Showing posts with label pix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pix. Show all posts

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Pix of the New Book

Kelvin Green asked me if I could send his some photos of the new book to post on his blog (though I'm not particularly sure this is his plan...at the moment he seems very into pie). Anyway, since he DID do all the art for Comes Chaos, I figured the least I could do is mail him a print copy; however, international postage being a bit wonky at the moment, it might take a while to get to him.

SO, I sent him some photos, and I figured I might as well post them here as well...just in case folks are considering the book as a stocking stuffer this holiday season. Here you go:

Softcover, 64 pages


Some really good art pieces from K.G.


It's a B/X setting supplement, so
includes rules for designing/running the setting.


A few adjustments to the standard B/X
rules to incorporate the vagaries of the Chaos gods.

For folks like me, who grew up wishing they could find a way to make GW's Realms of Chaos books in their D&D campaign...well, this adapts many of those books various ideas (as well as stuff from other games/works of fiction). Works well for a Moorcock style "Chaos takeover" or medieval-style Mutant Chronicles. It is NOT designed for Advanced D&D (most of it was written while living in Paraguay, back when I was still "all B/X, all the time") but most of it is pretty adaptable. And it should work perfectly well with OSE...although the chapters are written in the same layout format as B/X.

People might be wondering why and how they might ever find a use for a book like this. "I'm not planning on blowing up my campaign world, a la Moorcock's Elric saga...and I definitely don't want my PCs running around as mutant champions of evil!" There are still many ways to use the book. It has new monsters, magic items, and spells that you can throw into your campaign world. It has alternate B/X rules (and an alternate B/X class or two) that you might find useful. It can be used to create small pocket areas of "bad juju" for PCs to heroically explore and combat. It has ideas for how to unify various "kitchen sink" themes found in D&D (like all the weird, Chaotic humanoids and the "funhouse" dungeons in which they live).

Anyway, it's a neat little book. And I just happen to have a big ol' pile of them on hand.
; )

By the way: just while I'm on the subject of hocking my wares, my B/X Companion is once again sold out. A new print run HAS been ordered, so I'll be able to send out copies in the next week or so, but if you don't want to wait there ARE retailers (like Wayne's Books) that have it in stock. You should NOT need to buy copies from eBay for hundreds of dollars (those keep popping up for some reason; not sure why). If your money is burning that big a hole in your pocket, email me directly...I'll take your $300 and send you my kid's copy (he'd happily split the money with me and wait for a copy from the new print run). 

[okay, no, don't send me hundreds of dollars for a book that costs less than $30. My POINT is, please don't be a sucker]

Finally, one last thing I want to note before I sign off and start prepping for Football Sunday (I'm going to the Seahawks game today, which will be really depressing given the way they're playing this season...): while Comes Chaos is the work of myself and Kelvin Green (illustrator), the impetus for creating it AS A PROJECT is largely due to James V. West who, back in the days of G+, issued a challenge to folks to design a 64 page "setting book" for B/X. When I took up his gauntlet...many years ago...I do not think I envisioned actually publishing a printed book. I'm not sure who else might have participated or completed their projects (if any of my readers do, I'd be interested in being informed) but...well, I did. Finally. 

Now, onto the next project. Cheers!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Opening Day: T-Minus 5 minutes (PST)

Welp, tomorrow is Football Sunday for the first time this season, and my favorite team will be playing down in San Francisco against our division rivals the 49ers. As usually occurs for me this time of year, thoughts of the roar of the greasepaint and smell of the crowd has conjured the urge to pull out Ye Old Blood Bowl set and mock up a skirmish...er, scrimmage...between the two teams in a true "fantasy" fashion.


Under sunny skies, I can only imagine the players warming up, the QBs limbering up their arms...


The rookies high-fiving each other for not being cut...


A few last minute pep talks...


And then, of course, the solemn faces for photographers while the National Anthem reminds us of all the unhealed scars of 9/11.

That is less interesting to me, though I know it is sure to be discussed on all the networks to some extent or another. What IS interesting to me is knowing just what the hell is going to show up for the Seahawks tomorrow. The pre-season flurry of cuts and new acquisitions, not to mention incredibly suspect play from our O-line in the four pre-season games gives most Seattle fans a lot of anxiety.

Not that 49ers fans don't have their own anxiety (can Jim Harbaugh turn Alex Smith around?). But I have a feeling the Niners own offensive line woes might find him running for his life.


And who knows how the injuries will pile up.


On the other hand, perhaps Frank Gore will have his regular annual field day with the Hawks, while the defense looks bemused...


I can only hope Marshawn breaks off a good run, leaving Niners strewn in his wake...


And the refs play a fair game (of course)...


But of course, it all hinges on Tavaris ("T-Jack") Jackson, and whether or not he can show he can be a 1st string QB in the NFL...even in the paltry NFC West. Oh, man. We'd better make some kind of showing or it's going to be a loooong season!


Ugh. Well, I'll be watching the game regardless...with my cap on my head and my son in my lap. Will it be worth watching? Will I watch till the bitter end? Yes to both! It's football for goodness sake!

I'd wish all the fans out there luck but, unfortunately, half the teams are going to lose. I can only hope y'all have fun regardless.

Go Seahawks!
: )

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

B/X Companion Pictures


Of course, there's no cover yet, but just want you folks to see I'm not blowing too much smoke here. As promised, pictures of the B/X Companion.


Here's the book itself:



Here's what it looks like on the back-end:



As you can see it's a tight 64 pages:



Among hallowed company:



My "little helpers" (AB and the beagles):


[Chewie...in the background...is not a fan of flash photography and hides when the camera comes out. AB's face I cut out to protect the not-so-innocent. Buddy (foreground) just wants to know what's going on]