Sunday, February 18, 2018

Kickstarters I'm Backing


I go hot and cold with Kickstarters and right now I've back three recently. Low investment ones. Nothing over $20, but some cool items and one has already been delivered. And no I did not back the bike balls. But it is a little funny.




3D Dice Coins, d20 version. So Matt Jackson was asking a group of us what is a good kickstarter to back. I went on the site, searched dice, and these guys popped up. Within a few minutes I was a backer...I was doing it for a joke, but these guys look great. J.M. Ward has done other coin Kickstarters and all look to have been fulfilled. And I can easily say, coin dice are so much better than pencil dice.


This is the second Kickstarter for Off the Beaten Path by +Thom Wilson. He and I share the same passion for short adventures. I was a backer for his fist Kickstarter which featured forests, this one focuses on desert terrain. Last Kickstarter Thom completed it on time, early I think, and I have it within arms reach. Consider grabbing a copy.



The last one, but actually the first of the three I backed is For Coin & Blood. When I backed it the writing was done and I received my PDF soon after I pledged. This one is about anti-heroes in game. A subject I'm all about. There is a PoD version coming out soon and I'll grab a copy of the print version also.

That's it for now. Just thought I'd share my Kickstarter backings of late. I am excited about all of them so check them out and see what you think.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Small Details: 10 Door Details to Distract the Party

Sometimes the small details are what attracts the party's attention. Often distracting them from the adventure you had planned for the evening. The first details are what one might find on dungeon doors, inn doors, maybe even trap doors. These ten details could mean something, or not a damn thing. Only the first one has any details, but they could just be hinges with fancy designs. 

1.  The brass hinges of the door are tarnished so they take on the same coloring as the wood door. On closer inspection they have intricate designs. A magic-user has a chance of identifying the patterns. These hinges work as spell storage. So as a magic-user can enchant the door. In most instances it is a trap, so when the next person opens the door the spell is discharged. These hinges hold one spell at a time. They can be removed, but for them to work all three of them have to placed on the same door. 
2.  There is a small door in the door, that mimics the bigger door perfectly. 
3.  There are small holes at the base of the door, they are stained darker than the rest of the door. There is an oily substance in and around the holes.
4.  Hanging on a small iron ring is a goat's foot. It looks to be fashioned as a door knocker.
5.  The door is painted a bright blue in color except for a small hand print in the center.
6.  Two, rusted iron spikes are stuck between the door and the wall. An obvious attempt to keep the door closes. The door has large cracks in it, exposing the interior of the door, but it did not give as something powerful smashed into it.
7.  Words are carved into the door. It is difficult to decipher. The carving looks fairly new. And at the bottom of the words is the number 4.
8.  The door contains  inset, black iron detailing. It curves around onto itself and then spirals out and around. The detailing is quite good.
9.  There is a spiderweb detailing around the door frame. 
10.  The handle of the door is fashioned out of a keg tap.  

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Adventure Trailer? That's a thing?


If it isn't, it is now. So I bought this film editing program, Filmora, for Whisk. But I have commandeered it lately and have been enjoying creating videos. It is time intensive, this one is only 46 seconds long and it took my about 5 hours to complete. But I enjoyed it.

What is Spoke Top Hill? I've posted a pair of short fiction pieces here on my blog. I write fiction sometimes when I am trying to flesh out an area. I discover a lot about it I wouldn't have known if I had just gone straight into writing it as an adventure setting.

This trailer gives you flashes of what to expect. Hill people, more primitive than the surrounding areas. They've got their own distinct culture and beliefs. And their magic seems to come from some primordial source that puzzles even the master mages in the guild.

Why go to Spoke Top Hill? There are no good reasons to risk the climb. Usually its because someone has no other choice and for whatever reason they believe Spoke Top Hill has the answer. And its never the one they expect.

...if they survive.

I'm lining up a couple playtest groups to develop and put this area through its paces. My patrons will get first shot and then I'll go public with the dates and times.

Hope you enjoyed the video and maybe we'll get to throw some dice together.

Oh, and one warning. When I GM, you know all those 1s I throw as a player, I roll much differently. I have a vast graveyard full of PCs fertilizing the ground with their dead dreams and rotted hopes.