8 of My Favorite Things from May!
It’s been a pretty incredible month of geek. Here are a few things that are getting me talking.
Champions of Aetaltis
Most of what I have to say about this Kickstarter is covered in the video. What I can add is the talent between these covers is bordering on absurd, and there’s still more to come. If you’re a gamer and fantasy fan, I doubt there are many names involved in this project that you don’t know.
“No Thank You, Evil!”
The featured image for this post is some of the incredible artwork for “No Thank You, Evil!” How long do you think it took me to back it once I saw that image?
It’s no secret that I love gaming with kids. Games can train a child’s imagination in ways they’ll carry with them throughout their life. Games can teach mathematics, social skills, teamwork, and when you’re talking about storytelling and roleplaying games, pretty much any subject under the sun–from history and mythology, to the sciences and theology.
Monte Cook Games has been putting out the highest quality roleplaying game supplements for years, decades if you include Monte’s own work on the revolutionary Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition. “No Thank You, Evil!” uses their award-winning Cypher System to create imaginary worlds for a wide range of kids, adapting the system to the complexity that’s comfortable for each player.
Keep checking back for a full review of “No Thank You, Evil!” soon!
One Shot Podcast
Oh, my. This podcast.
I only recently discovered the One Shot podcast. In fact, it was purely coincidence that Shawn posted an interview with James and Kat a few days later. Full disclosure, I have only listened to the 4-part Legend of the Five Rings (aka: L5R) episodes, but that series alone was enough for me to pop over to Patreon and give them my money. It’s already one of the most successful Patreon’s I’ve seen, and that many fans can not be wrong [yes, they can, but they aren’t]. The great thing is, you don’t have to subscribe if you don’t want to; the pod is totally free.
But I bet you’re going to want to.
EDIT (6/1/15): I’ve since listened to far more One Shot than I really should given my schedule and all I have to say is that it’s even better than I originally posted. Let’s just say that my kids have been getting extra long stroller-walks around the neighborhood the past week or two (so bonus thanks to One Shot for the break my wife is getting as well as my improved cardiac output).
I’ve also started, Campaign, the One Shot sister podcast. It is hands-down the best AP podcast I’ve ever heard. The perfect blend of dice rolling, storytelling, and roleplaying, with the perfect balance of LEOLAW (that’s laughing embarrassingly out loud at work) comedy and cool plot development. Kat Murphy is a brilliant GM. So brilliant, in fact, that I have a post about how you can learn from her coming up in “Behind the Screen“.
Not to ignore the players. The guys do a fantastic job of supporting each other as a team and roleplaying out their PCs’ interpersonal conflicts with humor and just the right amount of seriousness. As trained improv actors, they make brilliant use of the “Yes, and…” principle we discussed at length in the Player’s Block episode of the Dungeon Master’s Block.
Aside from anything else, if you are a Star Wars fan, you really should be listening to this pod.
Monster Menagerie: Horrors of the Aboleth
I have three very important things to say about this product:
- Aboleth
- Sam Hing
- Rogue Genius Games
‘Nuff said.
Cypher Caster Magazine
I was honored to be invited to be a part of this beautiful magazine about the Monte Cook Games, LLC Cypher System, including Numenera, The Strange, and the new Core Cypher System rulebook. Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to get a piece in for the inaugural issue, but many of my incredible colleagues did.
Also, it is the #2 hottest title on drivethrurpg.com right now, so I’m not the only one who things it’s amazing.
Petty Gods Revised
This thing right here is totally nuts. Nearly 400 pages of minor deities for whatever game you’re running. That’s an absurd amount of gods. But that’s not the nuts part. The nuts part is that it’s totally free!
You can find the story of Petty Gods in this blog post about the ORC (Old-school Role-playing Community).
Nevermore, a Pathfinder RPG Adventure by Richard Pett
A one-shot module from Kobold Press where you play awakened animals?! I’d say “take my money”, but I can’t because just like Petty Gods, it’s free!
Plus, the designer’s name is “Pett” so extra points for coincidence.
From the Kobold Press website:
“Nevermore is an unusual, short, 2nd-level Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure in which the players take on the roles of an awakened ravens who nest in a single great tree and who call themselves the Great Unkindness. It can be modified easily for 1st-5th level as required. The eldest raven is beginning to sense that something is going wrong with the world, and the very future of the Great Unkindness is threatened.”
IndieApocalypse Podcast
If you love animation, independent film, or comics, you really need to give this a listen. Ty Mabrey and the team from Bang Zoom Pow talk to Crysstal Hubbard about the upcoming Fan Film, “Supergirl Unburdened”, as well as Young Justice, Firefly, Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn, Batgirl, and oh so much more.
From the Bang Zoom Pow website:
“Bang Zoom Pow is a group of people united together to create original short-form content for the internet. Our videos are exciting, crazy and sometimes just a little bizarre. We take pride in delving into the dark corners of creativity to produce stories that stimulate viewer’s imaginations.”
What cool things have you discovered over the past month? Let us, and everyone, know in the comments below!