Happy Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day!

Today fans of Swords & Wizardry and the style of play it promotes are coming forth and celebrating the game as well as the original game that inspired it.

Swords & Wizardry is, at its heart, a rules light game where young and older players alike can gather call create characters, roll some dice, and share stories of adventure.  It does so by keeping things simple while giving power to the story teller (the DM or GM) to create worlds of adventure to be explored and plundered.

Above all, it is an RPG system that is accessible.  I encourage you all to the the time to visit all the other participants of Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day.  A full list can be found HERE along with details of contests and specials.

That said, Swords & Wizardry is going to continue to be talked about for quite some time and not just today.  Besides, talk is cheap.  It is with great pleasure that Arcana Creations presents the Swords & Wizardry adventure conversion of the Vile Worm! You can find the free PDF HERE. 

Thanks again!

M

Weekend R&R: Swords & Wizardry Complete

During the extended absence from the blogosphere, I was fortunate enough to get a package I had been eagerly awaiting since the Kickstarter was successfully funded on September 4th, 2012.

This was Black Dragon package from the Swords & Wizardry and the box was just LOADED with some goodies!

Before I delve into that particular Dragon Hoard, I want to talk about about S&W itself.  My first real experience with it was a few years back with what is known as the 'White Box' edition of S&W as published by Brave Halfling Publishing.  At the time, I had recently formed Arcana Creations and the first retail release, 'The Secret of Ronan Skerry' was just about to to be released into stores.  Mythmere Games had announced that Brave Halfing Publishing was going to publish and release a 'White Box' edition of the game and, once it was finally released a few months later, I was presented with my own copy.

Up to that time, I was moderately aware of it and I felt it was a good thing to have.  Much like Castles & Crusades, it was a game that took a couple of queues from newer editions and married it with a the classic feel and style of, well the original edition of the game (the three lbb's). 

What does that mean exactly... in the White Box edition, you have three classes (Fighter, Cleric, and Magic-User) and three races not counting human (Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling) to choose from.  It offers both ascending and descending Armor Class options as well as a single saving throw number (though you can always use a saving throw matrix consisting of different categories).  Like the original edition of the game, this is a simple game but one that has everything needed to game.  Beyond what is supplied, the GM will have to supply and for many, this will be fine.  It's rules light and easy to dive into and play.  The text and approach are certainly clearer than the original edition ever was but I suppose that this is to be expected after close of four decades of existence.

Swords & Wizardry Complete on the other hand consists of this plus and additional 6 classes with the addition of a Half-Elf as a racial option.  No love for Gnomes it seems.  ;)

The differences between Complete and the White Box don't end there.  The Complete version also includes various options or alternatives for a few things (such as the order of combat) as well as additional rules for Aerial, Ship, and Mass Combat as well as Sieges.  You have material and tables for dungeon and wilderness adventuring as well.  In short, material that goes very much beyond the scope of the White Box.  Naturally, the book also includes a decent selection of spells and other magics as well as monstrous menaces to the delight of the would-be adventurer.

It was the production done by Frog God Games that really made this game stand out though and when they announced their Kickstarter last year with the goal to produce quality, signature-stitched hardcover rulebooks for the game, I decided to go and back this project at one of the higher levels available -- the Black Dragon.

It was quite a haul ... the S&W Rulebook and Monstrosities book (both signed and numbered), a copy of the Tome of Horrors Complete for S&W, a copy of the Black Monastery, a pad of character sheets, graph paper, pencil, dice, a patch and a couple other modules (plus an extra one being thrown in as a misprint due to the wrong cover used).  There's even a coloring book.  Oh... and a canvas art print of the cover art used signed by the artist, Erol Otus -- pure awesome!

The canvas print has since been framed and hung up on the wall.  :)

In short, it's a lot of old school goodness.  Sure, it isn't a perfect clone of the original thing nor would I want it to be.  This is for the same reason why I prefer to use C&C over 1st Edition AD&D -- I don't mind the little changes C&C has made when it used the OGL and material from the SRD to create a game to give the feel of a game with that 'old school vibe'.  When it comes to S&W, I'm happier with a single saving throw number and not five to play with.  I'm happier to have different weapon damage and not just a d6 for all weapons.  Sometimes it's the little things and the little things with the game makes all the difference for me as both a player and a GM.  It despite these little things, it keeps everything simple and it's hard not to acknowledge the elegance in that simplicity.

In what has become a 'flood' of retro-clones and games sourcing from the same SRD made possible with an OGL, it is nice to see Frog God Games give this the professional treatment it deserved.  In doing so and with the game being as simple and lean as it is, it has created a 'source work' where many a gamer can fall back on.  This is something that many people and company have noticed and in the case of WOTC, have decided to respond accordingly.

The Swords & Wizardy Complete rulebook would make a fine addition on a gamer's bookshelf and, this particular hardcover edition has a MSRP of $34.99 and Frog God Games still has signed and numbered copies going for $10 more the cover price.  Some may find those prices a bit steep in price given that the book numbers only 134 pages including the index (there a six pages that follow with the names of the backers for 140).  If you don't mind a PDF, you can get it for $9.99 *OR* you can download the less inclusive Core Rules or White Box rules for free from Mythmere Games HERE.  These are certainly worth grabbing if only slightly curious.  If you want to purchase direct from Frog God Games to check out some of the other items they have for S&W or just purchase the main books, you can click HERE for their storefront.

M

And We're Back!

Reactor ... Online

Sensors ... Online

Weapons ... Online

All Systems Nominal

After a couple of delays, setbacks, and Easter Weekend, I can happily report that a new computer is in place and work can resume anew on various projects I had on the go.  This past week, my main focus has been to restore my various files and programs onto the new computer and my blogging here will be resuming in regular fashion in the next coupe of days.

In the short term that I was down (about eight weeks or so), I think the traffic to the blog took a bit of a hit -- I see a 20% - 25% drop in the usual traffic I had seen the past few months so for those of you who are regular readers, I thank you for your patience.

Just earlier this evening, I had a bit of a chat with John of Brave Halfling Publishing and we both discussed some sort term plans and goals for Arcana Creations.  Since the beginning, John has been a great friend and sound board with various ideas I happened to have over the past few years.  He is, after all, the main reason why I started up Arcana Creations.

The game plan I established in my last post hasn't really changed but given that I am up and running a few days before 'Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day', I figured I would use the opportunity presented and have the blog participate.  All going well, I will have a small little surprise in store for my fellow gamers.

M

A Last Roll of the Dice

Having considered the options on my present, non-functioning, computer, I came to the conclusion that I might need up to a couple hundred dollars to get it back in working condition -- assuming that there was no other heat damage.  The system was three years old and being the type of person I am, I have a tendency to my computers.  A 'typical' lifespan for my computers tend to be about 4 years before hardware gives out.

I have also noticed that not having a computer for the past few weeks has given me a chance to consider a few things with Arcana Creations which is just one of the reasons I need a computer.

Late in 2012 and earlier this year, I already started to shift priorities for the studio and, very recently had started to settle on a much 'smaller scale' production. I've also being doing different things which represented a change of focus such as a more prominent blogging presence and the Domesday e-zine for the C&C Society just to name a couple of examples.

I also have various pieces largely ready for publication but their 'final form' was still in question.  Demand for said material is another consideration.  Now that I find myself without a computer and contemplate the unexpected costs involved for an earlier than foreseen upgrade, I realize that Arcana Creations needs to finally step up its game.

In short, I need to put some shit out!  ;)

Usually, additional costs are something that I end up paying out-of-pocket but given the cost of a new computer, I need to be careful and conservative with regards to the studio's largely non-existent budget.  With a bit of wheeling and dealing and a bit of luck, Arcana Creations is back on track and I should have the new system running by the end of this month.

So... what next?

For starters, the winter issue of Domesday will be out in early spring with the spring issue released a matter of weeks after that.  Once the spring issue is complete, a compilation will be put together collecting the last 4 issues which will be available via POD.  Should there be sufficient interest, I will also look at doing the same with the earlier Domesday issues.  Beyond the compilation, I am considering stepping down and passing the torch to someone else.

Secondly, I am launching the 'Ballista' label this year.  These will become Arcana Creation's primary releases and will be material focused on an OSR-Compatible system to be used in *your* game of choice.  The releases will be largely electronic (PDF) as well as a much more finite amount of art work -- both to cut down on production costs which will bring down the cover price.  Limited Print-run releases for the line will also be done since I realize that some people simply prefer a physical copy and others are collectors at heart.

Besides the Ballista line, there may be the odd project I do with other systems as the need and desire warrants .  For the Castles & Crusades fans out there, rest assured that material released in the Ballista line is Siege-Compatible.  There will be no issues in using this stuff in C&C.

I expect 3-4 Ballista releases out by year's end, on top of the remaining two Domesday issues I committed to doing.

In the weeks and perhaps months ahead, I will also look at clearing out more of my gaming collection.  It will free up some shelves... possibly quickly refill the coffers and maybe do a couple more things I would like to do but currently don't find myself in a position to do properly.  A few years ago, Arcana Creations collaborated with Brave Halfling Publishing to put out a nice and successful little module entitled, 'The Secret of Ronan Skerry'.  I want to do more of these little gems and go even further to put out material that I will enjoy putting together and others will enjoy reading and using.

Thanks you all for your support up to now and stay tuned for what's next.

M

Eyebot - Painting Guide

Last week, I decided to do an interesting model I recently got.  It's called an 'Eyebot' but it doesn't belong to any particular line or game.  I did think it was kind of neat though and it was fairly quick to paint.

I started off with some black gesso for the undercoat (25% water / 75% gesso mix) which worked really well.  A slightly watered down gesso is quickly becoming my preference to go about priming my miniatures.  After the gesso dried, I pulled out the selection of paints I chose for the model -- once again sticking with the Citadel brand that I got accustomed to using.

For the painting, I started with a base coat of 'Leadbelcher' and the jetpack was done with 'Korne Red'  For the main part of the sphere, I chose to use 'Hashut Copper' with the accent piece and central eye piece in 'Auric Armour Gold'.  The arms were done with 'Ceramite White' and claws done with 'Abaddon Black'. The same 'Ceramite White' was used for the two circular side panels on either side.

The actual 'eye piece' which the pictures don't do any justice uses a few different shades of blues which were wetblended to got from a lighter shade at the very back to a darker shade closer to the edge of the 'lense'.

Of course, once these paints were applied, the bot had a very 'new' and polished look to it.  I felt it needed to be 'dirtied' up somewhat.  A coat/wash using 'Nuln Oil' did the job nicely.

As I mentioned earlier, it didn't take very long to do but the model proved to be very fun to paint.  I was able to get this done not prior to my system failing and have been doing some more painting in the absence of a functioning system.  I  hope to have other things to report soon enough.

M