En World - RPG Newsletter

Some weekly RPG news...
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EN World Weekly Newsletter
News Digest: Critical Role Leaving Geek & Sundry, Origins Award Winners, Pathfinder 2nd Ed Previews, and more! Hello everyone, Darryl here with this week’s gaming news! Critical Role leaving Geek & Sundry, Origins Award Winners, Pathfinder 2nd Edition previews, multiple charity promotions, and more! ...	RPG Crowdfunding News 101: The Book of Many Things, Mountain Witch, Advanced Labyrinth Lord, Carcosa, Secret Agents of CROSS, The Bespoke Bestiary, Velvet Generation, Starship Infernum This week we have games from classic Old School to classic Indie, with nods to 5th Edition & Pathfinder as well as a new Savage World setting, a new card-driven sci-fi horror game and the return of...
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay's Core Character Stats Cubicle 7 has previewed the core character statistics of its upcoming Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay -- Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Strength, Toughness, Initiative, Agility, Dexterity, Intelligence,...	Great Moments In D&D For Kids I run a weekly D&D game for children ages 8-14 at my shop. When I took over our Young Heroes League program last fall, I had very little experience as a DM. I started running an Adventurer’s League...
New Hobby Releases In Stores & PDF Spotlight: 25th June 2018 Welcome back to this weeks look at the new releases hitting your FLGS in the next few days, as well as a Spotlight on some recent PDF releases. Highlights this week include Pelgrane Press' The Fall...	In Search Of Mike Carr Mike Carr played the first cleric in the history of fantasy tabletop role playing games. Like, the very first. Ever. In the decades since, the character class has earned a spot at the core of the...
Gatekeeping, Edition Wars, and Fandom Role-playing games are not immune to the tribalism that is itself a symptom of the Internet bringing humanity together. Defining oneself by an allegiance to a topic and defending it from others has...	Pirates & Gray Maidens: Archetypes in Pathfinder 2nd Edition! It's time to take a look at Pathfinder 2nd Edition's treatment of archetypes. Archetypes are one of the most widely used additions to Pathfinder 1st Edition, and in 2nd Edition they are an integral...
Talking About An Apocalypse: Legacy - Life Among The Ruins Legacy: Life Among the Ruins is a Powered by the Apocalypse game that draws on the post-apocalyptic origin of this stream of design while introducing a wildly different tone from Apocalypse World....	Mythological Figures: Sun Wukong (5E) Here I was thinking King Arthur was going to be hard! For every bit of popularity the lord of Camelot has in the west, the Handsome Monkey King/Great Sage, Equal of Heaven/Victorious Fighting Buddha...
The Tinkerer: A New 5E Class New on EN5ider, the 5th Edition patreon - The Tinkerer! Tinkerers reshape the world around them through mechanical means. They use their Affect-Engines to bring to life impressive contraptions, craft...	A Mixed Bag Of Horror And Delight In The Fall Of Delta Green The Fall of Delta Green is a mixed bag of a role-playing game. A well-developed incarnation of the Gumshoe system is married to a setting that really fails to utilize a time period full of drama and...
Dragon Reflections #3: Controversy Strikes! The Dragon Issue #3 was published in October 1976, with a cover price of $1.50. The issue contained the usual mix of fiction (a bit too heavy on the fiction for some readers) and gaming material. One...	Do you have what it takes to be an ENnies Judge? It’s that time of the year again. The siren’s call of the ENnies has been sounded and the question goes out; who will answer? Do you think you have what it takes to be an ENnies judge? Do you have...
RPG Crowdfunding News 102: Irongate, Vault of K’Horror, The Eye of the Cyclops, Dragonscales, The Host, Tip-Top Taverns, Dark Designs, Critical Role Miniatures, Easy Read Large Print Dice This week we turn the all-seeing eye towards NINE currently running Kickstarter campaigns. So if you're after a new fantasy game, adventures for your existing fantasy campaign, places for your weary...

Black Library Newsletter

Apparently it's C L Werner week at the Black Library...

Blacklibrary.com is celebrating C L Werner this week, and we managed to get some words from the man himself, giving us his take on some of his most popular and iconic characters. Matthias Thulmann, Witch Hunter "My earliest foray into the worlds of Warhammer was with the character of Mathias Thulmann, a Sigmarite witch hunter who prowls the hinterlands of the Empire rooting out foes as varied as necromancers and sorcerers to skaven and vampires. The first Thulmann novel, simply 'Witch Hunter', was written as, essentially, a Hammer horror film set in the Old World. The premise of taking an individual similar to (real life witch hunter) Matthew Hopkins but in situations where the witchcraft is much more than idle superstition had a great appeal to me." Brunner the Bounty Hunter "Brunner is a character who really did write himself, a circumstance that has occurred only twice in my career. What I mean by that is the personality was so strong, so persuasive, that I'd find myself altering entire narratives because, as Brunner would correctly inform me, he wouldn't do what my plot called for him to do… The rugged bounty killer is something of a mainstay these days, but the first time their ilk really impressed me was in the Italian westerns of the 1960s. Brunner takes a lot of inspiration from such characters (he must be a fan as well)." Grey Seer Thanquol "As created by William King, Thanquol is an inveterate coward, a bully, a paranoid lunatic, fawning sycophant – and at the same time one of the most hideously powerful sorcerers in the Old World. I think the key to writing skaven effectively is to first 'think like a rat', seeing the world through their perspective. Once you do that, well, that paranoia isn't so illogical since every other skaven really is out to get you if they think it will help their own status. Of all the characters in the lore, Thanquol is my favourite, so being allowed to play with him was truly a special moment."   Iron Warriors "The idea of doing a Space Marines Battles book from the perspective of a Traitor Legion was one that had enormous appeal and building off the brief description of the Siege of Castellax left a great deal of room to develop and explore. When creating the 3rd Grand Company of the Iron Warriors, I strove to make each of them a unique sort of monster. Their callous disdain for life, their ruthless pragmatism, all of these are qualities that are rightly shunned in men, but they are assets to beings that were engineered to be the pinnacle of warfare, living weapons to be set upon the enemy. Of course, with the Iron Warriors, the enemy often includes their own…" More from C L Werner With more than a decade of writing for Black Library behind him, there's much more to explore, encompassing the worlds of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar. We've collected all his works together for you to check out.

© Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2016. GW, Games Workshop, Black Library, The Horus Heresy, Space Marine, 40K, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Stormcast Eternal and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are either ® or TM, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world. All Rights Reserved. Games Workshop Ltd, Willow Road, Lenton, Nottingham, NG7 2WS Registered in England and Wales -  Company No. 01467092. VAT No. GB 580853421 Our mailing address is: contact @blacklibrary.com

Theme as a Motivational Tool.

Motivation is a factor in any project...

If you're next task on a list is 'eat a tasty sandwich' it's likely to be approached with far more enthusiasm than if it's 'clean out the garage' and though some people can no doubt organise themselves efficiently without help...I am not one of them...

I have certain methods of forcing myself to get things done. I have the 'crew a week' thing which works some of the time though even with that I sometimes find loopholes and in the past (not so much recently though) I entered tournaments that required fully painted armies in order to force myself to get them done...not done well I'd be the first to admit...but done at least...

I eventually finished these in the nick of time which was quite an achievement as the army didn't actually exist nine days before the tournament...

Another change in the way I did things was themed forces. Perhaps that's not exactly true as my 40K armies usually had a theme (tied into my Night Reapers custom Space Marine Chapter) but that was initially more as a cynical excuse to use the same army to count-as whichever codex I felt like using them as that day (which admittedly was also the one I was most likely to win games with).

Most armies, crews, forces or whatever your particular favourite game system calls them will be tied together by the style of the models so at it's most fundamental level theme is 'built-in' though sometimes it's their background that differentiates them rather than the appearance of their models.

The Ultramarines...and some other guys who aren't Ultramarines...

Warhammer 40K's Space Marines for example are pretty much the same basic model regardless of which 'Chapter' your playing and despite the occasional thematic flourish (Flames, wolf pelts, extra skulls, etc.) it's going to be the colour scheme that lets you know that the army is full of Ultramarines rather than Novamarines or Silver Skulls. Warmachine factions tend to be more distinct as do Malifaux crews and most other game systems and even those with a very tight overall concept (Wild West Exodus's Cowboy theme springs to mind) will have differences between forces.

All those concepts I've mentioned are fundamental parts of the hobby and though they are reasonably classed as 'themes' they don't provide any more of a motivational factor than whatever attracted you to them in the first place. The kind of things I'm talking about are unique takes on existing ideas or concepts from other areas of science fiction and fantasy that turn your personal army into something special (maybe only to yourself but sometimes that's enough). The best way to illustrate this is with some examples from various wargame systems so you can see the kind of things I mean...

There can be few people naive enough to believe that much is truly original these days and if the base force your looking at already has similarities to your chosen theme then your probably off to a winner. Fans of both the Aliens movies and Warhammer 40Ks Tyranids can't help but notice similarities in theme and the gentlemen responsible for this army has taken that idea and ran with it...

As you can see he's tied his theme idea to the existing armies overall concept with impressive results and I'm sure the desire to see the finished product helped to keep him going. Though the above idea used existing models as a basis and required little in the way of conversion work (the bases and slime are impressive though and painting black effectively is never easy) there are others who achieve their desired results by using different models from the existing system in order to achieve the effect they are looking for. My Warhammer 40K 'Daemon' army for example was tied into my Space Marine Chapter by making them a horde of failed experiments, creatures and mutated Marines under the control of a Beastmaster (or mistress in this case). This force uses a Dark Eldar/Dark Elf conversion as the HQ, Chaos Spawn as Fiends of Slaanesh, Chaos Hounds as Fleshhounds and half Marine, half Marauder hybrids as Plague Bearers. Later versions of the army also had larger more elaborate Chaos Spawn conversions as Daemon Princes...

The cynical amongst you may also leap to the conclusion that the above army also works out at about a quarter of the cost that using the actual models would have done...

It takes real dedication to a concept to scratch build dozens of models as well as appropriate vehicles and equipment for them but I doubt any-one whose seen or played against this force is likely to forget it in a hurry...even if it takes a while to explain what counts as what to your opponents.

So with those three examples we've looked at the extremes from what is effectively a themed paint-job (though that in no way diminishes the achievement) and a force using different models to a scratch built themed force using next to no existing parts to accomplish. I can only speak for my own army but the knowledge that I was creating something that would result in an army exactly to my specifications was greatly motivating and I can't see the creators of the other armies I've shown feeling much different...otherwise why do it?

So we've looked at movie and alternate background as an inspiration for new themes but there's no end of other existing ideas we can steal borrow from. Comics and computer games can also generously donate some ideas to us...

To be honest I could fill an article indefinitely with other peoples ideas and some of them may still inspire you to create a themed force but ultimately it's got to be something that you want to create. So if you can't be bothered to finish an army based around what the creator had in mind then there's nothing to stop you stealing borrowing the ideas of another if that's what it takes to make the experience enjoyable and almost as importantly to actually make you finish something.

And if you happen to come up with something particularly awesome then feel free to send me pictures of it...it'll save me having to write an article myself...

Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.

Warhammer Forge Newsletter #41

River Trolls inhabit the dark fens and marshes of the Old World, and have a reputation of being particularly foul and smelly, none more so than the Giant River Troll Hags. With lank hair, fetid breath and slime coated scaly skin, they are as revolting as they are formidable. Their tough hides are able to heal wounds at an incredible rate and their long loping limbs possess fearsome strength. Attracted by the rotting carrion left in the aftermath of a battle, Giant River Troll Hags and their brethren can be found accompanying armies of greenskins, who are often keen to exploit their brute force whenever they go to war.

Designed by Trish Carden, the Giant River Troll Hag is a multi-part resin model, covered in many details, from assorted creatures and items in the net to a small lobster on the base. It is available to pre-order now and will also be available as a pre-release at Games Day UK in limited quantities. Orders for this model will be despatched from Monday 30th September

Games Day UK
Forge World will be attending UK Games Day, held on Sunday 29th September at the NIA in Birmingham. The head of Forge World Tony Cottrell and writerAlan Bligh will be holding two seminars during the day, and Games Day attendees can pick up free tickets for these seminars at the Forge World Designers stand on the day. The first seminar begins at 11:30am and the second seminar is at 2:15pm – both seminars will contain the same presentation.
Ferrus Manus, the latest model in our Horus Heresy Character series, will be available to purchase on the day, along with The Horus Heresy Book Two – Massacre, Erebus and Kor Phaeron, the Emperor's Children Legion Kakophoni, the Word Bearers Legion Ashen Circle, the Space Marine Fire Raptor, the Deimos Pattern Vindicator and the Tau XV107 R'varna Battlesuit. There will be a limited quantity of these pre-release products available at Games Day UK, so we suggest that you turn up early at our Sales stand to avoid disappointment.

Thanks,

Forge World Sales Team

Warhammer Forge Newsletter #36

For the few remaining people who still play Warhammer Fantasy, Warhammer Forge have released some Orcs and an expensive Realm of Battle tile.....

Warhammer Forge Newsletter #36

26/03/13

	Hi there,             We turn our attention to the brutal Orcs in today’s newsletter, with a fantastically detailed new character set now available to pre-order. We’ve also got a great new hollow resin scenery tile for you too, as well as a reminder about an upcoming event. Orc Command Set The greenskinned Orcs are a brutal and savage species; hulking, powerful and possessed of a low cunning often underestimated by their myriad enemies. Their armies are commanded by a Warboss; the biggest, strongest and most powerful of their number. As the Warboss’ tally of victories grows, so too does its stature, resulting in the great Waaagh!s being led by hulking, verdant monsters who stand head and shoulders above the teeming masses who follow in their wake. Even the lowliest Warboss will go to war festooned with trophies taken from its previous victims and clad in crude and slab-like mail and plate; invariably armed to the teeth with a variety of brutal axes, cleavers and knives. As the Warboss wins more victories and grows in notoriety, its vanity and ego will also increase. A subordinate will often be granted the honour of carrying a great, ramshackle standard into battle; loudly and vulgarly proclaiming the Warboss’ prowess in the form of crude glyphs and the broken arms and armour of the vanquished. The Orc Command Set, designed by Edgar Skomorowski, contains two multi-part resin models. Each massive Orc is packed with jaw-dropping detail; from the severed wing of a great Wyvern bearing the broken body of a Trollslayer, carried by the Standard Bearer, to the mighty battered axe and the hateful bellow etched upon the Warboss’ features. This fantastic character set is available to pre-order now for despatch from Friday 3rd May. Realm of Battle Earthworks Blake Spence has recently finished a new hollow resin Realm of Battle tile, the Realm of Battle Earthworks. This is a fantastic addition to any Warhammer Realm of Battle gaming table; a hillside position fortified with two earthen bastions for artillery pieces, a forward ravelin, and an additional cavalier. The tile also features sufficient space for units of supporting missile troops, and Blake has packed it with plenty of detail, from cached barrels of blackpowder to discarded shields and crossbows. Such defensive positions are a common hallmark of the Dwarfs and Empire armies, particularly the vaunted artillery trains of Nuln, and it is indeed a rare army of Sigmar’s Empire that does not draw up its ranks with emplaced artillery at its back. The Earthworks can also be used to represent an area that has been overrun by forces of a more destructive nature such as the Orcs and Goblins and the hordes of the Chaos Gods. The Realm of Battle Earthworks tile measures 2' x 2' (609mm x 609mm). It is available to pre-order now for despatch from Friday 3rd May. Forge World Events News Horus Heresy Weekender 2013 If you’re yet to purchase your tickets for the Horus Heresy Weekender get in quick as there are not many left!  We are also still accepting reservation orders for this event. This is the best way to ensure we have the exact product you want, packed up and waiting for you at the show. As with all our UK shows, Horus Heresy Weekender reservation orders are pre-paid to make the collection process quicker and easier, leaving you with more time to enjoy the rest of the event. Please telephone the Customer Service team on 0115 900 4995 to place a reservation order. We will require your name, a contact telephone number and e-mail address, along with the list of products you wish to reserve, and you will also need your card details to hand too. We’ll process the payment while you are on the phone, and in the week before the event you’ll receive a confirmation e-mail containing your order number. This is your proof of payment and you must bring this e-mail with you to claim your order. We must receive Horus Heresy Weekender reservations by Monday 13th May. Thanks, Ead Brown Customer Service Manager Forge World

Warhammer Forge #30

This is where I'd normally make some sarcastic comment about the stupidity of random charge distances, challenges and the chariot rules...unfortunately 40K has those as well now...

Warhammer Forge Newsletter # 30

03/08/12

	Hi there,             We return to the Black Fortress in this week’s newsletter as the monstrous Chaos Dwarf Bull Centaurs are now available to pre-order. We’ve also got an events update for you, as in addition to attending Games Day Germany, GenCon and PAX in August, Games Day Australia reservation orders are now being taken. Chaos Dwarf Bull Centaur Renders Twisted amalgams of ferocious bull and Chaos Dwarf, Bull Centaur Renders are hulking and monstrous creatures who rage with a great hunger for flesh. The first of their kind were survivors of the Time of Chaos. Warped by the tides of horror that engulfed the Warhammer world, more than any other they were twisted into the semblance of Hashut, the terrible Father of Darkness to whom the Chaos Dwarfs cleave. As the Chaos Dwarf empire rose to dominance of the Dark Lands, the Bull Centaurs were entrusted with the protection of Hashut’s sacred fanes, and they came to serve as shock troops and temple guardians. A handful of such ‘blessed’ kin are born into each generation. Their strength and endurance far exceeds that of any other Chaos Dwarf, and they are swifter in battle thanks to their dread forms. As they age, their flesh distorts and hardens into metal, and they must seek poultices of molten mercury, steel sutures and brazen splints from their Sorcerer-masters, having lost the ability to heal naturally from any wounds they suffer. Designed by Edgar Skomorowski, the Chaos Dwarf Bull Centaur Renders is a set of incredibly detailed full resin models that comprises three Bull Centaurs armed with hand weapons and shields. These fantastic models are available to pre-order now for despatch from Friday 31st August. Rules for these savage creatures can be found in both Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos as part of the Legion of Azgorh army list, and as a binding scroll in Monstrous Arcanum. Forge World Events News August is set to be a very busy month for all of us at Forge World as we’re hitting the road for several fantastic events around the world. At all these events our sales stand will be packed with a wide selection of our range, including the Imperial Enforcer and Skin Wolf ‘Event Only’ models. Sunday 12th August is Games Day Germany at the Gürzenich Köln. Forge World designers Will Hayes and Edgar Skomorowski will be in attendance, providing you with the perfect opportunity to ask them how they go about creating our great models. Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th August is GenCon Indy 2012 at the Indiana Convention Centre in Indianapolis, USA, where we will be joining Games Workshop and Black Library for the first time. Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th August is the Imperial Armour Warmarch event at Warhammer World here in Nottingham, UK. Black Library will be attending on Saturday, and we will have a small stand in the gaming hall on Sunday with our Event Only models on sale. Friday 31st August to Sunday 2nd September is PAX Prime, at the Washington State Convention Centre in Seattle, USA. This is the first time that we’ve been to this incredible event, and again we will be joining Games Workshop and Black Library, and we’re looking forward to seeing you there. Games Day Australia Reservations Now Being Taken Sunday 9th September is Games Day Australia, at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney, and we will be journeying down under with Mark Bedford from our studio design team. As always we will be bringing a wide selection of our range of resin kits, modelling supplies and books, and we’re now accepting reservation orders as well. A reservation order is the best way to ensure that we will have the exact products that you want, packed and waiting for you to collect. This year Games Day Australia reservation orders are pre-paid to make the collection process quicker and easier, leaving you with more time to enjoy the rest of the event. To place a reservation order, please contact GW Australia customer service on +61 (0)2 9829 6111, or visit your local Hobby Centre, or e-mailAU.Hobbyservice@gwplc.com with any queries, and please note that we need to receive your reservation orders by Monday 20th August. GW Australia will take your name and a contact e-mail address along with the details of the kits you wish to order, as well as processing your payment there and then. We will then collate and process the orders, and in the week before the event we will send you a confirmation e-mail listing your order number. This is your proof of payment, and you must bring this with you to the event to collect your reservation. Thanks, Ead Brown Customer Service Manager Forge World

Warhammer Forge newsletter # 29

I rarely say this in conjunction with Forge World products but I think this thing is awful.....and not in a good way either.....

A matter of taste I suppose.....

Warhammer Forge Newsletter # 29

16/06/12

	Hi there,             In this week’s newsletter we delve deep into the shadowy forests of Bretonnia to bring you the latest release from Monstrous Arcanum, the savage Preyton, which is now available to pre-order. We’ve also got a reminder of our upcoming appearances at Games Days in Spain and North America, for which we are currently accepting reservation orders. The Preyton Foolhardy knights of Bretonnia sometimes mistake the savage and hateful Preyton for the noble Great Stags of their land, and will follow this twisted beast, possessed of a dark cunning, into the very deepest parts of the forest. Only there, where there is little chance of escape, will it finally reveal its deadly form, its savage fangs, leonine paws and monstrous wings, and attack the unsuspecting warrior. While their appearance is truly vile, it is the legendary malice of the Preyton that makes them particularly dangerous. Corpses mauled beyond recognition and tracts of forest befouled and trampled betray their presence, the savage creature often discarding the torn ruin of their victims to rot, killing out of pure hatred rather than hunger. Little is known of their origins, but dark legend has it that in ages past they were  Great Stags who were enslaved and corrupted before sacrifice-strewn herdstones. Now, bereft of their nobility, the Preytons know only an all-encompassing hatred for that which they have lost. The Preyton is a finely detailed multi-part resin kit designed by Steve Whitehead. Rules to field this savage creature in your games of Warhammer can be found in Monstrous Arcanum, and the kit is available to pre-order now for despatch from Friday 29th June. Forge World Events News Games Day Spain and Games Day North America Reservation Orders now being taken Forge World are hitting the road in July with Games Day season beginning across the globe! Sunday 1st July will see Forge World staff, including designer Mark Bedford, travelling to El Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona for Games Day Spain. Meanwhile, on Saturday 28th July, we’ll be making our way to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago, IL for Games Day North America. For this event our intrepid team will be joined by writer Alan Bligh and miniatures designer Phil Stutcinskas. As always we will be bringing a huge selection of our range of resin kits, modelling supplies and books, and we’re now accepting reservation orders for both these events. A reservation order is the best way to ensure that we will have the exact products that you want, packed and waiting for you to collect. To place a reservation order, please send an e-mail to forgeworld@gwplc.com titled ‘Games Day Spain Reservation’ for Games Day Spain, or ‘Games Day Chicago Reservation’ for Games Day North America. We will require your full name, a contact telephone number and the list of kits you’d like to order. You can also telephone the Forge World customer service team on 011 44 115 900 4995 from the US and Canada or 00 44 115 900 4995 from much of Europe to place a reservation order. We must receive your reservation orders by Monday June 18th for Games Day Spain and Wednesday June 27th for Games Day North America. In the week before the event we will send you a confirmation e-mail that will contain your order number, details of any items that we will be unable to supply and a total price in either Euros or US Dollars (less local sales tax) that will be payable on the day. Thanks, Ead Brown Customer Service Manager Forge World