Read Me in Savage Insider

April 12th, 2012interviews, rpg

The latest issue of Savage Insider saw release this past week and, in addition to a bunch of great Savage Worlds-related articles, I speak a bit with Vickey Beaver about the process of conceiving and designing my new game line Streets of Bedlam.

The magazine is free to grab from DriveThruRPG. My interview starts on page 20. Flip through the rest of the book to see the game’s first print ad as well!

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Hear Me on the Jennisodes

March 19th, 2012interviews, rpg, video games

I recently sat down with Jenn from the Jennisodes to discuss my latest project, Streets of Bedlam, as well as future plans for the Little Fears Nightmare Edition line and a short rant on stories in video games. Jenn is a wonderful host and runs a fantastic podcast. Be sure to check out the latest episode for me, and then dig into her backlist for some amazing guests and insights into all sorts of gaming-related topics.

Huge thanks to Jenn for having me on, and I’d love to drop in again sometime.

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Out Now: TALES OF THE FAR WEST

January 28th, 2012fiction, rpg

This one’s a knock out, folks. Last summer, my friend Gareth Skarka launched a Kickstarter for his Wild West/Wuxia adventure game setting Far West. Support flooded in, eventually netting Gareth and company almost $50,000 in backer pledges.

From its beginning though, Far West was intended as a transmedia property with the pen-and-paper game being just the beginning. While the Far West game is slated for release later this year, another piece of the transmedia pie has dropped with the release of the Tales of the Far West fiction anthology.

The line-up of talent is jaw-dropping with original stories from folks such as Matt Forbeck, Chuck Wendig, Ari Marmell, Scott Lynch, Tessa Gratton, and more. I was blown away that Gareth invited me to sit by their fire and spin a yarn but he did just that. I’m proud that my own story, “Local Legend,” sits among such company.

So, it’s out. Right now you can grab it from Amazon on Kindle. I’m sure it’ll hit other outlets soon. (I’ll let you all know when it does.)

Anyway, check it out. It’s an awesome set of tales in a fantastic and inspiring setting. Far West is primed to become something truly special, and I’m happy to have been involved.

(Artwork by Rick Hershey, blatantly stolen from IntoTheFarWest.com.)

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Hear Me on Gamestarter (and Then Again!)

January 27th, 2012interviews, rpg

I sat down with Josh Mannon from the Gamestarter podcast a couple weeks ago not once but twice! The first was a sit-down with Josh and fellow writer/designer Filamena Young to discuss various game projects currently seeking funding including Filamena’s own Flatpack: Fix the Future. The second time was an interview focused entirely on me, my upcoming neo-noir crime setting Streets of Bedlam, and the madness that is running a Kickstarter campaign.

Check out the panel with Josh and Filamena here.

You can hear me talk way too much about myself and Streets of Bedlam here.

Thanks to Josh for having me on and to Filamena for being a great co-guest.

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One Day Left on Streets of Bedlam Kickstarter

January 12th, 2012rpg

When the Streets of Bedlam Kickstarter launched at the end of November, I had modest goals for it. I just wanted to cover the cost of illustrating and producing the first book. But now, thanks to your support, the Kickstarter blew past that goal and is on its way toward five figures!

As a last-minute push toward that number, I’ve decided to add a new milestone and with it a new incentive to back the project.

If the Streets of Bedlam Kickstarter reaches $10k, acclaimed composer and sound designer Ed Lima will create an original soundtrack for the game! Ed provided the amazing track featured on the promo trailer that launched earlier this week (which you can click below) but his work goes well beyond that. As an audio guy in the video games industry, Ed has worked on such projects as Doom 3, Prey, Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, Borderlands, and he is currently head sound man at Respawn Entertainment.

When I first met Ed years ago, I was blown away by the work he was doing, and he just keeps getting better. I really enjoyed the track he did for the trailer and really want to see more of it. I hope you do too.

As an added incentive, every backer who pledges $45+ will get a free digital copy of the soundtrack as an extra-special thank you. Click below to hear what Ed’s already done. If we reach $10k, we’ll all get a lot more of this.

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Streets of Bedlam: Fully Funded!

December 2nd, 2011news, rpg

I posted this over at the official Streets Of Bedlam site but wanted to drop a note here as well:

Streets of Bedlam is fully funded!
Wow! Less than three days since the Kickstarter launched and Streets of Bedlam is fully funded! I am humbled and amazed. But there are still six weeks to go and plenty of reasons to jump on-board.

First: Kickstarter exclusives. Every backer gets credit in the book and folks who pledge $5 or more get turned into NPCs. Backers at higher levels get to influence future supplements, get immortalized as a major character in the Streets of Bedlam corebook, get archetypes only available through this Kickstarter, and more!

Second: New goals unlock new perks. I’m in talks with folks to bring even more freebies and exclusives to Kickstarter pledges. I’ll have more details as we get closer but I’m looking at unlocking new content at $5k, $8k, and beyond. Your support could benefit everybody!

Third: More money means more products. I would love to launch the Streets of Bedlam line in style and the more capital behind it, the quicker I can move on it. I’m looking to release district books, character packs, more scenarios for your group, fiction anthologies, and a graphic novel.

THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO HAS SUPPORTED STREETS OF BEDLAM SO FAR AND TO EVERYONE WHO DOES SO IN THE FUTURE.

You are all awesome.

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New Project: Streets of Bedlam

November 29th, 2011news, rpg

I am very excited to announce my next project: Streets of Bedlam: A Savage World of Crime + Corruption.

Streets of Bedlam: A Savage World of Crime + Corruption is equal parts neo-noir, pulp detective fiction, and a bit of the ol’ ultraviolence thrown into a cement mixer and poured on top a heap of nameless bodies no one will ever miss.

It’s a modern urban setting full of despicable people doing awful things in the name of God, money, politics, or to pay off old debts. The stories shine light on the dark places of the human heart but it’s about finding diamonds in the rough, about good people in bad situations. The heroes may have questionable means but they have good intentions.

Of course, you know what they say about good intentions.

To help get this new game on its feet, I’ve launched a Kickstarter where folks can help support the game, guarantee a lot of great artwork for the book, secure an early copy of the game, and even help direct the flow of supplements. If you have any interest in ultraviolent crime roleplaying, visit the Kickstarter page to learn more and pledge your support. Check out the video below to hear about the game directly from me.

If you can, please help spread the word! Kickstarters live and die by word-of-mouth and your help means the world to me. Thank you!

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Don’t Walk in Winter Wood

October 24th, 2011news, rpg

I’m happy to announce that I will contributing to Clint and Cassie Krause‘s upcoming colonial America folklore RPG Don’t Walk in Winter Wood.

The official description:

Are you ready for a walk in the woods?

Don’t Walk in Winter Wood is a storytelling game of folkloric fear. Players take on the roles of hapless villagers who must enter a legend-haunted forest and uncover its sinister secrets. The game uses simple rules and a unique narrative style to help you create spooky stories with your friends. It includes:

Legends of Winter Wood: The dark folklore surrounding Winter Wood and its neighboring village.

Game Rules: Easy-to-learn rules designed to be playable around a campfire. Recommended for 2-6 players in search of the willies. Playing time averages about 2 hours.

Advice: Tips on running games of folkloric horror, building your own scenarios, and creating a memorable, spooky atmosphere.

Scenarios: Three ready-to-run scenarios set in Winter Wood. Desperate villagers strive to save a girl hexed by a long-dead witch in The Curse. A mischievous children’s dare leads to an encounter with The Strangers. Rumors of a skinchanging beast haunt the village in The Witchery Way.

This is the revised and expanded second edition of the game featuring all new layout and artwork by George Cotronis, new legends, new rules clarifications, and new adventures. It is the definitive edition to add to your game library.

Originally released in 2004, the second edition of the game expands on the old ruleset and includes folk tales/story hooks from Jason Morningstar (Fiasco), Daniel Bayn (Wushu), Jeremy Keller (Technoir), Rafael Chandler (Dread), Daniel Moler (Red Mass), and me!

A Kickstarter for the project is still running for six more days. You can get in on the new edition early and secure yourself a shirt, a poster, and your name in the book. Check out the video below to see if this is something you might be interested in.

I hope you consider throwing some support behind the game. From what I’ve read, this is going to be a great game. I look forward to seeing the final product.

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Roleplayers Chronicle: Designer’s Diary

June 13th, 2011essays, interviews, rpg

Aaron T. Huss, from Mystical Throne Entertainment, contacted me recently about doing a Designer’s Diary for his Roleplayers Chronicle website and I quickly agreed. The piece went live over the weekend and touches briefly on the work that went into my Little Fears Nightmare Edition project as well as some of the history behind the game.

You can check it out here.

Big thanks to Aaron for the opportunity!

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Among the Missing – Out today!

May 25th, 2011news, rpg

The second book in the Little Fears Nightmare Edition line came out today in PDF. This book was a long time coming but I had a lot of fun writing it and I think I came up with some pretty terrifying stuff. Here’s the cover and blurb:

You were a normal kid once with a normal life and a normal family. Then things changed. There was a moment when your life took a sudden turn and you stopped being a normal kid. You became a headline, a statistic, a picture on the grocery store window. A warning for other children.

Maybe you were taken, stolen by a monster, or maybe you simply disappeared.

Whatever happened, at that moment, you became one of the missing.

Book 2: Among the Missing is an expansion to the Little Fears Nightmare Edition game. In it, we talk about what missing children mean in the world of Little Fears, how kids become missing, what happens to them next, how they can help in the fight against monsters, and how they can be saved. Includes expanded GMC rules, new monsters, information about the World In-Between, and a full-length episode titled “The Long Way Home.”

If that sounds like it’s up your darkened alley, check out the official Little Fears website for details on getting your own hardcopy when it comes out or you can grab the PDF right now for just $10 from the good folks at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

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