Skirmisher Publishing LLC has released Quactica: Battles for the Soul of Middle Aesopia, an innovative set of miniatures rules by veteran game designer and miniatures sculptor Steve Lortz. Quactica is currently available as a PDF download through DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and other online venues.

Lortz is author of the famous Perilous Encounters rules released by Chaosium in 1978. Set in a world inhabited by various races of anthropomorphic animals — including Ducks, Dwargs, and Porks — the Quactica rules tie in with a beautiful line of miniatures created by Lortz and produced by Lance & Laser.

This book is part of a thematic series of miniatures rules published by Skirmisher that includes the H.G. Wells books Little Wars and Floor Games, and foreshadows the release of a Quactica role-playing game currently in development.

This download includes low-resolution screen-friendly and high-resolution printer-friendly versions of its interior pages and cover surfaces.

Gamers can pick up a free copy of Skirmisher Publishing LLC's latest product on Saturday, June 21, at any one of the hundreds of stores around the United States and abroad participating in Free RPG Day! For a list of participating stores organized by state and country, go to http://www.freerpgday.com/stores.htm.

Skirmisher's contribution to Free RPG Day is Murder at Miskatonic, a self-contained, mechanics-free, live-action role-playing scenario. It is the first in a series of similar products designed to complement the Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition horror live-action role-playing game (LARP) and was written by Greg Agostini of PST Productions, who has extensive experience designing and running scripts.

Free bonus material tying in with Murder at Miskatonic is located on this Forum at http://skirmisher.com/forum/index.php?topic=605.0 and available to anyone who is registered (for free) and logged in.

"One of our goals with this product and the others that will follow it is to make LARPing more accessible and easier to get into for people not already experienced with it," said publisher Michael J. Varhola. "Another is to take the 'murder mystery' concept and give it a little bit of an edge. Greg has done a great job with this one and I can't think of anyone better to have spearheaded this for us." Authors currently working on upcoming entries in the Cthulhu Live's "Mysteries of of the Mythos" series include Will Thrasher, Darrell Hardy, and Roberto "Ho" de Moraes.

The Free RPG Day version of Murder at Miskatonic is designed to be enjoyed by a maximum of six players. Additional material for increasing the number of people who can particpate in it will be available for free through through the "Daywalker Bonus Content" section of the Skirmisher Forum and an expanded version will eventually be available through DriveThruRPG and various other online sales venues.

Each participating store will have a least 12 copies of Murder at Misaktonic, but they could go fast, so get to the game store closest to you and pick one up this Saturday!