Eclipse Phase Breakdown Episode 2 – Opposing Forces

Rolling20s — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:06:19 +0000

The sentinels are forced to work at cross-purposes when different parts of the team are given different assignments. What happens when a team if forced to work against itself?

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 17 – Best Left Alone

Andre — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:42:42 +0000

The Angels are dragged into a series of events that are usually best left alone… which in the City of Angels means that someone wants to play with it.

M&M 3rd Edition – One Shot: Senior Citizen Super Heroes (Feat. Tracey)

Andre — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:39:53 +0000

Who says that you have to be young to save the day? A number of senior citizens take it upon themselves to save the world from a sinister plot, all while enjoying the benefits of their advanced experience.

Pathfinder: Wizard’s College CBS Episode 6 – Sand and Revolution

Andre — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:31:09 +0000

The professors decide that it is time to travel to Anubia in order to find out what is happening in the homeland of their friend Cancorus and their fellow professor Lapis. They find that there are two armies at each other’s throats. Will the professors be able to handle this or is there something else in the background?

M&M 3rd Ed: City of Angels Episode 16 – Escape!

Andre — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:26:03 +0000

The Angels find themselves locked deep below the Earth as they realize that there has been a traumatic change to their team mate Multiplicity. They scramble for a way out, but they have no idea where they are as they uncover some of the dark secrets locked within the Third Eye’s base.

Pathfinder: Brothers Episode 28 – Terror Unleashed

Andre — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:28:31 +0000

The brothers unleash something horrible in order to achieve victory. Is it worth the cost?

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 15 – Bad Company

Andre — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:24:33 +0000

The Angels find themselves in some bad company, the kind that seeks to destroy their very lives. The angels hope to combat this threat head on, but some of these villains know how to play a game or two themselves.

M&M Justice City Issue 11 – Mixed Signals

terrestrialboy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:15:04 +0000

Picking up where things left off the issue before, the Justice City Irregulars square off against none other than the Canadian Crusaders! It’s Massive Defender vs. El Colibri, Grip vs. Nightmaker, Blue Streak vs. Strict, Crimson Bolt vs. Spectrum, and Cerberus vs. Exodus in an all-out brawl!

And see what happens when one of our heroes doesn’t walk away from the fight …

One Shots – Traveller: Twilight Sector – Along for the Ride

terrestrialboy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:05:11 +0000

Ethan, Nathan, Jeremy, Becca, and Chris were treated to a game run by the fine guys at Terra/Sol Games, Mike Cross and Chris Stevens. Terra/Sol Games is, of course, the publishers of Twilight Sector, a setting for Mongoose Publishing’s Traveller.

“You are all employees of Currie Pharmaceuticals. A large multi steller nation drug company. You are members of a field trial team in some way, researchers, security, ship crew, management. You are meeting the Mistress of Orion, one of the city sized mega ships in the setting called Dreadnoughts so you can piggyback to your jump off location a system 8 parsecs distant called Absolute Zero. In Traveller terms this ship is huge, it is about 1.2 million dtons big. These ships can traveller further faster than smaller ships like the one assigned to your team the Hunter’s Princess.

“You are on your way to a planet called Edge which is a fringer backwater world with a population of only 82,000. There Currie does a lot of it’s field trials away from the prying eyes of competitors and regulators. When you get there you are to conduct the field trials for a new psionc drug currently simply labeled Psion – C.”

Pathfinder: Wizards College CBS Episode 5 – Mountain Man

Andre — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:05:23 +0000

The professors turn their attentions to some strange happenings around Lake Castle… such as a mountain that is moving at break neck speeds to the south. In addition they delve deep into the ruins of their recent scarab find, hoping to dig up some secrets.

M&M 3rd Edition – City of Angels Episode 14 – Playing with Fire

Andre — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:02:27 +0000

The Angels encounter a psychotic anti-hero who is hunting down a minor villain, and has been chasing him all across the country. The petty crook pleads with the Angels for them to save him from the murdering “hero”, will they turn him away or will they protect him from overzealous justice?

Eclipse Phase Breakdown Episode 1 – Flashback

Rolling20s — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:01:28 +0000

Eclipse Phase

It’s 10 years after the Fall. Transhumanity is scattered across the solar system, holding on to life, convincing themselves that everything is okay. But it’s not.

As new operative of Firewall, our Sentinels investigate the trail of one of their fellow operative, trying to figure out what happened to her. The Song Cai Flower awaits, and what is hidden inside, no one knows.

About Eclipse Phase: Eclipse Phase is a game of transhuman conspiracy and horror. Eclipse Phase is published under a Creative Commons license by Posthuman Studios.

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One Shots – D&D Holiday Game 2011

terrestrialboy — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:16:23 +0000

Utilizing OSRIC, Jeremy runs his semi-annual holiday-themed game for some of his regular players!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Gamer’s Haven Episode 89 – Freestylin’ On 5th Edition

terrestrialboy — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:11:28 +0000

We all sit down after nearly three months to record our next episode, with some reflection and reservations … which are thrown out the window with a discussion on the announcement of 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons! We talk about what we’ve been doing, and try a new thing with the show … current events! So, if you like this episode, please comment and let us know if you want more like it!

In the Three Parter, we really do a Four Parter when Jeremy reviews the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Editon Player’s Option: Heroes of the Feywild (and a bit about the Faeries book from Bastion Press way back when), Nathan and Becca both talk about Star Wars: The Old Republic, Nathan goes on about Planescape Torment, and Ethan wraps it up with a trifecta of reviews of Sentinels of the Multiverse from Greater Than Games, Martian Dice from Tasty Minstrel Games, and Cards Against Humanity from … well, Cards Against Humanity.

Finally, we bring things to a close in this extra long episode (making up for lost time) with a few Random Encounters!

As always, please rate and review us on iTunes, comment on posts, head over to the forums and chat with other listeners, or visit our various affiliate stores on Amazon, Noble Knight Games, and RPGNow.

Until next time!

Total running time on this episode is 152 minutes.

About D&D Player’s Option: Heroes of the Feywild

Player’s Option: Heroes of the Feywild enables players to weave elements of the Feywild into their existing and future characters, in much the same way thatPlayer’s Option: Heroes of Shadow gave players reasons to explore their characters’ dark connections to the Shadowfell.

This book contains exciting new character builds and options that are thematically rooted to the Feywild, a wild and verdant plane of arcane splendor, full of dangerous and whimsical creatures. Characters who trace their origins or backgrounds to the Feywild gain access to unique feats, powers, and mechanics. The book explores what makes fey-themed characters so fun and distinct.

Buy Heroes of the Feywild from Amazon.com or Noble Knight Games

About Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic, abbreviated as TOR or SWTOR, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based in the Star Wars universe. Developed by BioWare Austin and a supplemental team at BioWare Edmonton, the game was first announced on October 21, 2008, at an invitation-only press event. The video game was released for the Microsoft Windows platform on December 20, 2011 in North America and part of Europe. Early access to the game began one week before release, on December 13, 2011, for those who had pre-ordered the game online; access opened in “waves” based on pre-order date.

Although BioWare has not disclosed development costs, industry leaders and financial analysts have estimated it to be between $125 million and $200 million. If accurate, this would make it the most expensive video game ever developed.

Buy Star Wars: The Old Republic from Amazon.com

About Planescape Torment

Planescape: Torment is a computer role-playing video game developed for Windows by Black Isle Studios and released on December 12, 1999 by Interplay Entertainment. It takes place in Planescape, an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) fantasy campaign setting. The game’s engine is a modified version of theInfinity Engine, which was also used for BioWare‘s Baldur’s Gate, a previous AD&D game set in the Forgotten Realms.

Planescape: Torment is primarily story-driven; combat is given less prominence than in most contemporary role-playing games. The protagonist, known as The Nameless One, is an immortal who has lived many lives but has forgotten all about them, even forgetting his own name. The game focuses on his journey throughout the city of Sigil and other planes to reclaim his memories of these previous lives. Several characters in the game may join The Nameless One on his journey, and most of these characters have encountered him in the past.

The game was not a significant commercial success but received widespread critical praise and has since become a cult classic. It was lauded for its immersive dialogue, for the dark and relatively obscure Planescape setting, and for the protagonist’s unique persona, which shirked many characteristics of traditional role-playing games. It was considered by many video game journalists to be the best role-playing game (RPG) of 1999, and continues to receive attention long after its release.

Buy Planescape Torment from Amazon.com or (more reasonably, and with much more stability) download it from GOG!

About Sentinels of the Multiverse

Sentinels of the Multiverse is a cooperative card game in which 3 to 5 players control a team of super powered heroes battling a dastardly villain. Sentinels of the Multiverse, or SotM, provides players with an innovative, streamlined game play experience that is easy to learn but requires strategic, team-based thinking. The game comes with ten different heroes, allowing players to build myriad hero teams and find new ways to challenge the villains. There are four different villains, each with unique mechanics and challenges, and four dynamic environments in which the battles take place. This flexibility adds enormous replay value and ensures that no two SotM games will play the same.

Buy Sentinels of the Multiverse from Amazon.com, Noble Knight Games, or directly from Greater Than Games themselves!

About Martian Dice

Your mission, Martians, is to swoop down on the pathetic denizens of the primitive planet “Earth”, and to scoop up as many of the inhabitants as you can manage. We are interested in samples of the Chicken, Cow, and Human populations, so that we can determine which of them is actually in charge. The Earthlings might manage to put up a feeble defense, but surely nothing that a small taste of your Death Rays can’t handle. Make Mars proud… be the first Martian to fill your abduction quota!

Buy Martian Dice from Amazon.com or Noble Knight Games.

About Cards Against Humanity

Cards Against Humanity is a party game for horrible people.

Unlike most of the party games you’ve played before, Cards Against Humanity is as despicable and awkward as you and your friends.

The game is simple. Each round, one player asks a question from a Black Card, and everyone else answers with their funniest White Card.

Cards Against Humanity is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution – Noncommercial – Share Alike license – that means you can use and remix the game for free, but you can’t sell it.

Pathfinder: Brothers Episode 27 – Pale Priestess

Andre — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:26:31 +0000

The brothers find themselves in the catacombs beneath fort Kussler and find that this is a time capsule of a darker time. The brothers awaken something dark, that begins to stir as they approach.

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 13 – Shadow of a Giant

Andre — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:22:58 +0000

The Angels find themselves facing one of the most intimidating villains that has ever been seen in the City of Angel, Death’s Hallow. Will the Angels be able to save the city from his doomsday machine while helping Red Assault vanquish the robotic menace, or will a sacrifice have to be made?

M&M Justice City Issue 10 – New F.O.E.S. (Guest Starring El Colibri!)

terrestrialboy — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:24:49 +0000

After the events of the Silver Storm, the characters start cleaning up the mess, when something falls out of the sky! After some investigation, our heroes find themselves talking to an ex-villain and find themselves facing off against some new F.O.E.S.!

One Shots – Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay – Some Rocks and Stuff Part 2

terrestrialboy — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:19:22 +0000

Calavius jumps back into the fold, catching up on bickering with Master Calvin and his wife. Finding themselves traveling through a Chaos Waste, things quickly get ugly.

Dungeons & Dragons Thunder Rift Episode 6 – Face to Face to Face

terrestrialboy — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:13:56 +0000

We’re joined in person by Tracy this time around, and the characters deal with his unfortunate decision the previous session. Instead of getting burned at the stake, the characters make their way into a dark swamp in hopes of finding a way home.

Dungeons & Dragons Thunder Rift Episode 5 – Lost in La Mancha

terrestrialboy — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:08:13 +0000

The characters find themselves in a creepy castle … and then a creepy countryside as they realize their mistake!

Dungeons & Dragons Thudner Rift Episode 4 – Woe

terrestrialboy — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:05:17 +0000

The characters continue their adventure, but, not surprisingly, take a bit of a detour.

Pathfinder: Wizard’s College CBS Episode 4 – Bone to Pick

Andre — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:19:46 +0000

The Professors now have to go through a tedious hiring process where they screen out their potential candidates for working at the University. While some seem to excel in their jobs, others seem to be a few pages short of a full spellbook. The Wizards also catch wind that a farmer found something beneath his land that they might be interested in, why do the farmer’s always find the good stuff?

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 12 – Direct Mail

Andre — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:15:10 +0000

The Angels continue on the hunt for the criminal responsible for shipping bombs all over the city. Combined with the terror that is gripping the city as it explodes around them, they find that there is more trouble brewing the Pacific. All while the infamous Death’s Hallow moves about the city unchecked. The Angels have their work cut out for them.

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 11 – Don’t Drink the Water

Andre — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:55:47 +0000

The Angels find themselves with yet another problem off of the coast of LA, with the strange activity of the local wildlife as the only clue. In addition their a rumors floating around the City of Angels that an old foe has returned to settle the score with a retired hero. Finally, someone is causing devastation around the city with forbidden technology, is this all linked or mere happenstance?

Pathfinder: Brothers Episode 26 – Snake God

Andre — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:51:02 +0000

The brothers have decided to turn their wrath to the local snake god. Will this action provoke the lizardman army and give some relief to the beleaguered force, or will this backfire and cause them to launch an all out assault?

Pathfinder: Wizard’s College CBS Episode 3 – Cowmageddon

Andre — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:50:44 +0000

The Professors once they have located the young Prince Bradley, turn their attention back to the cow disappearances, and uncover yet another sinister plot (the group seems to find these a lot). They rush back to Lake Castle to discover the odd way in which a new army is recruiting their members, to assault Lake Castle and claim an item from Lake Castle’s dreaded vault. Will the heroes survive the Cowmageddon?

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 10 – Nothing Personal

Andre — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:45:01 +0000

As a reward for a job well done rescuing the city and numerous lives, Accelerator gets kidnapped. The team has to rush around the city to locate the super-speedster before he is sold off by the elusive Mercenary. Will they locate the young boy before he winds up in hands unknown, or will they have a lucky break?

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 9 – He Ain’t Heavy…

Andre — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:38:24 +0000

The Angels hunt the angry old janitor. With massive gravity powers, will they be grind him into the dirt or will they be hurled sky high? They also have to deal with other possible solutions to the fact of Nicoli and other villains who hope to cause them harm for profit.

Pathfinder: Brothers Episode 25 – On the Run

Andre — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:00:24 +0000

After disturbing the siege and assassinating one of the lizardman chiefs, the brothers find themselves on the run. Will the brothers escape or will they become the next to be buried in the swamps?

Pathfinder: Brothers Episode 24 – Siege

Andre — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 21:41:48 +0000

The brothers having finally found the army that left Blackbog months ago… and they are under siege by five tribes of lizardmen. No wonder they have been missing. The brothers decide it is time to do a little siege breaking!

Pathfinder: Wizard’s College CBS Episode 2 – Ziggurat

Andre — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:31:20 +0000

The Professors find themselves being shifted from the dangerous cows into something of more pressing concern, the rescue of Prince Bradley. Will the group find him in time or will he be claimed from those who dwell below?

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 8 – The Relic

Andre — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:22:16 +0000

The Angels find something of interest under the sea, is it some sort of alien relic or creation of a mad scientist? They also encounter some strange fanatics who seem to be content to watch the world glow. Finally they also have an experiment go awry at the College, will they be able to stop this massive problem?

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 7 – Company of 8

Andre — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:33:48 +0000

Has the richest man in the City of Angels just gone from rich to broke? Someone has hacked into Elijah’s bank account and drains him of funds. The Angels target some of the most dangerous drug cartels that seem to be focusing on their names on food seasonings. Will the heroes be able to return Elijah from “pauper” to “prince” while helping clearing the City of Angels?

As a side note, this is the session just post Kantcon and the group reflects on it, with Steven is giving some well known players some love.

Pathfinder: Wizard’s College CBS Episode 1 – Long Awaited Return

Andre — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:19:38 +0000

The Professors/Adventurers have finished their first year of teaching and receive a personal request from King Mori of Lake Castle to investigate some missing cattle. Since all of their students have been sent off on their first “final,” it is up to the professors to investigate this seemingly mundane request.

In addition both Hercule and Tahir receive a letter from their homelands informing them that they are sending a diplomatic envoy to Lake Castle to sway them in an upcoming campaign. Will their personal loyalties get in the way of what is best for Lake Castle?

Pathfinder: Wizard’s College Class is Back in Session (CBS) Episode 0 – Character Updates

Andre — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:14:37 +0000

The group updates their characters to Pathfinder and some of what happened to them in a two year period is explained.

Mutants & Masterminds Issue 9 – The Silver Storm

terrestrialboy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:39:43 +0000

The heroes check to see what the mysterious silver whirlwind was that erupted from the center of downtown Justice City … and are confronted with a epic brawl in the heart of the great metropolis!

D&D Thunder Rift Episode 3: Housekeeping

terrestrialboy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:34:32 +0000

The characters start the long road of taking care of a keep … and take an unexpected trip in the process.

Gamer’s Haven Episode 88 – Greater Than Games and Sentinels of the Multiverse

terrestrialboy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:25:22 +0000

Sentinels of the Multiverse

Ethan, Nathan, and Jeremy were able to sit down with Christopher Badell, Adam Rebottaro, and Paul Bender, otherwise known as Greater Than Games, creators and publishers of Sentinels of the Multiverse, a cooperative superhero card game and talk game design, development, and exactly what constitutes a superhero game.

It’s a fun discussion, and Chris, Adam, and Paul were great sports. As soon as we are able to, we will be posting a review of Sentinels of the Multiverse (who, by the way, are sponsoring us this month). In the discussion, things get a bit long-winded, and Jeremy and Nathan try to get GTG to commit to a Canadian Crusaders expansion of the SotM game.

Plus, here’s some art from the upcoming Rook City expansion for Sentinels of the Multiverse provided exclusively for the Gamer’s Haven Podcast!

Driving Mantis is exclusive artwork from the upcoming Sentinels of the Multiverse expansion set, Rook City!

In the Three Parter, Ethan has a not-so-shameless plug in asking listeners to donate to St. Jude’s Children’s Charity in the name of KantCon, Nathan reviews the new Batman: Arkham City video game on the X-Box and PS3 (and PC), and Jeremy talks a bit about what he’s into.

Things are wrapped up in this episode with some Random Encounters.

Total running time on this episode is 110 minutes.

About Greater Than Games & Sentinels of the Multiverse

Greater Than Games, LLC, aka >G, is all about making the games that we have always wanted to play. We love playing games, and we love our ridiculous process of game creation. The most important thing to us is making the sorts of games we want to play available to everyone.

Our first product here at >G is Sentinels of the Multiverse, a cooperative card game in which 3 to 5 players control a team of super powered heroes battling a dastardly villain. Sentinels of the Multiverse, or SotM, provides players with an innovative, streamlined game play experience that is easy to learn but requires strategic, team-based thinking. The game comes with ten different heroes, allowing players to build myriad hero teams and find new ways to challenge the villains. There are four different villains, each with unique mechanics and challenges, and four dynamic environments in which the battles take place. This flexibility adds enormous replay value and ensures that no two SotM games will play the same.

About Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios. It is the sequel to the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. The game was released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The game was officially announced during the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards and was released worldwide for consoles, beginning in North America on October 18, 2011, with the PC version scheduled for November. A Wii U version is set to release in 2012.

Arkham City was scripted by veteran comic book author Paul Dini, who also scripted Arkham Asylum. It features a main plot and side-missions that develop their own sub-plots. The main storyline revolves around Batman’s imprisonment in Arkham City, a sprawling new super-prison five times bigger than the original asylum and enclosing a wide variety of industrial districts, iconic locations and Gotham City landmarks. He must now stop mishaps occurring around this chaotic enclosure, mainly caused by his arch-nemesis The Joker. The game has received universal critical acclaim, making it one of the highest rated video games released in 2011.

Help KantCon Support St. Jude’s Charity and Fight Cancer

terrestrialboy — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:01:36 +0000

It’s not necessarily game-related, or really related to next year’s KantCon, but KantCon will be represented at the annual St. Jude’s Give Thanks Walk being held nationwide on November 19, 2011.

KantCon organizers Ethan Parker and Bethany Mullenax will be directly participating in the walk being held in Wichita, Kansas.

You can help KantCon and St. Jude fight cancer by either participating in a walk in your area, or donating to St. Jude’s through the Team KantCon page.

Help us raise funds and awareness for this great charity!

About St. Jude’s

St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility. Discoveries made here have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. With research and patient care under one roof, St. Jude is where some of today’s most gifted researchers are able to do science more quickly.

The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 6 – Take It to the Streets

Andre — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:03:15 +0000

The Angels have had enough of the city being attacked by super drugged thugs. They make a gamble and launch an attack at several of the drug producing factories, instead of just focus on one. The group also has more personal issues that come to light as they fight their way through the City of Angels.

Pathfiner: Brothers Episode 23 – Church Burning

Andre — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:59:49 +0000

In efforts to remove the curse that is plaguing the youngest brother Afton, the brothers embark on a quick jaunt over to a curse church. Their resort to how to deal with the issue? Light it on fire, however there is a complication when they find the entire chapel crawling with frozen undead. Nothing is as simple as it seems.

Gamer’s Haven Episode 87 – Dias Ex Machina Games

terrestrialboy — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:29:45 +0000

Ethan, Nathan, and Jeremy continue the cavalcade of guests with a Skype-in of Chris Dias of Dias Ex Machina Games. They talk about Amethyst in it’s current and future forms, as well as Chris’s open letter to WotC. They talk about game design, setting, and all things gaming, as per usual!

Here are some links in reference to what Chris talked about:

Best of Techan Podcast
Techan Game Forum Thread
Questioning Piracy Part One Two Three Four Five and Six
An Open Letter to Wizards of the Coast
Follow-Up to An Open Letter to Wizards of the Coast

And, as promised, here is the picture from the book that we spoke about (click to enlarge):

In the Three Parter, we are hit with a trio of reviews starting with Nathan’s take on iTabletop, then Jeremy’s look at Amethyst: Evolution, and finally Ethan’s look at the Mutant & Masterminds Gamemaster’s Guide.

Total running time on this episode is 150 minutes.

About Dias Ex Machina Games

Dias Ex Machina was formed during sushi in May of 2007 with the soul intent of being the vehicle for an Amethyst role playing game (based on a long running campaign). In July of 2008, the company’s founder and its co-writer made the decision to abandon the previous D20 Amethyst in favor of adopting the GSL and converting Amethyst to 4 th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. Soon after, the company formed an alliance with Goodman Games for print distribution.

Amethyst Foundations was released in 2010 is extremely favorable reviews. Along with Amethyst, DEM also produces the upcoming NeuroSpasta role playing game—promising a universal Modern/Science-Fiction adaptation of 4 th Edition D&D rules.

DEM considers itself the source for alternative games utilizing the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition architecture.

About Amethyst

Which side will you choose? Which weapons will you wield? Venture into lands once claimed by skyscrapers and factories, now overrun by elves, goblins, and dragons. Ride gracefully on horseback or plow through the wilderness in an armored transport.

Earth is torn between the order of science and the chaos of fantasy. The realm of magic has invaded our world, forcing man into the last few bastions of technology. These two worlds cannot mix. Will you embrace the wonder of legends and myths or accept the reality of refrigerators and washing machines?

For 500 years the planet was locked in stalemate, but no more. The Stones of Amethyst have risen. When brought together, they could decide the future of the planet, cast off the remaining shred of technology, or close off the world of magic forever. Choose your path and commit to the quest. Monsters will hunt you; machines will track you. No gods will help you; no prophecies will choose you. The fate of the world rests with you.

Buy Amethyst: Foundations from RPGNow or Noble Knight Games

Buy Amethyst: Evolution from RPGNow

About iTabletop

We’re sure there are many different ideas out there, but we’ll just tell you what it means to us. As Gamers ourselves, we’ve seen time after time members of our game groups move out of town, go into the military, get so busy they can’t even make the trip from across town, have family responsibilities that keep them home, etc., etc., etc. One by one the group dwindles and eventually dies. We’d be willing to bet you’ve probably seen the same thing happen in your groups at some time or another.

So for us, an Online Virtual Tabletop, or VTT, first and foremost allows folks to play their tabletop games with their group, no matter where they are or when it’s happening. Of course there are a few more things that we think are important for an Online Virtual Tabletop:

It has to make you feel like you’re really there,in the same room, with the other players

The software has to take a back seat to the group interaction – meaning its so simple, easy to use and non-distracting, you pretty much forget it’s there

It’s preferable if it’s Game Rule Agnostic, meaning you can play any kind of tabletop RPG or even board game you want

Now to make software simple and non-distracting while giving you a sense that you’re physically with your group, it actually takes more complex programming – and that’s just what we’ve done with iTabletop.

About Mutants & Masterminds Gamemaster’s Guide

While Mutants & Masterminds players create heroes, the Gamemaster creates the villains, the adventures, and the entire world where the series takes place. That can be a lot of work, but the Mutants & Masterminds Gamemaster’s Guide is here to help you. This book has everything an M&M Gamemaster needs, from guidelines on creating challenges and adventures to advice on designing your own setting and series. The Gamemaster’s Guide includes guidance on how to set up and run your game and to help your players create the best heroes, archetypes that make building villains easy, world building tips, and options for modifying the game to suit your group’s play style. The Mutants & Masterminds Gamemaster’s Guide is a must-have resource for new and experienced GMs alike, and the ideal companion volume to the Hero’s Handbook.

Buy the Mutants & Masterminds Gamemaster’s Guide from RPGNow

Pathfinder: Brothers Episode 22 – Over the Bridge

Andre — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:24:38 +0000

The brothers have tracked down the missing civilians after a long and less than welcoming response from those who live in the swamps. They have been rounded up by a group of violent Bullwugs, is this part of a larger plot or is it merely kidnapping at its froggy finest?

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 5 – From Zero to Hero

Andre — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:21:18 +0000

The heroes have taken a young misguided youth into their fold, will they be able to turn him towards the good? They also are on the warpath to retake the streets from some of the gangs, hoping to deal with the drug trafficking problem that has fueled the local punks with strange new chemicals.

M&M 3rd Edition: City of Angels Episode 4 – With Friends Like These….

Andre — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:57:41 +0000

The Angels begin to meet some new personalities around town, the only difference is that these ones want to kill them. The Angels do battle against villains who desire only to make their lives miserable. However they also decide to bust up a super powered underground fight club, which leads them to meet Zero, a troubled youth. Finally they decide to take back the streets from the gangs that hold sway in their city.

Pathfinder: Brothers Episode 21 – Frog Legs

Andre — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:51:32 +0000

The brothers have answered the call to go find the loved ones that have gone missing in the wild swamplands around Blackbog. As they journey further into the swamps, it becomes evident that they aren’t the only ones who decided to take a swamp-walk today.

One Shots – Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Some Rocks and Stuff Part 1

terrestrialboy — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:08:59 +0000

Ethan and Jeremy had the chance to sit in on an ongoing Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay campaign as guest stars. This is part 1 of their adventure.

Mutants & Masterminds 3rd Edition Issue #8 – If it’s not One Thing, it’s Another Thing

terrestrialboy — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:05:00 +0000

We finally get back to Justice City, and realize how little time has passed in-game.

Gamer’s Haven Episode 86 – Terra/Sol Games

terrestrialboy — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 01:23:46 +0000

Welcome to the raggedy edge of human space, The Orion Frontier. This is the edge of human exploration. Rimward from here, There be Dragons! No star chart or encyclopedia tells us what lies beyond, only whispered tales of scouts and pirates provide us myth- inspired answers.

In this episode, Ethan, Nathan, and Jeremy are joined by Mike Cross and Chris Stevens from Terra/Sol Games. The topic of discussion in the show are their line of products featuring the Twilight Sector setting, and, to a lesser extent, Netherell, a setting contained within Twilight Sector. They talk game design, and setting evolution, as well as hit upon developing hard science fiction settings.

In the Three Parter, Jeremy takes some time to rant a bit on his application to join a server in Minecraft. Nathan takes a look at the new Ogre Kingdoms book for the Warhammer Tabletop Battles game. Ethan wraps up the Three Parter with a short review of the newest addition to the Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R. R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons.

Finally, they wrap things up with a catch-up on Random Encounters!

Total Running Time on this episode is 128 minutes.

About Terra/Sol Games

Terra/Sol Games evolved out of a long running RPG campaign. The reason that’s important to note is because the fact that we evolved from a RPG campaign colors the philosophy of everything we do.

RPGs from the beginning have been defined by sets of rules. To me that has always seemed backwards. While we love to see a movie in IMAX, if the movie isn’t any good no amount of IMAX magic is going to save it. I think the parallel to RPGs is obvious. At Terra/Sol Games we want to help change that.

We’re about campaigns, hence our motto: “Because the Campaigns the Thing”. Terra/Sol Games will strive to bring our customers the best in RPG campaigns. From settings to adventures we will bring to you deep, coherent, ongoing campaigns. So whether you want to sit back and let us do the driving or you want to play in the sandbox yourself, we will give you the tools to run a campaign the way you want, and hopefully you’ll come to agree with us, that rules are nice, “But the Campaign’s the Thing”.

Buy Twilight Sector from RPGNow, Amazon.com, or Noble Knight Games

Buy Netherell from RPGNow.

About Warhammer Tabletop Battles

Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles (formerly Warhammer Fantasy Battle and often abbreviated to Warhammer, WFB or WHFB) is a tabletop wargame created by Games Workshop. It is the origin of the Warhammer Fantasy setting.

The game has been designed with regiments of fantasy miniatures. It uses stock fantasy races such as humans (The Empire, Bretonnia, Kislev), Elves (Dark Elves, High Elves, Wood Elves), Dwarfs, Undead, Orcs and Goblins, Vampires, as well as some more unusual types such as Lizardmen, Skaven and the daemonic forces of Chaos. Each race has its own unique strengths and flaws; Wood Elves, for example, have the most powerful archers in the game but have poor overall defence and Bretonnia have the strongest cavalry but weak infantry.

Since first appearing in 1983, Warhammer has been periodically updated and re-released with changes to the gaming system and army lists. The current official version is the eighth edition, released on 10 July 2010.

About the Ogre Kingdoms

An Ogre is a large humanoid creature in the Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe. They are based on the ogres of mythology.

Prior to the release in 2005 of Warhammer Armies: Ogre Kingdoms for Warhammer Fantasy Battles tabletop game Ogres appeared only as mercenaries or Auxiliaries to other armies. The Ogre Kingdoms book expanded the history and character of the Ogres and they can now be fielded as a single army of their own, although the option to use them as mercenaries in other armies remained. However, the option to field allies or use mercenaries in general has since been dropped from the core Warhammer rules, with the discontinuing of the Dogs of War and the Regiments of Renown. Furthermore, the release of the Ogre Kingdoms Army Book itself was controversial, as many core armies had yet to be released at that time.

The ogre army differs from most other armies in Warhammer as it is composed mainly of monstrous Infantry (i.e. models mounted on larger bases which are significantly tougher than normal man-sized infantry, but fewer in number). This has proved popular with gamers who like to spend more time painting individual models than massed regiments, players who like a slightly more ‘quirky’ army and those looking to build an army on a smaller budget (with current UK prices it is possible to construct a playable 1000 point army for less than £90 including the cost of the Warhammer Armies: Ogre Kingdoms sourcebook. Most other armies require an investment of well over £100 to reach this level).

About A Song of Ice and Fire

A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the series in 1991 and the first volume was published in 1996. Originally planned as a trilogy, the series now consists of five published volumes (the fifth was published on July 12, 2011); a further two are planned. In addition there are three prequel novellas currently available, with several more being planned, and a series of novella-length excerpts from the main Ice and Fire novels; Martin announced on his 2011 national book tour that the first four prequel novellas, his “Dunk and Egg” series, will be collected into a book and published by Bantam Spectra after the fourth novella is first published in an original anthology he and Gardner Dozois are editing. One of these earlier excerpt novellas won science fiction‘s Hugo Award. The “Ice and Fire” series has been translated into more than 20 languages and the fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of The New York Times bestseller lists in 2005 and 2011. Overall, the series has sold more than seven million copies in the USA and more than 15 million copies worldwide.

The story of A Song of Ice and Fire takes place in a fictional world, primarily on a continent called Westeros but also on a large landmass to the east, known asEssos. Most of the characters are human but as the series progresses others are introduced, such as the cold and menacing supernatural Others from the far North and fire-breathing dragons from the East, both thought to be extinct by the humans of the story. There are three principal story lines in the series: the chronicling of a dynastic civil war for control of Westeros among several competing families; the rising threat of the Others, who dwell beyond an immense wall of ice that forms Westeros’ northern border; and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the exiled daughter of a king who was murdered in another civil war fifteen years before, to return to Westeros and claim her rightful throne. As the series progresses, the three story lines become increasingly interwoven and dependent upon each other.

The series is told in the third-person through the eyes of a number of point of view characters. By the end of the fourth volume, there have been 17 such characters with multiple chapters and eight who only have one chapter apiece. Several new viewpoint characters are introduced by the conclusion of the fifth volume, setting the stage for the major events of the sixth novel.

The growing popularity of the series led to it being optioned by HBO for development of a television adaptation, Game of Thrones, after the first novel. A pilot episodewas produced in 2009 and a series commitment for nine further episodes was made in March 2010. The series premiered on April 17, 2011 to great acclaim and ratings, and two days later the network picked the show up for a second season. Shortly after the conclusion of the first season, the show received 13 Emmy Awardnominations, including Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Supporting Actor.

There are board games and role-playing games based on the available novels, as well as two collections of artwork based on and inspired by the Ice and Fire series. The French video game company Cyanide has announced that they have partnered with Martin to create a video game adaption of the books, entitled A Game of Thrones: Genesis. There are licensed full-sized sword and war hammer reproductions available; paintable white metal character miniatures; larger resin cast character busts; Westeros coinage reproductions; a forthcoming series of graphic novel adaptations of the “Ice and Fire” series; and a large number of gift and collectible items from HBO based on their cable television series.

About A Dance With Dragons

A Dance with Dragons (published in 2011) is the fifth of seven planned novels in the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by American author George R. R. Martin.

A Dance with Dragons was originally intended to be the title of the second novel in the sequence, when Martin still envisioned the series as a trilogy. Some early US editions of A Game of Thrones (1996) list A Dance of Dragons as the forthcoming second volume in the series. The 1998 anthology Legends, which features the novella The Hedge Knight from the same universe, lists A Dance of Dragons as the fourth installment of the series. Like the previous four volumes in the Ice and Fire series, the book includes a lengthy appendix, with the volume running a total of 1,022 pages.

On March 3, 2011, publishing imprint Bantam Spectra announced that the novel would be released on July 12, 2011. Martin delivered the manuscript to his editor on April 27, 2011; however, as early as 2006, Martin made sample chapters available on his website and at Amazon.co.uk. Additionally, the German branch of Amazon.com (Amazon.de) released a reported 180 copies two weeks early by mistake. The US hardcover was officially published on July 12, 2011, having gone back to press for six printings (totaling more than 650,000 copies) prior to the 1,000+ page novel being available; 298,000 copies in print, digital, and audio formats were sold that first day alone, becoming publishing giant Random House‘s biggest book of 2011 and a runaway bestseller. The book was the second in the series to debut at the #1 position on the New York Times bestseller list. A few weeks after publication, A Dance With Dragons went on to be #1 on both Publisher’s Weekly and USA TodayBestsellers lists.

One Shots – Savage Worlds: Take Me Away to the Rings of Saturn

terrestrialboy — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:53:28 +0000

This is a pre-KantCon session of Nathan’s Savage Worlds game, Take Me Away to the Rings of Saturn.