Today marks an incredibly important and special day in our hobby. Early on, it might be said it was something of a whim, but over the years, the RPG culture truly embraced the idea of celebrating our Game Masters on an annual basis. After all, no GM, no game! In 2008, the holiday took on an even greater and more powerful meaning, as one of the Godfathers of Gaming, Gary Gygax, went on to other realms of adventure. Sites like DriveThruRPG are holding massive sales for those wanting to celebrate by buying tons of gaming stuff (and maybe, you know, giving something nice to their favorite GMs). Here's a bunch of great Picks, as well as a link to the DriveThruRPG sale page at the end.
Enemies Beyond
Dark Heresy rolls on through the vastness of the Emperor’s unending galactic rule as enemies threaten humanity at every turn. This is a rules supplement that serves both players and GMs, adding to the whole play experience for anyone into the Warhammer 40k universe.
The Imperium fights in a time of constant war: there are countless threats to humanity’s continued survival, and more arise every day. Heretics and mutants infest the most populous hive planets, spreading their evil in dark places far from the Emperor’s light. Xenos races attack from every edge of the galaxy, expanding their foul empires and mocking the order and justice that flows from the Emperor’s throne. Yet perhaps the greatest war is the war that must be fought in secret, against the Daemons and the powers of Chaos that live within the Warp. Mankind uses the Warp daily for both travel and communication; if the true nature of the Warp and the beings that dwell within were to become known, civilization would surely descend into anarchy.
In the Enemies Beyond rules supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you can become an Acolyte serving with the Ordo Malleus—those tasked with protecting the Imperium from the daemons of the Warp. Here, you’ll find new Acolyte options allowing you to play as an Exorcised character or a powerful Astropath. Gazetteers offer information on the Daemonic threats to the Askellon sectors, introducing new types of worlds such as Penal Colonies and Daemon Worlds. The GM will even find rules for creating his own Daemon Princes, details on the rites of possession and exorcism, and guidance for crafting the Acolyte’s adventures with the Ordo Malleus!
Hero Cards IV Fantasy Expansion
If you’ve not yet explored the Hero Kids Fantasy RPG, you’ve been missing out on one of the strongest entries yet in the “Get Kids Gaming” movement we’ve had as a culture over the last decade. Immensely popular and successful, with a very solid game system that really works for younger players and the older folks who want to get them gaming, Hero Kids is a must have for any multi-generational gaming family.
Their latest release is out, and is already in the Top Sellers.
This expansion for Hero Kids includes ten new forest heroes for your game:
Thoughts on Fate
My friend, Randy Oest, is one of the folks I really look to for knowledge and understanding of the FATE system. Creator and host of the award-winning Fate Roleplaying Game SRD site, he’s put out a series of essays and how-to articles to help folks understand, run, and play FATE in better and more satisfying ways. Here’s a collection of those great pieces for a very nice price.
Oh, and I played in that pickup game he writes about in this – “Save the Ghostbusters.” Fun!
Thoughts on Fate is a collection of essays that cover a wealth of topics about the Fate roleplaying game. Inside you’ll find the following articles:
All of the content here originally appeared on the blog of Randy Oest, the person behind the Fate SRD website.
Market Panic
There can be no doubt that corporations are the main driving force for pretty much everything in the Shadowrun universe. This book is mission-critical for GMs and players alike.
PAIN POINTS
Chaos is horrible for business—unless your business is shadowrunning. The Big Ten megacorporations of the Sixth World are reeling, with scandals, disasters, and crippling attacks coming at them from all angles. NeoNET is scrambling to maintain AAA status, Ares is trying not to let the secret rot at the heart of the corp become public, while Aztechnology, fresh from taking on a dragon in Amazonia, is looking at a facedown with another great dragon. And that’s not all—every corp is a pile of schemes, turmoil, upheaval, and teetering chaos, because that’s how they operate.
Market Panic runs down the state of the Big Ten for Shadowrun, providing the background, story developments, and plot hooks players and gamemasters need to add excitement, intrigue, and Sixth World flavor to their adventures and campaigns. If you’re going to run for or against the big megacorporations—and that includes all shadowrunners—this is critical information to have so you know what you might get thrown into, who you’re going up against, and how you might obtain enough intel to survive. Market Panic is for use with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition.
On this day every year, we celebrate the man who identified the phenomenon that would become Dungeons & Dragons and, thus, the roleplaying game hobby – Gary Gygax. He sadly left us on this day in 2008, and while painfully coincidental to the founding of this special day to also celebrate Game Masters everywhere (GM’s Day began as a post on ENWorld in 2002), it’s also powerfully appropriate, and Gary would most definitely approve. Per this GM’s Day site someone kindly created –
GM’s Day was born on EN World in December 2002. Originally a simple messageboard post by EN World member Spunkrat, the idea quickly gained popularity, championed by Mark Clover of Creative Mountain Games and, of course, EN World itself.
Marth 4th is also the anniversary of the sad 2008 passing of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax.
GM’s Day is an annual day to show your GM (or DM, or Storyteller, or Referee) how much you appreciate them. Publishers and retail outlets across the world now join in GM’s Day, offering discounts, sales, and other cool stuff. From a single messageboard thread, GM’s Day now includes hundreds of publishers, websites, bloggers, and more! In particular, check out DriveThruRPG’s massive GM’s Day sale.
~~~~~
So there you go for this week's Picks. However, many of you may know I've also started sharing two other kinds of Picks every day. One is a Kickstarter Pick of the Day, and the other is a chance for me to pay forward all the blessings and support I've received from friends and fans over the decades. I call it my Happiness, Peace, and Dreams Pick of the Day, and it features everything from charity opportunities to showcasing someone's attempt to build up a new, creative business idea. Feel free to hit those links and see what's been featured so far.
Tonight, we see if the Republic heroes can get off of the planet of Naboo with Trade Federation and Sith forces arrayed against them in my Savage Star Wars game (where I am re-telling the prequels my way). Tomorrow, we're checking out a castle-themed Doubletree Hotel nearby for a really cool idea I have for later, and tomorrow night, The Interested Parties once again return to harass Evil Genius Titus Machiavelli at the latest NRW event.
(In between all that, yet more work on Savage Rifts.)
Sunday I am running Savage Rifts for some dear friends we don't see nearly enough. Here's hoping you see some good friends and get some fun activities in, because...
The Adventure Continues!
~SPF
Enemies Beyond
Dark Heresy rolls on through the vastness of the Emperor’s unending galactic rule as enemies threaten humanity at every turn. This is a rules supplement that serves both players and GMs, adding to the whole play experience for anyone into the Warhammer 40k universe.
The Imperium fights in a time of constant war: there are countless threats to humanity’s continued survival, and more arise every day. Heretics and mutants infest the most populous hive planets, spreading their evil in dark places far from the Emperor’s light. Xenos races attack from every edge of the galaxy, expanding their foul empires and mocking the order and justice that flows from the Emperor’s throne. Yet perhaps the greatest war is the war that must be fought in secret, against the Daemons and the powers of Chaos that live within the Warp. Mankind uses the Warp daily for both travel and communication; if the true nature of the Warp and the beings that dwell within were to become known, civilization would surely descend into anarchy.
In the Enemies Beyond rules supplement for Dark Heresy Second Edition, you can become an Acolyte serving with the Ordo Malleus—those tasked with protecting the Imperium from the daemons of the Warp. Here, you’ll find new Acolyte options allowing you to play as an Exorcised character or a powerful Astropath. Gazetteers offer information on the Daemonic threats to the Askellon sectors, introducing new types of worlds such as Penal Colonies and Daemon Worlds. The GM will even find rules for creating his own Daemon Princes, details on the rites of possession and exorcism, and guidance for crafting the Acolyte’s adventures with the Ordo Malleus!
Hero Cards IV Fantasy Expansion
If you’ve not yet explored the Hero Kids Fantasy RPG, you’ve been missing out on one of the strongest entries yet in the “Get Kids Gaming” movement we’ve had as a culture over the last decade. Immensely popular and successful, with a very solid game system that really works for younger players and the older folks who want to get them gaming, Hero Kids is a must have for any multi-generational gaming family.
Their latest release is out, and is already in the Top Sellers.
This expansion for Hero Kids includes ten new forest heroes for your game:
- Spear Bearer – This ferret hero uses his spear to keep enemies at bay
- Knight – The turtle’s armor protects him from enemy attacks, which enrage his replies
- Rogue – The shrew moves like a shadow and strikes distracted enemies
- Brute – This badger is a ferocious combatant who specializes in knocking down enemies
- Warlock – The ocelot’s razor sharp claws deter enemies, and allies
- Mage – This wombat is an unstoppable force of nature who repulses his enemies with powerful magic
- Hunter – The otter hunter pins down opponents with precise shots
- Warrior – The mouseling warrior maiden is a fearsome warrior and inspiring leader
- Healer – This squirrel heals herself and her allies
- Warrior – This mouseling fights side-by-side with his allies
Thoughts on Fate
My friend, Randy Oest, is one of the folks I really look to for knowledge and understanding of the FATE system. Creator and host of the award-winning Fate Roleplaying Game SRD site, he’s put out a series of essays and how-to articles to help folks understand, run, and play FATE in better and more satisfying ways. Here’s a collection of those great pieces for a very nice price.
Oh, and I played in that pickup game he writes about in this – “Save the Ghostbusters.” Fun!
Thoughts on Fate is a collection of essays that cover a wealth of topics about the Fate roleplaying game. Inside you’ll find the following articles:
- A Few Random Tips for Running Long Fate Games
- Recap Aspects
- Circumstantial PC Aspects
- How to Handle Missing Players in a Fate Campaign
- Cinematic Initiative
- The Disposable PC
- Tiered Opponents
- How I Setup a Junkyard Boss Fight
- Martial Magic
- Trickery Magic
- Arcane Mechanics, the McGuyvers of the Modern Magical World
- Fate Pickup Game — Save the Ghostbusters
All of the content here originally appeared on the blog of Randy Oest, the person behind the Fate SRD website.
Market Panic
There can be no doubt that corporations are the main driving force for pretty much everything in the Shadowrun universe. This book is mission-critical for GMs and players alike.
PAIN POINTS
Chaos is horrible for business—unless your business is shadowrunning. The Big Ten megacorporations of the Sixth World are reeling, with scandals, disasters, and crippling attacks coming at them from all angles. NeoNET is scrambling to maintain AAA status, Ares is trying not to let the secret rot at the heart of the corp become public, while Aztechnology, fresh from taking on a dragon in Amazonia, is looking at a facedown with another great dragon. And that’s not all—every corp is a pile of schemes, turmoil, upheaval, and teetering chaos, because that’s how they operate.
Market Panic runs down the state of the Big Ten for Shadowrun, providing the background, story developments, and plot hooks players and gamemasters need to add excitement, intrigue, and Sixth World flavor to their adventures and campaigns. If you’re going to run for or against the big megacorporations—and that includes all shadowrunners—this is critical information to have so you know what you might get thrown into, who you’re going up against, and how you might obtain enough intel to survive. Market Panic is for use with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition.
On this day every year, we celebrate the man who identified the phenomenon that would become Dungeons & Dragons and, thus, the roleplaying game hobby – Gary Gygax. He sadly left us on this day in 2008, and while painfully coincidental to the founding of this special day to also celebrate Game Masters everywhere (GM’s Day began as a post on ENWorld in 2002), it’s also powerfully appropriate, and Gary would most definitely approve. Per this GM’s Day site someone kindly created –
GM’s Day was born on EN World in December 2002. Originally a simple messageboard post by EN World member Spunkrat, the idea quickly gained popularity, championed by Mark Clover of Creative Mountain Games and, of course, EN World itself.
Marth 4th is also the anniversary of the sad 2008 passing of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax.
GM’s Day is an annual day to show your GM (or DM, or Storyteller, or Referee) how much you appreciate them. Publishers and retail outlets across the world now join in GM’s Day, offering discounts, sales, and other cool stuff. From a single messageboard thread, GM’s Day now includes hundreds of publishers, websites, bloggers, and more! In particular, check out DriveThruRPG’s massive GM’s Day sale.
~~~~~
So there you go for this week's Picks. However, many of you may know I've also started sharing two other kinds of Picks every day. One is a Kickstarter Pick of the Day, and the other is a chance for me to pay forward all the blessings and support I've received from friends and fans over the decades. I call it my Happiness, Peace, and Dreams Pick of the Day, and it features everything from charity opportunities to showcasing someone's attempt to build up a new, creative business idea. Feel free to hit those links and see what's been featured so far.
Tonight, we see if the Republic heroes can get off of the planet of Naboo with Trade Federation and Sith forces arrayed against them in my Savage Star Wars game (where I am re-telling the prequels my way). Tomorrow, we're checking out a castle-themed Doubletree Hotel nearby for a really cool idea I have for later, and tomorrow night, The Interested Parties once again return to harass Evil Genius Titus Machiavelli at the latest NRW event.
(In between all that, yet more work on Savage Rifts.)
Sunday I am running Savage Rifts for some dear friends we don't see nearly enough. Here's hoping you see some good friends and get some fun activities in, because...
The Adventure Continues!
~SPF
