Yipes!
Hey kids, I just realized it's been nearly two weeks since my last pathetic blog update, so I thought I'd let you know that the "Anatomy of a Character Class" piece part 2 is still coming. The Dragonstar project has ended up running ridiculously long and basically been driving me nuts, so I'd like to try and get something useful out of it. What crystalized for me in doing this stuff is two things - first, I can't really do PrCs in a vacuum in regular d20 like I do in Spycraft (I'm spoiled by knowing all the rules and subsets in SC, which I just don't know yet in d20) and second, PrCs in regular d20 are totally different than SC ones! No formulas, different power levels, as far as I can tell no solid way of balancing abilities...in one sense it's easier but it actually drove me crazy. Well, I had to get the trauma over with sooner or later ;) and I'm feeling much better now.
Other stuff:
* The Faceman/Snoop Guide showed up at Gencon. Good book overall, and it seems to be well-received. This book crystalizes the espionage angle played up in the 2003 Spycraft line - investigative prestige classes; feats, skills and gear to enhance your snooping; a chapter on investigation (forensics, profiling, evidence analysis, surveillance) complete with questions to ask and a system for getting actual results from your investigations; and the intelligence guide, with realistic systems for using cryptology, running manhunts, using intelligence resources, persuasion, stealing identities, and a host of other nasty spy goodies. Some 20 pages of material was cut from the book for space issues, so it looks like I'll be getting an "Additional Writing" credit in the 60's Decade Book coming later this fall, too. Twofer!
* Speaking of the 60's Decade Book, I've just done some new NPC classes and feats for it and I can say with confidence - this book will be cool. Even if you don't want to run a game in that era, it is an excellent resource for modern-day agents looking to grab some cold war feel to their games. Definately brutal, well thought out, Clancy-ish roleplaying to be had. Look for it!
* Most Wanted didn't make the show, but should be out by September. I've just received the green light for preview material, and you can find it here.
* I also managed to get my hands on the talk of the show (no, not 3.5) - the Stargate: SG-1 Role-Playing Game. The book should be dropping by the first week of September, and though it has been the bane of the Spycraft team's existance this year, it really turned out quite nice. Powered by Spycraft, the book is actually unofficially Spycraft 1.5 - Patrick and Scott took many of the lessons we have learned over the last 2 years and folded them back into the book in cool ways. Skills got a long, hard look and now are crystal clear (and 60 pages long!), feats have been slightly reorganized, combat now includes fluid initative and the combat actions that have been added to the game, and gear got a total overhaul (bundles are the key to gearing up in SG-1, rank determines the number you get, and the rest of the gear is handled as "picks"). And of course, there's the obligatory changes to classes, departments, gear and new rules (such as planet creation) you would expect for the setting. This monster is 488 pages of full-color, glossy, packed to the gills (nearly 1000 words per page) entertainment to appeal to any SG-1 fan.
Get it. You know you want to.
* In this little space between projects and armed with new knowledge and impetus from Gencon, I've returned to work on Project X. I secured the trademark Friday, and the last year has given me a chance to get a little perspective on what I want this game to be. Armed with that knowledge, I'm revising both the setting and much of the mechanics to make it fresher, more innovative and much more mine. Hopefully I can finally get this thing to market by Gencon 2004 - cross your fingers!
* While at the show, I also secured a contract for Project Y, which shouldn't be showing up until 2005. Project X actually started a d20 system test so that I could return to Project Y and convert it from my homebrew system - funny how things work out. Kickass.
Well, I think that's it for now. I'll yammer at you again soon.
Hey kids, I just realized it's been nearly two weeks since my last pathetic blog update, so I thought I'd let you know that the "Anatomy of a Character Class" piece part 2 is still coming. The Dragonstar project has ended up running ridiculously long and basically been driving me nuts, so I'd like to try and get something useful out of it. What crystalized for me in doing this stuff is two things - first, I can't really do PrCs in a vacuum in regular d20 like I do in Spycraft (I'm spoiled by knowing all the rules and subsets in SC, which I just don't know yet in d20) and second, PrCs in regular d20 are totally different than SC ones! No formulas, different power levels, as far as I can tell no solid way of balancing abilities...in one sense it's easier but it actually drove me crazy. Well, I had to get the trauma over with sooner or later ;) and I'm feeling much better now.
Other stuff:
* The Faceman/Snoop Guide showed up at Gencon. Good book overall, and it seems to be well-received. This book crystalizes the espionage angle played up in the 2003 Spycraft line - investigative prestige classes; feats, skills and gear to enhance your snooping; a chapter on investigation (forensics, profiling, evidence analysis, surveillance) complete with questions to ask and a system for getting actual results from your investigations; and the intelligence guide, with realistic systems for using cryptology, running manhunts, using intelligence resources, persuasion, stealing identities, and a host of other nasty spy goodies. Some 20 pages of material was cut from the book for space issues, so it looks like I'll be getting an "Additional Writing" credit in the 60's Decade Book coming later this fall, too. Twofer!
* Speaking of the 60's Decade Book, I've just done some new NPC classes and feats for it and I can say with confidence - this book will be cool. Even if you don't want to run a game in that era, it is an excellent resource for modern-day agents looking to grab some cold war feel to their games. Definately brutal, well thought out, Clancy-ish roleplaying to be had. Look for it!
* Most Wanted didn't make the show, but should be out by September. I've just received the green light for preview material, and you can find it here.
* I also managed to get my hands on the talk of the show (no, not 3.5) - the Stargate: SG-1 Role-Playing Game. The book should be dropping by the first week of September, and though it has been the bane of the Spycraft team's existance this year, it really turned out quite nice. Powered by Spycraft, the book is actually unofficially Spycraft 1.5 - Patrick and Scott took many of the lessons we have learned over the last 2 years and folded them back into the book in cool ways. Skills got a long, hard look and now are crystal clear (and 60 pages long!), feats have been slightly reorganized, combat now includes fluid initative and the combat actions that have been added to the game, and gear got a total overhaul (bundles are the key to gearing up in SG-1, rank determines the number you get, and the rest of the gear is handled as "picks"). And of course, there's the obligatory changes to classes, departments, gear and new rules (such as planet creation) you would expect for the setting. This monster is 488 pages of full-color, glossy, packed to the gills (nearly 1000 words per page) entertainment to appeal to any SG-1 fan.
Get it. You know you want to.
* In this little space between projects and armed with new knowledge and impetus from Gencon, I've returned to work on Project X. I secured the trademark Friday, and the last year has given me a chance to get a little perspective on what I want this game to be. Armed with that knowledge, I'm revising both the setting and much of the mechanics to make it fresher, more innovative and much more mine. Hopefully I can finally get this thing to market by Gencon 2004 - cross your fingers!
* While at the show, I also secured a contract for Project Y, which shouldn't be showing up until 2005. Project X actually started a d20 system test so that I could return to Project Y and convert it from my homebrew system - funny how things work out. Kickass.
Well, I think that's it for now. I'll yammer at you again soon.
Labels: freelance, secret projects, spycraft
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