First, I know that this has been talked about before, but it is a great storehouse of knowledge. Gametalk (www.gt2k.com) has great radio shows that you can listen to about RPG's and the industry. You will need a shoutcast compatible mp3 player to listen, they recommend Winamp (www.winamp.com) or Freeamp (www.freeamp.org); both do great. If you listen join the chat via ICQ and tell them you heard about it from industry news on RPG Host.
Okay, this time we have some great stuff for you. Remember Gary Gygax? Well,
for those of you who don't he is the creator of Dungeons and Dragons. His
newest RPG is based on a system for tabletop and PBEM games, as well as for IRC
or other BBS's.
The Legendary Rules for All Players, first in the new Legendary Adventure Role-playing system by Gary Gygax, is being produced by Hekaforge Productions under license from Trigee Enterprises Company. Years in the making, the Legendary Adventure system will see its first release, The Legendary Rules for All Players at GenCon this summer. The book is a 224 page full-sized special Author's Signed and Numbered Edition, complete with a module found only in the Premier editions of the Legendary Adventure core rule books, and will retail for $34.95. The new system features Avatars (characters) that are created on a player-built basis, with only three basic statistics and skill-based non-stereotypical characters. It has a unique new equipment system for fast
starts and more fun, increasing the player's ability to tailor their Avatar to their own vision. Magic abilities are strong from the start, and are based on the Avatar's persona, not level.
Combat is fast-paced and deadly, making warriors as dangerous as any wizard. The system also places more determinative power in the hands of the players. It is a game, not a story, with player-determined outcomes. All of this in response to feedback from the fans following years of game-testing. "We've had this available for free-download and playing on MacCray's
Keep for quite a while now, and there is a considerable fan base. They told me what they wanted, and that is what we altered from the original system," quoted Gary Gygax, the system's creator. "The players were tired of 'cookie-cutter' adventurers determined by class-based systems. They wanted to create their own heroes, live their own dreams. They didn't want to
play pre-determined parts in a story line that had already been decided, they wanted to live their own fantasy. We set out to provide that system."
The Legendary Adventure system is produced by Hekaforge Productions, a
company based in Lake Villa, Illinois. For more information, check out the following websites:
www.gygax.com, www.macrayskeep.com and www.hekaforge.com.
Haster, Haster, Haster... Cuthulu saves - he may get hungry later!
NEW RELEASES (as reported in Chaosium's R'lyeh Report)
Beyond The Mountains of Madness 2380, $39.95
Epic Campaign and Antarctic Sourcebook for Call of Cthulhu. The scientific world was amazed by reports from the 1931 Miskatonic University expedition into uncharted Antarctica. The entire world was shocked by the tragedy which followed. Now a new larger expedition will brave the
mysteries of the icy continent. How credible were Miskatonic University reports of fossilized remains of ancient life forms pre-dating all known terrestrial life? Will your expedition return in glory or tragedy? This massive book includes considerable source material on the Frozen Continent, the equipment of the time, and even expedition planning. This is a role-playing sequel to Lovecraft's classic tale, At the Mountains of Madness, of unimaginable scale. Over 400 pages of pure adventure!
Miskatonic University Antarctic Expedition Pack 2381, $19.95
Expedition Accessories and Player Aids for Beyond the Mountains of Madness. Here we present a deluxe assembly of handouts used in Beyond the Mountains of Madness plus a few exclusive items. In addition to pages of letters, newspaper clippings, and important documents this pack provides the long-missing 10,000 word conclusion to Edgar Allan Poe's The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, here printed as the last signature of the never-published book. This kit also provides a special Keeper's Screen including special rules for extreme cold, arctic weather, aircraft operations, and more. There is also a special 16 x 20 inch Keeper's map of Antarctica, an embroidered expedition patch, & a boarding pass for expedition
vessel Gabrielle.
The Antarktos Cycle 6031 $19.95
The Mountains of Madness and other chilling tales of terror fiction
anthology. The frozen wastes of Antarctica hold many secrets mankind is not meant to discover. This Cyclopean Call of Cthulhu fiction anthology includes The Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft as well as works by Jules Verne, Edgar Allan Poe, John W. Campbell JR., Arthur C. Clarke, John Taine, and other bold explorers. Edited by Robert M. Price.
I have seen a lot of chatter about AD&D 3rd Edition. Well, see for yourselves... it's about to be! The site is great, but be forewarned it's Flash enhanced, so it may be a slow loader. I would give more info here, but your humble newsgeek cannot copy/paste from Flash. So, go look for yourselves!
Next up is Basement Games, the creators of the Forge: Out of Chaos RPG and the World of Juravia. Haven't heard of them? Well, look; they're great! These guys are releasing stuff at a very fast pace right now, but with a brand new RPG on their hands, who can blame them? Up this month is the Amnesia module and the Hamsburg Empire Packet. Check out www.basementgames.com for more information and these up-and-comers.
That's all for now. Did I miss your favorite game? E-mail me, and I promise to add it in.
