item that needs to be delivered quickly, if he find out anything of worth he then tips off his sky pirate buddies.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Piloting d10, Repair d6, Shooting d6, Streetwise d6
Charisma: -2; Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7
Hindrances: Habit (Major), Obese, Mean
Edges: Ace, Alertness, Connections (sky pirates), Liquid Courage, Steady Hands
Gear: Submachine gun (12/24/40, 2d6, RoF: 3, Ap1 Auto)
Lil' Nellie
Acc/Top Speed: 20/52, Climb: 1, Toughness: 10 (2), Crew: 1+9
To kick things off we take a look at one of Alyeska's eccentric aviators.
Boris Mackay
Not much is known about MacKay's history, he was born in Alyeska and spent a bit of time in the Commonwealth military. It is thought that they served as a fighter pilot in the Great Darmonican War but had been mustered out or even court martialed, but he's stayed silent on the matter...well that and thumping anyone who asked. He flies a single-wing STOL bush plane that he's called Lil' Nellie, though unarmed he has defended his plane time and time again with the aid of a submachine gun that he fires out the aircraft's cockpit. When not flying he often can be found in some tavern out drinking anyone he's managed to get into a drinking challenge with him, though the years certainly haven't been kind and he no longer has the lean body he once did.
Typically he does small cargo runs, frequently carries mail and the occasional passenger as well. He is also surprisingly little troubled by sky pirates and is claimed to be a regular flier to Broken Spires, though many doubt this. What very few people actually know is that he is an informer for the sky pirates, he wouldn't have the coin to fund his drinking habit otherwise. The Air Police don't suspect anything but MacKay has been keeping his ears open for news of valuable shipments, usually by frequenting bars and taverns where drinks loosen up lips. When he carries passengers he listens in to see whether they have anything of note to say about Ancient Terran artefacts or other treasures.
He's likely to offer a flight at cheap rates to any adventurer who needs to get some place or has an item that needs to be delivered quickly, if he find out anything of worth he then tips off his sky pirate buddies.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Piloting d10, Repair d6, Shooting d6, Streetwise d6
Charisma: -2; Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7
Hindrances: Habit (Major), Obese, Mean
Edges: Ace, Alertness, Connections (sky pirates), Liquid Courage, Steady Hands
Gear: Submachine gun (12/24/40, 2d6, RoF: 3, Ap1 Auto)
Lil' Nellie
Acc/Top Speed: 20/52, Climb: 1, Toughness: 10 (2), Crew: 1+9
Wednesday, 15 July 2015
State of the Press: July 2015
OK, a fair few things to cover.
Frozen Skies Setting Primer
Finally released something that'll serve as a basis for Frozen Skies games for the time being, namely the Frozen Skies Setting Primer.
It has some details on the setting, stats for the Wulvers and gear such as weapons and vehicles. You'll need a copy of the Savage Worlds Deluxe rulebook, but as I said the Primer offers a basis for your games. So pop on over to DriveThruRPG and check it out, what more its listed as 'Pay What You Want' so it can either be nabbed as a freebie or you can support the publisher.
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/152526/Frozen-Skies-Setting-Primer
Frozen Skies In General
The main hurdle to getting Frozen Skies released was the artwork, chiefly getting it all paid for.
Recently I'd gotten a fair amount of money from a relative, but then discovered that the artist was on holiday until August. As frustrating as this was it meant that I had a bit more time on building up interest, work on the draft of the book and all the while the money sits in the bank earning a little bit of interest. Whilst I'm hoping to be able to release the proper main book for Frozen Skies this year I'm still weary of committing to a release date yet, so for now its a case of "done when its done".
But things are moving in the right direction and the basis of the setting in the form of the Primer is now out.
Looking at releasing a couple of Frozen Skies adventures, possibly another freelance adventure for Fabled Environments that may or may not be Frozen Skies related. The first adventure is The Lost Sodkan Mine that I've mentioned before and run a few playtests of, though a bit of tweaking is due before I can start writing up. Next will be an unnamed adventure, though it is based around a remote outpost under siege/attack from Wulvers. Finally the possible Fabled Environments adventure, nothing concrete yet as I have a few ideas but need to decide which one to go with.
Also looking at a possible book about a sky pirate heaven called Broken Spires, just ideas at this stage but looking at possibly inviting extra writers for this.
Cross-Promotion
Authoress and artist, of both Sci-Fi and Fantasy, VJ Bartlett has recently uploaded the first chapter of her début SciFi novel 'The Return of a Nagus' onto DriveThruFiction. Just like the Frozen Skies Setting Primer its listed as Pay What You Want, so you can nab it as a freebie to see what its all about before buying one of the print copies or giving her some support via a small donation.
I highly recommend you go and check it out.
http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/152643/The-Return-of-a-Nagus-Preview-Chapter
Exilicon 2015
On Saturday Utherwald was in attendance at Exilicon in Cambridge.
This is the second year that this convention has been running, the brains behind it are called Exilian. They run it as a 'convention of creative geekery' to showcase a number of creative projects, small and independent traders, and other interesting and exciting ideas. There was another of interest things doing and people in attendance such as the Ren fantasy TV series, the guy behind The Next Great American Game movie and the first demo of the Savage Worlds licensee setting Ultima Forsan outside of Italy.
Unfortunately they accidentally picked a bad date, there was a massive summer fair going in Cambridge over the weekend (hotels were fully booked for it months back) and the venue was a little tucked out of the way and signage could've been better. Whilst there was some trade it was fairly quiet for much of the day but did pick up halfway through the afternoon. The organisers have taken feedback onboard and are looking to improve things for next year, most importantly picking a date that doesn't clash with anything.
Heres the site if you want to check it out; http://www.exilian.co.uk/con/index.php
Other Events
Thus far that is effectively it for our event season this year aside from local fairs to sell copies of Alyeskan Tales. There are other UK conventions that we'd like to attend this year but it is a question of logistics.
Frozen Skies Setting Primer
Finally released something that'll serve as a basis for Frozen Skies games for the time being, namely the Frozen Skies Setting Primer.
It has some details on the setting, stats for the Wulvers and gear such as weapons and vehicles. You'll need a copy of the Savage Worlds Deluxe rulebook, but as I said the Primer offers a basis for your games. So pop on over to DriveThruRPG and check it out, what more its listed as 'Pay What You Want' so it can either be nabbed as a freebie or you can support the publisher.
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/152526/Frozen-Skies-Setting-Primer
Frozen Skies In General
The main hurdle to getting Frozen Skies released was the artwork, chiefly getting it all paid for.
Recently I'd gotten a fair amount of money from a relative, but then discovered that the artist was on holiday until August. As frustrating as this was it meant that I had a bit more time on building up interest, work on the draft of the book and all the while the money sits in the bank earning a little bit of interest. Whilst I'm hoping to be able to release the proper main book for Frozen Skies this year I'm still weary of committing to a release date yet, so for now its a case of "done when its done".
But things are moving in the right direction and the basis of the setting in the form of the Primer is now out.
Looking at releasing a couple of Frozen Skies adventures, possibly another freelance adventure for Fabled Environments that may or may not be Frozen Skies related. The first adventure is The Lost Sodkan Mine that I've mentioned before and run a few playtests of, though a bit of tweaking is due before I can start writing up. Next will be an unnamed adventure, though it is based around a remote outpost under siege/attack from Wulvers. Finally the possible Fabled Environments adventure, nothing concrete yet as I have a few ideas but need to decide which one to go with.
Also looking at a possible book about a sky pirate heaven called Broken Spires, just ideas at this stage but looking at possibly inviting extra writers for this.
Cross-Promotion
Authoress and artist, of both Sci-Fi and Fantasy, VJ Bartlett has recently uploaded the first chapter of her début SciFi novel 'The Return of a Nagus' onto DriveThruFiction. Just like the Frozen Skies Setting Primer its listed as Pay What You Want, so you can nab it as a freebie to see what its all about before buying one of the print copies or giving her some support via a small donation.
I highly recommend you go and check it out.
http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/152643/The-Return-of-a-Nagus-Preview-Chapter
Exilicon 2015
On Saturday Utherwald was in attendance at Exilicon in Cambridge.
This is the second year that this convention has been running, the brains behind it are called Exilian. They run it as a 'convention of creative geekery' to showcase a number of creative projects, small and independent traders, and other interesting and exciting ideas. There was another of interest things doing and people in attendance such as the Ren fantasy TV series, the guy behind The Next Great American Game movie and the first demo of the Savage Worlds licensee setting Ultima Forsan outside of Italy.
Unfortunately they accidentally picked a bad date, there was a massive summer fair going in Cambridge over the weekend (hotels were fully booked for it months back) and the venue was a little tucked out of the way and signage could've been better. Whilst there was some trade it was fairly quiet for much of the day but did pick up halfway through the afternoon. The organisers have taken feedback onboard and are looking to improve things for next year, most importantly picking a date that doesn't clash with anything.
Heres the site if you want to check it out; http://www.exilian.co.uk/con/index.php
Other Events
Thus far that is effectively it for our event season this year aside from local fairs to sell copies of Alyeskan Tales. There are other UK conventions that we'd like to attend this year but it is a question of logistics.
Thursday, 9 July 2015
Frozen Skies Setting Primer
Now available as Pay What You Want; The Frozen Skies Setting Primer
Alyeska.
A frontier land largely at the mercy of the savage Wulvers since the end of the Great Darmonican War, barely enough soldiers left to defend the rump of the Commonwealth's once extensive colonial holdings. With many towns cut off and large swathes of territory overrun by the beasts the safest form of transport is by air, but the breakdown in law and order as given rise to scoundrels like sky pirates and bandits.
Alyeska's frozen skies are increasingly becoming a dangerous place to be.
This primer gives an overview of heart of the Frozen Skies setting; The Continent of Alyeska.
In addition it offers a brief guide to the Commonwealth and its main factions in Alyeska, Wulvers and their stats along with a selection of gear to allow you to start playing in the Frozen Skies setting.
Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Alyeskan Gazetteer: Calharrow
There are dozens of towns that still stubbornly remain out in the Wulflands, typically there continued survival is usually due to a critical defensive position such as being on high ground or an island in a river.
Calharrow is one of the former.
Located on top of a mesa, it originally began as an outpost when the Commonwealth first ventured into the Wulflands. Scouts from the Royal Reconnaissance Service were the first to lay eyes on the mesa and a small fort was built on top of it, mainly as an easily defensible waystation and heliograph post (though the heliograph was replaced in turn by a signal lamp and then a radio). As the threat of the Wulvers emerged, sappers from the Commonwealth Army built drawbridges into the path that ran up the mesa and constructed a lift to raise vehicles or equipment too bulk for the path up to the fort.
Over time the outpost grew as tradesmen settled to service the troops at the fort and gradually it grew into a trading post and then eventually a town. It became a nexus of a fledging network of trade routes in the area and a key stop for settlers and expeditions heading west, but its primarily purpose was a military outpost right up until the Great Darmonican War. By the time the War started Wulvers hadn't been seen anywhere remotely near Calharrow and the scouting aircraft that flew from the airstrip regularly reported no sightings on their wide ranging patrols. This influence the decision to siphon off troops from the Wulflands for the Commonwealth's war effort and ultimately to the territory being dangerous ill-defended as was later proven.
The town was seen as a safe heaven and many fled there to seek refuge as the surrounding lands fell to the Wulver onslaught, though the town and its supplies were soon stretched to the breaking point as it became heavily overcrowded. In response the Commonwealth airlifted out everyone who wanted to leave as well as a large portion of the garrison to New Gwentia, leaving behind a skeleton force to man the fort and a handful of civilians who were too stubborn to leave. Within a few weeks Calharrow effectively became a ghost town, its population a fraction of what it once was and most of its buildings now standing empty which helped reinforce the sense of isolation for those who were left.
For a while Calharrow persisted in a state of limbo, its future thought to be nought but dust and decaying wood. But the Commonwealth return to the town atop the mesa, it proved to be the ideal base for the Alyeskan Outriders to operate their patrols from. Army sappers soon arrived to install infrastructure to support the Outrider's vehicles and to improve the airstrip to ensure that the outpost could be kept resupplied by air. The civilians who'd had stubbornly stayed when everyone else was evacuated were finally given some hope, they managed to negotiate a supply contract with the Commonwealth and started earning coin again servicing the soldiers of the new force. Other enterprising souls soon arrived, effectively making the town's history come full circle.
Presently Calharrow is very much a military outpost with an attached civilian own and run service industry. There is now an artillery battery with its guns sited round the edge of the mesa to provide a full 360 degree field of fire in addition to a sole anti-aircraft gun which sole purpose is simply to deter raids from sky pirates with more brawn than brains. There are a handful of civilian shops as well as a tavern and brothel, all to cater to the needs of the soldiers posted here. The military has taken over much of the town and even with the revived civilian population there are still parts that sit empty, mostly homes that was ghostly relics of more fortunate times.
***NEWS FLASH!***
The Frozen Skies Setting Primer will be released SOON!
Just the usual pre-release checks needing to be done to ensure thats everything is correct prior to uploading onto DriveThrue.
Stay tuned!
Calharrow is one of the former.
Located on top of a mesa, it originally began as an outpost when the Commonwealth first ventured into the Wulflands. Scouts from the Royal Reconnaissance Service were the first to lay eyes on the mesa and a small fort was built on top of it, mainly as an easily defensible waystation and heliograph post (though the heliograph was replaced in turn by a signal lamp and then a radio). As the threat of the Wulvers emerged, sappers from the Commonwealth Army built drawbridges into the path that ran up the mesa and constructed a lift to raise vehicles or equipment too bulk for the path up to the fort.
Over time the outpost grew as tradesmen settled to service the troops at the fort and gradually it grew into a trading post and then eventually a town. It became a nexus of a fledging network of trade routes in the area and a key stop for settlers and expeditions heading west, but its primarily purpose was a military outpost right up until the Great Darmonican War. By the time the War started Wulvers hadn't been seen anywhere remotely near Calharrow and the scouting aircraft that flew from the airstrip regularly reported no sightings on their wide ranging patrols. This influence the decision to siphon off troops from the Wulflands for the Commonwealth's war effort and ultimately to the territory being dangerous ill-defended as was later proven.
The town was seen as a safe heaven and many fled there to seek refuge as the surrounding lands fell to the Wulver onslaught, though the town and its supplies were soon stretched to the breaking point as it became heavily overcrowded. In response the Commonwealth airlifted out everyone who wanted to leave as well as a large portion of the garrison to New Gwentia, leaving behind a skeleton force to man the fort and a handful of civilians who were too stubborn to leave. Within a few weeks Calharrow effectively became a ghost town, its population a fraction of what it once was and most of its buildings now standing empty which helped reinforce the sense of isolation for those who were left.
For a while Calharrow persisted in a state of limbo, its future thought to be nought but dust and decaying wood. But the Commonwealth return to the town atop the mesa, it proved to be the ideal base for the Alyeskan Outriders to operate their patrols from. Army sappers soon arrived to install infrastructure to support the Outrider's vehicles and to improve the airstrip to ensure that the outpost could be kept resupplied by air. The civilians who'd had stubbornly stayed when everyone else was evacuated were finally given some hope, they managed to negotiate a supply contract with the Commonwealth and started earning coin again servicing the soldiers of the new force. Other enterprising souls soon arrived, effectively making the town's history come full circle.
Presently Calharrow is very much a military outpost with an attached civilian own and run service industry. There is now an artillery battery with its guns sited round the edge of the mesa to provide a full 360 degree field of fire in addition to a sole anti-aircraft gun which sole purpose is simply to deter raids from sky pirates with more brawn than brains. There are a handful of civilian shops as well as a tavern and brothel, all to cater to the needs of the soldiers posted here. The military has taken over much of the town and even with the revived civilian population there are still parts that sit empty, mostly homes that was ghostly relics of more fortunate times.
***NEWS FLASH!***
The Frozen Skies Setting Primer will be released SOON!
Just the usual pre-release checks needing to be done to ensure thats everything is correct prior to uploading onto DriveThrue.
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
Wulver History 101
Gradually getting certain aspects of the Frozen Skies setting ironed out and set in stone, especially since I hope to have the Setting Primer out over the summer.
But first, what is going to be considered canon as far as the Wulvers are concerned.
The Wulvers
Nobody is sure about the exact origins of the Wulvers, they were already in Alyeska before the first explorers arrived and they later plagued the colonists that followed. However the few Ancient Terran texts that have been found and translated make no mention of the beasts, leaving scholars divided on whether or not there is a connection between the Wulvers and the fall of the Ancient Terrans. The Windryders do make mention of the beasts in their history, though since much of their cultural knowledge is oral based it is difficult to cite this source as creditable without more solid evidence. A few have ventured out into the Wulflands in a foolhardy attempt to discover more about the beasts' origins, typically they have found the cost for doing so was too high with next to no return.
The Wulvers have posed a huge threat for settlers right from the earliest days of Colonial Alyeska, so much so that the Commonwealth was willing to station an army of troops in Alyeska to defend the settlers from the Wulvers. At first the Wulvers were kept at bay before eventually being pushed back to allow for more land to be settled, something that was aided greatly by the arrival of the aircraft which were able to freely roam and attack any packs of Wulvers they spotted. Soon clusters of settlements sprang up across the great MacKenzie Plains in the west, plans were even set in motion to incorporate the lands of the western plains into a territory in their own right.
Then came the Great Darmonican War.
The War had little direct effect on Alyeska, but as it raged on the Commonwealth started feeling the pinch with regardless to manpower. Viewing the Wulvers as being little more than a minor threat the Commonwealth began siphoning off soldiers to replace losses and bolster its ranks, but more and more troops were withdrawn from Alyeska the longer the War went on for. Eventually a small cadre of regular soldiers backed up by the volunteers of the fledging Alyeska Militia was left to defend the settlers, but they were barely enough.
As the Commonwealth's military presence in Alyeska was weakened the Wulvers grew stronger and recover their strength, especially when the Commonwealth switched its military efforts to the defensive to help free up troops. Without the Commonwealth Army keeping them in check the Wulvers began striking out at remote outposts, gradually attacking settlements in ever-increasing numbers. Within a few years large swathes of the MacKenzie Plains were overrun by the Wulvers, the rump of the Commonwealth's military forces were withdrawn east of the Dragonspine Mountains, effectively abandoning the surviving settlements in what was now dubbed the Wulflands. The Dragonspine in conjunction with a line of fortifications called the Wulf Wall now protect whats left of the Commonwealth's holdings in Alyeska. Today there are still a few settlements out in the Wulflands, though they are effectively independent towns home to folk too stubborn to move and resentful at being left to die by the Commonwealth. Those who did leave went north into the icy Alyeskan Outlands to start over, many having left everything behind in the Wulflands.
With the Mhór Farraige being extremely difficult to cross for ships and nigh impossible for aircraft due to that ocean now being plagued by constant storms in the wake of the Blast a decade earlier, Alyeska is effectively on its own against the Wulvers. The Commonwealth sends what it can, but its not much due to the difficulty of crossing the ocean and the need to maintain its forces in case of renewed hostilities. Given the now limited number of soldiers that it does have in Alyeska the Commonwealth have formed a couple of specialist units to deal with the Wulvers; the Wulfbane Commandos and the Outriders.
The Wulfbane Commandos' role is to use brute force against the Wulvers, trained for rapid deployments and able to bring a ton of firepower with them. They're meant to hit hard and fast to break up and wipe out large packs of Wulvers. In contrast the Outriders take a more subtle approach, their job is to patrol the Wulflands and report back on the movements of various Wulver packs. On occasion both have teamed up to deal with a pack that has posed a serious threat, this thankfully hasn't happened often and the two units enjoy a friendly rivalry with one another.
But first, what is going to be considered canon as far as the Wulvers are concerned.
The Wulvers
Nobody is sure about the exact origins of the Wulvers, they were already in Alyeska before the first explorers arrived and they later plagued the colonists that followed. However the few Ancient Terran texts that have been found and translated make no mention of the beasts, leaving scholars divided on whether or not there is a connection between the Wulvers and the fall of the Ancient Terrans. The Windryders do make mention of the beasts in their history, though since much of their cultural knowledge is oral based it is difficult to cite this source as creditable without more solid evidence. A few have ventured out into the Wulflands in a foolhardy attempt to discover more about the beasts' origins, typically they have found the cost for doing so was too high with next to no return.
The Wulvers have posed a huge threat for settlers right from the earliest days of Colonial Alyeska, so much so that the Commonwealth was willing to station an army of troops in Alyeska to defend the settlers from the Wulvers. At first the Wulvers were kept at bay before eventually being pushed back to allow for more land to be settled, something that was aided greatly by the arrival of the aircraft which were able to freely roam and attack any packs of Wulvers they spotted. Soon clusters of settlements sprang up across the great MacKenzie Plains in the west, plans were even set in motion to incorporate the lands of the western plains into a territory in their own right.
Then came the Great Darmonican War.
The War had little direct effect on Alyeska, but as it raged on the Commonwealth started feeling the pinch with regardless to manpower. Viewing the Wulvers as being little more than a minor threat the Commonwealth began siphoning off soldiers to replace losses and bolster its ranks, but more and more troops were withdrawn from Alyeska the longer the War went on for. Eventually a small cadre of regular soldiers backed up by the volunteers of the fledging Alyeska Militia was left to defend the settlers, but they were barely enough.
As the Commonwealth's military presence in Alyeska was weakened the Wulvers grew stronger and recover their strength, especially when the Commonwealth switched its military efforts to the defensive to help free up troops. Without the Commonwealth Army keeping them in check the Wulvers began striking out at remote outposts, gradually attacking settlements in ever-increasing numbers. Within a few years large swathes of the MacKenzie Plains were overrun by the Wulvers, the rump of the Commonwealth's military forces were withdrawn east of the Dragonspine Mountains, effectively abandoning the surviving settlements in what was now dubbed the Wulflands. The Dragonspine in conjunction with a line of fortifications called the Wulf Wall now protect whats left of the Commonwealth's holdings in Alyeska. Today there are still a few settlements out in the Wulflands, though they are effectively independent towns home to folk too stubborn to move and resentful at being left to die by the Commonwealth. Those who did leave went north into the icy Alyeskan Outlands to start over, many having left everything behind in the Wulflands.
With the Mhór Farraige being extremely difficult to cross for ships and nigh impossible for aircraft due to that ocean now being plagued by constant storms in the wake of the Blast a decade earlier, Alyeska is effectively on its own against the Wulvers. The Commonwealth sends what it can, but its not much due to the difficulty of crossing the ocean and the need to maintain its forces in case of renewed hostilities. Given the now limited number of soldiers that it does have in Alyeska the Commonwealth have formed a couple of specialist units to deal with the Wulvers; the Wulfbane Commandos and the Outriders.
The Wulfbane Commandos' role is to use brute force against the Wulvers, trained for rapid deployments and able to bring a ton of firepower with them. They're meant to hit hard and fast to break up and wipe out large packs of Wulvers. In contrast the Outriders take a more subtle approach, their job is to patrol the Wulflands and report back on the movements of various Wulver packs. On occasion both have teamed up to deal with a pack that has posed a serious threat, this thankfully hasn't happened often and the two units enjoy a friendly rivalry with one another.
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
State of the Press June 2015
Summer has arrived somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere and we're past the Summer Solstice, though instead of referencing a pastime involving stately seating I shalt delve into how things are with Utherwald this month.
Fabled Environments Adventure
First up is the news that an adventure written for Fabled Environments has now been released and is called Voyage of the Sky Maiden.
It involves a heist onboard an airship and is setting generic, perfect as a one-shot or convention game.
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/151331/The-Voyage-Of-The-Sky-Maiden
Frozen Skies Survey
Posted on the Pinnacle forums is a Frozen Skies survey, chiefly to get people's thoughts on certain aspects of the setting, etc.
I cannot overstate how useful and important people's responses are, especially since the feedback will help shape Frozen Skies and effect the setting's development. So please read through and post your thoughts.
http://www.peginc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47516
Upcoming Products
Hoping to have a good chunk of Frozen Skies' artwork done over the summer, the artist is currently on holiday and so its a case of sorting out the various odds and ends involved with producing a book. If the current funding keeps up then I probably won't go the crowdfunding route, though I still can't commit to a release date yet.
The Frozen Skies primer is still an option, people's feedback have been that they prefer fluff over mechanics and so the primer will be a basic guide to the setting.
More adventures are planned, The Lost Sodkan Mine is in the works and there is the possibility of another adventure for Fabled Environments.
Watch this space.
Fabled Environments Adventure
First up is the news that an adventure written for Fabled Environments has now been released and is called Voyage of the Sky Maiden.
It involves a heist onboard an airship and is setting generic, perfect as a one-shot or convention game.
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/151331/The-Voyage-Of-The-Sky-Maiden
Frozen Skies Survey
Posted on the Pinnacle forums is a Frozen Skies survey, chiefly to get people's thoughts on certain aspects of the setting, etc.
I cannot overstate how useful and important people's responses are, especially since the feedback will help shape Frozen Skies and effect the setting's development. So please read through and post your thoughts.
http://www.peginc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47516
Upcoming Products
Hoping to have a good chunk of Frozen Skies' artwork done over the summer, the artist is currently on holiday and so its a case of sorting out the various odds and ends involved with producing a book. If the current funding keeps up then I probably won't go the crowdfunding route, though I still can't commit to a release date yet.
The Frozen Skies primer is still an option, people's feedback have been that they prefer fluff over mechanics and so the primer will be a basic guide to the setting.
More adventures are planned, The Lost Sodkan Mine is in the works and there is the possibility of another adventure for Fabled Environments.
Watch this space.
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Highway to Hell
So finally got the chance to see Mad Max: Fury Road.
It rekindled an idea I had for a convoy system for the Realms of Darmonica setting (of which Frozen Skies is part of), though its always taken a backseat to Frozen Skies. Some of the adventures I envision taking place in the world of Darmonica I view as the players being part of an outfit with a vehicle, either an aircraft or some sort of ground vehicle. Both generally will have the same format with pilot/driver, mechanic and dedicated gunners/fighters for defence. There is the optional support staff like the moneyman, etc whilst ground based outfits lean more towards being convoys with dedicated scouts, navigators, possibly even a commander who's in charge and perhaps a radioman.
Now the mechanics for a convoy system are more likely to be included in a general Realms of Darmonica core book, Frozen Skies is really more of a region guide/supplement and has a different scope. Thats not to say that convoys won't work in Alyeska, after all aircraft can only carry so much and railways are rather thin on the ground. Convoys could also work wonders for expeditions, or a relief column as part of a military game set in the Wulflands for example.
The Mule works, though more vehicles are going to be required and I do envision 'rigs' which are effectively a road train. Each trailer of the rig (chiefly when travelling through dangerous areas) are likely to have what are basically turrets or gun positions, either a fixed machine gun or firing point for a rifleman. Again convoy rules and the extra vehicles are unlikely to be in Frozen Skies, though if you wish to do a convoy based game then use the Mule, trucks from Deadlands Noir and the Semi in the Savage Worlds Deluxe rulebook (though limit it to three trailers each with a single 'turret').
It rekindled an idea I had for a convoy system for the Realms of Darmonica setting (of which Frozen Skies is part of), though its always taken a backseat to Frozen Skies. Some of the adventures I envision taking place in the world of Darmonica I view as the players being part of an outfit with a vehicle, either an aircraft or some sort of ground vehicle. Both generally will have the same format with pilot/driver, mechanic and dedicated gunners/fighters for defence. There is the optional support staff like the moneyman, etc whilst ground based outfits lean more towards being convoys with dedicated scouts, navigators, possibly even a commander who's in charge and perhaps a radioman.
Now the mechanics for a convoy system are more likely to be included in a general Realms of Darmonica core book, Frozen Skies is really more of a region guide/supplement and has a different scope. Thats not to say that convoys won't work in Alyeska, after all aircraft can only carry so much and railways are rather thin on the ground. Convoys could also work wonders for expeditions, or a relief column as part of a military game set in the Wulflands for example.
The Mule works, though more vehicles are going to be required and I do envision 'rigs' which are effectively a road train. Each trailer of the rig (chiefly when travelling through dangerous areas) are likely to have what are basically turrets or gun positions, either a fixed machine gun or firing point for a rifleman. Again convoy rules and the extra vehicles are unlikely to be in Frozen Skies, though if you wish to do a convoy based game then use the Mule, trucks from Deadlands Noir and the Semi in the Savage Worlds Deluxe rulebook (though limit it to three trailers each with a single 'turret').
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Buried In Snow & Ice - TAKE TWO! (UK Games Expo Edition)
At this year's UK Games Expo I ran the Lost Sodkan Mine adventure thats currently in the works, though featured a number of tweaks since I last ran it.
In the run-up to UKGE it was fully booked with all six places filled, even met a few of the players beforehand. However on the night only three of the players turned up, no idea what happened to the other players even though I did meet one of them whilst trading on the Friday. Regardless we soon settled on characters (I'd completely stat up a few characters), ending up with.
Talon - Marksman
Kate - Mechanic
Stella - Sneak
With no pilot we went with the group being a ground based outfit with a Mule Tracked Cargo Carrier, but no other real change. After a quick rundown of the setting we started with the party being deputized by the Royal Alyeskan Air Police, a number of remote settlements had been attacked by 'heavily armoured men' whom seemingly had no form of transport. The last settlement to report being under attack was the remote mining outpost of Prospector's Reach who radioed a distress call a couple of days previously but hasn't been heard from since.
After asking a few questions the party set off in the Mule, taking a few hours to cross the snowfields before spotting a column of smoke on the horizon in the direction of their destination. They found a low ridge to observe the town from, noticing signs of battle and an explosion in the area of the mine. Leaving Kate with the Mule, Stella sneaked into town to do some recon whilst Talon found a vantage point and settled down with his rifle. Quick search later Stella found where the surviving miners had holed up, fetching Kate to speak with the miners who confirmed that the mysterious raiders had indeed attacked them. The raiders were only interested in machinery and mechanical parts, at least until some of the miners attacked them at which point the raiders defended themselves. The miners lured the raiders into a trap that involved blowing up their store of explosives which explained the damage.
Promising to get some help the party searched round the town finding pieces of the raiders scattered around by the explosion and tracks leading to the north. Talon checked out the tracks whilst the others investigated the raider parts, some distance out of town Talon noticed tracks leading off from the main group and opted to follow them. Eventually he spotted one of the raiders, though seemingly staggering along, and took aim with his rifle. It took a few shoots before the raider was finally felled, Kate and Stella arrived just in time to see Talon land his telling blow on the raider. Kate then checked out the raider, finding that it was actually an automaton rather than a person. Further investigation they found that the power source appeared to be a strange crystal in the heart of the automaton's torso, plus some Sodkan writing.
With the mystery deepening the party retraced the main group of tracks and followed them northwards eventually hitting the coast and the frozen sea beyond. They did manage to spy an island a few miles offshore, but opted to leave the Mule and proceed on foot as they were uncertain about the ice. As they got closer to the island they were able to make out some sort of settlement or work camp, though there was an air of abandonment around it. Exploring the island they found signs of a skirmish, a transport plane that had been recently and partially dismantled as well as a building that had been fortified and was currently occupied. Stella went for a closer look and found that the building contained Sodkan soldiers and an officer who was in a foul mood, though the party elected to leave them alone for the time being.
Further exploration revealed the automaton tracks leading into a mine where there was more signs of combat, but the mine entrance was empty and the tracks led to a lift. With no other route to take the party took the lift down to the lower level of the mine, arriving in a large cavern with a number of tunnels that branched off. Taking the largest tunnel which had signs of recent work, the party had to duck into a side tunnel as a pair of automatons came marching by. Advancing further onwards they found another much larger cavern with large machines and production lines building even more automatons...lots more automatons.
Deciding that they'd completed their mission they elected to make a tactical withdrawal but found the two automatons from earlier unloading stuff from the lift, so the party made a distraction down a tunnel with some dynamite and made for the lift when the automatons went to investigate. Back topside the party set up more explosives to destroy the lift and mine entrance, though they were disturbed by the Sodkan soldiers. The party ended up hastily departing the island as the mine entrance was blown sky high and the Sodkans took potshots at them, though Talon's return fire proved effective.
Arriving back at Prospector's Reach they were able to contact the Air Police who duly sent out help and the party's reward, thus the adventure came to an end.
In the run-up to UKGE it was fully booked with all six places filled, even met a few of the players beforehand. However on the night only three of the players turned up, no idea what happened to the other players even though I did meet one of them whilst trading on the Friday. Regardless we soon settled on characters (I'd completely stat up a few characters), ending up with.
Talon - Marksman
Kate - Mechanic
Stella - Sneak
With no pilot we went with the group being a ground based outfit with a Mule Tracked Cargo Carrier, but no other real change. After a quick rundown of the setting we started with the party being deputized by the Royal Alyeskan Air Police, a number of remote settlements had been attacked by 'heavily armoured men' whom seemingly had no form of transport. The last settlement to report being under attack was the remote mining outpost of Prospector's Reach who radioed a distress call a couple of days previously but hasn't been heard from since.
After asking a few questions the party set off in the Mule, taking a few hours to cross the snowfields before spotting a column of smoke on the horizon in the direction of their destination. They found a low ridge to observe the town from, noticing signs of battle and an explosion in the area of the mine. Leaving Kate with the Mule, Stella sneaked into town to do some recon whilst Talon found a vantage point and settled down with his rifle. Quick search later Stella found where the surviving miners had holed up, fetching Kate to speak with the miners who confirmed that the mysterious raiders had indeed attacked them. The raiders were only interested in machinery and mechanical parts, at least until some of the miners attacked them at which point the raiders defended themselves. The miners lured the raiders into a trap that involved blowing up their store of explosives which explained the damage.
Promising to get some help the party searched round the town finding pieces of the raiders scattered around by the explosion and tracks leading to the north. Talon checked out the tracks whilst the others investigated the raider parts, some distance out of town Talon noticed tracks leading off from the main group and opted to follow them. Eventually he spotted one of the raiders, though seemingly staggering along, and took aim with his rifle. It took a few shoots before the raider was finally felled, Kate and Stella arrived just in time to see Talon land his telling blow on the raider. Kate then checked out the raider, finding that it was actually an automaton rather than a person. Further investigation they found that the power source appeared to be a strange crystal in the heart of the automaton's torso, plus some Sodkan writing.
With the mystery deepening the party retraced the main group of tracks and followed them northwards eventually hitting the coast and the frozen sea beyond. They did manage to spy an island a few miles offshore, but opted to leave the Mule and proceed on foot as they were uncertain about the ice. As they got closer to the island they were able to make out some sort of settlement or work camp, though there was an air of abandonment around it. Exploring the island they found signs of a skirmish, a transport plane that had been recently and partially dismantled as well as a building that had been fortified and was currently occupied. Stella went for a closer look and found that the building contained Sodkan soldiers and an officer who was in a foul mood, though the party elected to leave them alone for the time being.
Further exploration revealed the automaton tracks leading into a mine where there was more signs of combat, but the mine entrance was empty and the tracks led to a lift. With no other route to take the party took the lift down to the lower level of the mine, arriving in a large cavern with a number of tunnels that branched off. Taking the largest tunnel which had signs of recent work, the party had to duck into a side tunnel as a pair of automatons came marching by. Advancing further onwards they found another much larger cavern with large machines and production lines building even more automatons...lots more automatons.
Deciding that they'd completed their mission they elected to make a tactical withdrawal but found the two automatons from earlier unloading stuff from the lift, so the party made a distraction down a tunnel with some dynamite and made for the lift when the automatons went to investigate. Back topside the party set up more explosives to destroy the lift and mine entrance, though they were disturbed by the Sodkan soldiers. The party ended up hastily departing the island as the mine entrance was blown sky high and the Sodkans took potshots at them, though Talon's return fire proved effective.
Arriving back at Prospector's Reach they were able to contact the Air Police who duly sent out help and the party's reward, thus the adventure came to an end.
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
UKGE 2015 After Action Report
Now that 1d20 levels of sleep have finally been recovered tis time to duly file an After Action Report for this year's UK Games Expo.
Travelling down on the Thursday proved to be rather...interesting since a crash on the A14 near Cambridge closed that road which meant the coach driver having to take a detour, also some forgotten roadwork signs on the A11 caused that road to bottleneck for no reason resulting in the coach being an hour and a half late when it finally got to Birmingham. Some confusion at New Street station meant we barely caught our train to Birmingham International, where upon arrival we discovered our hotel was on the other side of the airport...not exactly useful.
With the Hilton Hotel only a short walk away we opted to setup our stand to lighten our luggage and went for dinner at Frankie & Bennie's in the airport, probably our most expensive meal during the entire weekend. Luckily the airport had a customer service desk of a sort who very helpfully told us that there was a local bus service that ran past our hotel, one that not only ran regularly but also did so almost 24/7. Dash outside and caught one of these buses, which unusually only accepted exact fare but the driver couldn't have been more helpful and even dropped us right outside our hotel despite the bus stop being a short distance. So Thursday evening we finally got the chance to put our feet up after checking in and getting our room.
On Friday the trade hall didn't open to the general public until 2pm but the press had free range from about midday, during this quiet period I took the opportunity to grab some Savage Worlds loot in the form of the Horror Companion, Day After Ragnarok and the GM screen. Friday proved to be the quietest out of all three days, me and Tori only sold a couple of things but I suspect next year Friday may prove to be busier. By contrast Saturday was the best day for sales, the copies of the Savage Worlds Deluxe rulebook pretty much sold themselves and I also managed to sell the postcard prints, some copies of Alyeskan Tales and the Firewater & Ice adventure. Sunday was sort of between the previous two days with regards to how busy it was, which was reflected by sales. But compared to Diceni at the start of May I made four times as much money and Tori sold some of her harder to shift stock.
The Frozen Skies game I ran Saturday night was really good even if only half of the players who'd signed up actually turned up to play. The adventure went better this time round compared to when I ran it at the UEA Gamessoc 24 Hour earlier in the years, the tweaks I made certainly improved it. Was dead chuffed to find that one of the players had worked on the D20 RPG Etherscope and was intrigued by the Frozen Skies setting, certainly had alot of interest and wish I was in a position to release it now but oh well. Tori's artwork was a hit, a few people suggested that it would be brilliant for a couple of games whilst a lass from a game company told Tori to get in contact with them.
Met loads of awesome people, including Matt McElroy who's the Publishing Director of DriveThru. Also attended a couple of seminars, something that I didn't do last year. Also looking ahead to 2016 and making plans, stuff that I'd do differently or possible stock to have on hand such as more Savage Worlds products. My only complaint is a lack of communication from the organisers, we turned up at our stand just after 9:30am on the Saturday and found the trade hall already swarming with people which meant we might've lost out on some sales. Least we did get told that the tarde halls would be opening early on Sunday, though it would've been nice to have known that it was also the case on Saturday.
Wearing costumes seemed to work as it drew some interest, though next year we're going to be making certain that we double check where the hotel is before we book it. Considering running a few games to qualify for a free room at the Hilton, but nothing's set in stone just yet.
In Other News
Following a suggestion from Matt McElroy, the Firewater & Ice adventure is now listed as Pay What You Want. So you can grab it as a freebie or give some money to help Utherwald produce more products.
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/130885/Firewater-and-Ice
Also, looking at the possibility of changing Utherwald to Iceni Press. Mainly to create a stronger tie to Norfolk (Iceni was the name of a tribe native to the area during Roman times), easier to pronounce and also so that it would appear higher up in a list.
Thoughts would be most welcomed.
Travelling down on the Thursday proved to be rather...interesting since a crash on the A14 near Cambridge closed that road which meant the coach driver having to take a detour, also some forgotten roadwork signs on the A11 caused that road to bottleneck for no reason resulting in the coach being an hour and a half late when it finally got to Birmingham. Some confusion at New Street station meant we barely caught our train to Birmingham International, where upon arrival we discovered our hotel was on the other side of the airport...not exactly useful.
With the Hilton Hotel only a short walk away we opted to setup our stand to lighten our luggage and went for dinner at Frankie & Bennie's in the airport, probably our most expensive meal during the entire weekend. Luckily the airport had a customer service desk of a sort who very helpfully told us that there was a local bus service that ran past our hotel, one that not only ran regularly but also did so almost 24/7. Dash outside and caught one of these buses, which unusually only accepted exact fare but the driver couldn't have been more helpful and even dropped us right outside our hotel despite the bus stop being a short distance. So Thursday evening we finally got the chance to put our feet up after checking in and getting our room.
On Friday the trade hall didn't open to the general public until 2pm but the press had free range from about midday, during this quiet period I took the opportunity to grab some Savage Worlds loot in the form of the Horror Companion, Day After Ragnarok and the GM screen. Friday proved to be the quietest out of all three days, me and Tori only sold a couple of things but I suspect next year Friday may prove to be busier. By contrast Saturday was the best day for sales, the copies of the Savage Worlds Deluxe rulebook pretty much sold themselves and I also managed to sell the postcard prints, some copies of Alyeskan Tales and the Firewater & Ice adventure. Sunday was sort of between the previous two days with regards to how busy it was, which was reflected by sales. But compared to Diceni at the start of May I made four times as much money and Tori sold some of her harder to shift stock.
The Frozen Skies game I ran Saturday night was really good even if only half of the players who'd signed up actually turned up to play. The adventure went better this time round compared to when I ran it at the UEA Gamessoc 24 Hour earlier in the years, the tweaks I made certainly improved it. Was dead chuffed to find that one of the players had worked on the D20 RPG Etherscope and was intrigued by the Frozen Skies setting, certainly had alot of interest and wish I was in a position to release it now but oh well. Tori's artwork was a hit, a few people suggested that it would be brilliant for a couple of games whilst a lass from a game company told Tori to get in contact with them.
Met loads of awesome people, including Matt McElroy who's the Publishing Director of DriveThru. Also attended a couple of seminars, something that I didn't do last year. Also looking ahead to 2016 and making plans, stuff that I'd do differently or possible stock to have on hand such as more Savage Worlds products. My only complaint is a lack of communication from the organisers, we turned up at our stand just after 9:30am on the Saturday and found the trade hall already swarming with people which meant we might've lost out on some sales. Least we did get told that the tarde halls would be opening early on Sunday, though it would've been nice to have known that it was also the case on Saturday.
Wearing costumes seemed to work as it drew some interest, though next year we're going to be making certain that we double check where the hotel is before we book it. Considering running a few games to qualify for a free room at the Hilton, but nothing's set in stone just yet.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In Other News
Following a suggestion from Matt McElroy, the Firewater & Ice adventure is now listed as Pay What You Want. So you can grab it as a freebie or give some money to help Utherwald produce more products.
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/130885/Firewater-and-Ice
Also, looking at the possibility of changing Utherwald to Iceni Press. Mainly to create a stronger tie to Norfolk (Iceni was the name of a tribe native to the area during Roman times), easier to pronounce and also so that it would appear higher up in a list.
Thoughts would be most welcomed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)