Fighting Fire - systemless adventure for Ernie Gygax

[Odhanan]

Fighting Fire is a generic, systemless fantasy adventure loosely inspired by the events that destroyed Ernie Gygax's home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It is written by Mark "CMG" Clover, includes a very cool map of "Gamington", and more than a few nods at the Lake Geneva gaming scene, Ernie Gygax, his friends and family.

I'm not affiliated with Creative Mountain Games, but had the chance to playtest it as "Heidala of the Isles", with Mark as GM, and Ernie Gygax playing "Ernesto Magnifico", as one could guess.

It was a fun game, and I'm sure many GMs out there will be able to get a good evening or two of solid fantasy gaming with it. So if you guys want to talk about it or whatnot, here's the dedicated thread!

FYI, 33% of this adventure's proceeds go to Ernie Gygax's relief fund. More information about the module and its context here: http://www.creativemountaingames.com/2014/03/ernie-gygax-relief-fund-and-gms-day.html

 

[the Jester]

the events that destroyed Ernie Gygax's home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Wait, what?? Could you elaborate a bit, please?

 

[Nagol]

Here's a news article:

http://www.examiner.com/article/fire-destroys-ernie-gygax-jr-s-home

 

[Odhanan]

Here's a news article:

http://www.examiner.com/article/fire-destroys-ernie-gygax-jr-s-home

Thank you Nagol. That pretty much summarizes the disaster. Ernie lost many of his possessions that fateful day, including some irreplaceable gaming and family memorabilia.

I'll just add that later on Ernie was hospitalized for a congestive heart failure condition, which further complicated Ernie's situation. We are working Ernie and I on publishing a bunch of gaming materials that stretch back all the way to the roots of the hobby, the Dungeon hobby shop of Lake Geneva, the great dungeons of yore and all that, but all this takes time to do right, as you might guess. We're going to bring it all to people's game tables. (see facebook.com/hobbyshopdungeon for more info on this)

In the meantime, the relief fund does help with the necessary expenses, medical and otherwise.

 

[Mark CMG]

Thanks for bringing this up here, Odhanan! Early feedback has been wonderfully positive and there have been a couple of great reviews so far here and here.

 

[Odhanan]

Thanks for bringing this up here, Odhanan! Early feedback has been wonderfully positive and there have been a couple of great reviews so far here and here.

I'm glad people are enjoying it. I have to say, I enjoyed the poem quite a bit as well. It was a very nice add-on to the adventure material. Gave it a frame and a mood, you know? Very cool. Good job, Mark.

 

[Mark CMG]

Got another great review on RPGNow.com and related sites here!

 

[Mark CMG]

Good gracious! This has been a great thing for Ernie. The sales on this have exceeded early expectations and the laser printed and signed copy added to the Gary Con VI auction alone fetched $500 for the Relief Fund and other interests. It included signatures from all of the real life counterparts to the various "personas" mentioned within the adventure such as Ernie, Luke Gygax, Heidi Gygax, Tim Kask, Frank Mentzer, Jim Ward, Tom Wham, Jim Wampler, and many others. Thank you so much for all of the support being given to this project!

I ran a sale for this initial adventure for GM's Day and carried it on through Gary Con VI but now as we are in April that sale is ending. If you'd like to help out and grab a copy before the price goes up a bit, please check it out right away here -

http://tinyurl.com/gygaxrelief

 

[Odhanan]

Terrific! I'm very glad people are enjoying the module and participating to the relief fund.

This gives Ernie the breathing room (with medical and other expenses) to work on our projects as well. Lots of cool stuff coming from GP (Gygax Poire) Adventures. I'll make a formal announcement and send the news to ENWorld when that happens.

 

[Mark CMG]

BTW, the sequel to Fighting Fire, Cold, Cold Heart is in the works as we speak. In it, because of the assault on his tower by the minions of the Sulfurious the Fire Mage, Ernesto has decided he is too vulnerable. To remedy this, he toys with "philacterial magic" to remove its "evil" aspects and store his heart in a box. Unfortunately, the box is stolen. The longer it is gone, the less well Ernesto becomes. It is divined to have been taken through a mountain pass and across the great northern plateau, perhaps to be found in the vicinity of a long-abandoned outpost, though no more can be gleaned. A band of heroes is once more called upon to aid the son of Poppagax the Original, discover the culprits, and retrieve the heart-box before Ernesto's demise.