[BDV]New Product: Witch Stones

[Justin D. Jacobson]

Hi, all. I just released a new product: Witch Stones. It's my first foray into the shorter pdf market. For the record, I'm not diving in with both feet--just dipping my toe in the water. Principally, it was because of the nature of the product.

Witch Stones is a hybrid of a traditional RPG supplement and a standalone strategy game. Here's how it came about. Witch stones is a reference in Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved, a board game played in the realms of the Diamond Throne. I thought it would be cool to actually come up with the game. Monte--cool as he is--okayed the idea. So, Witch Stones (the product) is a metaphorical ettin. On the one hand, it has a history of the game within the fantasy world and has a handful of d20 crunch, to wit, a feat, a ceremony, a spell, a magic item, and a trap room. On the other hand, it also includes the actual game, including a board and pieces. As a game, it's a deep strategy game on the order of chess or pente, in that it requires thinking several moves ahead.

That's like getting two products in one for a measly $1.95!

I'm curious to hear what you guys think about this kind of thing.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Hey Justin, should you label this perhaps as a "New Boardgame"?

 

[Justin D. Jacobson]

I don't know what to label it. As a product goes, it's an "aberration." I'm hesitant to just label it as a boardgame only because it's perfectly viable (though not as much fun) as just an RPG supplement, i.e, using the game as a MacGuffin in the campaign. That's why I priced it as low as I did: I don't think anyone will be upset with parting with $1.95 even if they plan to just use it as a boardgame or just use it as an RPG supplement.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

Some years ago (as in, the 80's) TSR released a boardgame that was supposed to be one played in the Forgotten Realms. My buddies and I bought it, played it, and thought the idea was cool. The game has long gone the way of the dodo, but the idea of the meta-product stuck in our minds. I'm picking up Witch Stones later this week, if only because the concept is just cool, and I wanna see what kind of game you came up with.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

I don't know what to label it. As a product goes, it's an "aberration." I'm hesitant to just label it as a boardgame only because it's perfectly viable (though not as much fun) as just an RPG supplement, i.e, using the game as a MacGuffin in the campaign.

Can you post it twice, once with each kind of header?

For anyone going to Gen Con, I plan to have some pieces and a board with me if you'd like to play it.