SkirmisherPublishing

Skirmisher Publisher Speaks at Comicpalooza

2011-05-31T18:30:00.001-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC publisher and editor-in-chief Michael O. Varhola gave the first presentation on his latest book, Texas Confidential: Sex, Scandal, Murder, and Mayhem in the Lone Star State, at the Comicpalooza fan convention in Houston, Texas, over Memorial Day weekend. During the talk, Varhola revealed some of the most interesting things he discovered while researching and writing the book and took a wide variety of questions from attendees.

Varhola also gave Comicpalooza’s first-ever presentation on the paranormal, “America’s Haunted Road Trip.” This talk tied took its name from series of books by Clerisy Press dedicated to haunted sites people can visit of which Varhola’s Ghosthunting Maryland and Ghosthunting Virginia are a part. The interactive presentation was very well attended and included lots of questions and comments from attendees, prompting convention organizers to begin looking at ways to include an expanded paranormal track at Comicalooza 2012.

Some 10,000 people decided to spend a big part of their Memorial Day weekend at Comicpalooza, a relatively new fantasy, sci-fi, and comic book convention in Houston that has quickly become the biggest and hottest event of its kind in Texas. The fourth-annual event was held May 27-29 at the George R. Brown Convention Center and was attended by many people from the San Antonio area, who made the relatively short road trip down IH 10 to the Lone Star State’s biggest city.

“It’s really been amazing,” said John Simons, the “guilty party,” as he puts it, behind the organization of Comicpalooza. “We’ve had a lot of great events, a lot of them you don’t see at other cons. Edward James Olmos, for example, playing laser tag against some storm troopers.” (For the less nerdy who might be reading this, Olmos battled the robotic Cylons in his role as Admiral Adama in the popular Battlestar Galactica series, while storm troopers are from Star Wars, making for amusing cross- franchise interaction.)

Olmos was only one of the popular guests at the convention, and others included Sam Trammell (True Blood), Tony Todd (Candyman), and Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation).

Simons also said that the convention was used as a venue for making several significant industry announcements.

“Bob Layton wrote a screenplay and Olmos Productions is going to film the movie,” Simons said. “There’s a new feature-length animated movie that’s going to be based on Tad Williams’ fan-favorite book Tailchaser’s Song and that was announced here. Steve Jackson Games, the largest game manufacturer in Texas, made some announcements here. We had a lot of that sort of thing going on.”

Other features of Comicpalooza included a sci-fi/horror/adventure film festival running across all three days of the convention, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, demonstrations, a huge dealers room with hundreds of exhibitors, and dozens of artists showing off their work.

“We had a lot of things you don’t see at other cons, like indoor Quidditch matches (ala Harry Potter), roller derby, professional wrestling matches. Crazy stuff!” Simons said. “It was a fantastic con.”

Comics, as suggested by the name of the convention, were also a theme of the event, and a number of significant comic creators and artists were in attendance, including Larry Elmore, Athur Suydm, Brian Denham, and many more. Gaming, the spiritual cousin of comics, was also represented with industry guests that included legend Steve Jackson, Chris Perkins, Hyrum Savage, and Chris Syms.

Comicpalooza was first held July 19, 2008, in the lobby of the Alamo Drafthouse Theater in Katy, Texas, as a simple signing event set to coincide with the release of “The Dark Knight.” Comicpalooza was conceived as a means of helping local comic creators reach the media and the public. It was fun for all dozen-or-so comic creators who showed up.

Comicpalooza 2009 was re-imagined as a two-day comic book festival set in a local mall, again with a strong emphasis on promoting creators, connecting with the media, and fostering new growth in the fanbase. It featured guests like David Mack, Terry Moore, Steve Scott, Tom Hodges, Mat Johnson, Andy Kuhn, Dirk Strangely and others, and added events like special screenings, Q&A sessions, and the charity live art benefit. It drew more fans than any other Houston comic convention in 15 years.

Comicpalooza was re-invented again in 2010 as a multi-format convention celebrating not just comics, but also sci-fi and fantasy, horror, steampunk, new media, movies, film, and gaming of all types.

According to its organizers, Comicpalooza's mission is to provide the best and biggest annual multi-format pop culture convention in the southwest region of the United States, serving not only the fans of comics, science fiction, fantasy, video and table top gaming, anime, music and film, but also as a trade show and showcase for the studios, publishers, and manufacturers in those industries. And in 2011, it certainly hit all of those marks.

“Two years ago, this was the largest sci-fi and comics convention in Houston in the last 20 years,” Simons said. “Our lowest growth since then has been 83 percent, so we’re growing really fast. The area we now have for all our functions and activities is almost 300,000 square feet. So, Comicpalooza is now by far the biggest convention of its kind in Texas.”

Skirmisher Releases 'd-Infinity' Volume #2: Lost Treasure

2011-02-19T04:40:00.005-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has just released the PDF edition of "d-Infinity" Volume #2: Lost Treasure ($4.99; 72 pages; SKP E 1101; ISBN: 978-1-935050-11-7). It is available through several online sales venues, including DriveThruRPG and the Skirmisher Game Store.

Highlights of this edition of d-Infinity include the "lost interview" with D&D creator Gary Gygax, a complete self-standing card game, and more than a dozen other great items!

"d-Infinity" is a multi-platform gaming supplement that covers a wide variety of rules systems and includes content that can be universally applied to many different sorts of table-top, live-action, and role-playing games. It is jointly published by Armorcast, Dagon Industries Inc., Dark Threads, Flying Buffalo Inc., Mindgame Productions, OffWorld Designs Inc., Skirmisher Publishing LLC, Sonic Legends, and the United States Marine Space Corps.

Features of each volume include a self-standing game; new rules, stats, and bonus content tying in with several different game systems new rules; free paper miniatures; interviews with the luminaries of the gaming industry; and more! Rules systems supported include but are not limited to 4th Edition D&D, Pathfinder, OGL v.3.5, "Basic" system, Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, and Cthulhu Live.

Volume #2 Contents
Editorial: Lost Treasure
Compost Heap (Self-Standing Card Game )
Interview: D&D Creator and Gamer Gary Gygax
Digital Dice: Character Generators
The Prop Room: Treasure on the Cheap
Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition: Magic of the Old West
City Builder/The City and Island of Kos: The Byzantine Bank
Character Caricatures: Twelve Treasure Hunters
Basic System: Materials of Ancient Empires
Basic System: New Golems of the Labyrinth
Basic System: Six Alchemist Spells
OGL System: Cooper's Corrected Summon Monster IV
Reader Survey
Pathfinder System: "Steampunk Archaeologist" Prestige Class
Pathfinder System: Finders of Fortune (Three Treasure-Seeking Prestige Classes)
4th Edition D&D: Mysterious Relics
Publishing Licenses
Pass in Review
Cardstock CharactersTM

We believe that the most enjoyable gaming periodicals are not just devoted to single games or even the products of a single company, but also include content that makes a reader interested in other games, material that can be applied to all or many sorts of games, and items that are self-standing and which can be played on their own. For that reason, this publication includes many voices and exclusive material compatible with many rules systems and the products of many different companies.

To subscribe to the print edition of "d-Infinity," go to http://skirmisher.cerizmo.com/items/6320--d-infinity-subscription. For information about advertising or co-publishing, email sales@skirmisher.com.

Skirmisher Releases 'd-Infinity'

2010-08-25T03:31:00.004-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has participated in the release of d∞ (“d-Infinity”), a new multi-platform gaming supplement that covers a wide variety of rules systems and includes content that can be universally applied to many different sorts of table-top, live-action, and role-playing games. It is jointly published by Armorcast, Dark Threads, 5th Epoch, Flying Buffalo Inc., Mindgame Productions, OffWorld Designs Inc., Skirmisher Publishing LLC, Sonic Legends, and the United States Marine Space Corps.

The most enjoyable gaming periodicals are not just devoted to single games or even the products of a single company, but also include content that makes a reader interested in other games, material that can be applied to all or many sorts of games, and items that are self-standing and which can be played on their own. For that reason, this publication includes many voices and exclusive material compatible with many rules systems and the products of many different companies.

Features of each volume include a self-standing game; new rules, stats, and bonus content tying in with several different game systems new rules; free paper miniatures; interviews with the luminaries of the gaming industry; and more! Rules systems supported include but are not limited to 4th Edition D&D, Pathfinder, OGL v.3.5, “Basic” system, Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, and Cthulhu Live.

Downloadable copies of d-Infinity are available on a number of online sites, including Drive Thru RPG. Subscriptions to the print edition of the publication are available through the Skirmisher Game Store.

Volume #1 Contents
Editorial: The Adventure Begins
PowerLunch: The Collectible Trading Business Card Game (CTBCG)
AirSoft: Battle for the Wasteland
Interview: GAMA Executive Director John Ward
Digital Dice: Electronic Game Boards (with bonus MP3 file!)
City Builder: The Smugglers Tunnel
The Prop Room: How to Properly Age a Document
Multimedia: Setting the Mood of the Game with Music
Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition: The Return of Cyris Crane
Basic System: Spontaneous Generation Monsters
Basic System: Six Kobold Spells
OGL System: Coopers Corrected Summon Monster I
Pathfinder System: Adventures in Wonderland: Talking Flowers
Pathfinder System: Hedgehog and Porcupine PCs in The Noble Wild
4th Edition D&D: Races of Bakegoku: The Kitsune
Pass In Review
Publishing Licenses
Reader Survey
Cardstock CharactersTM

Come See Skirmisher at Gen Con Booth 511!

2010-08-04T00:08:00.006-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC will be exhibiting at Gen Con, August 5-8, at the downtown convention center in Indianapolis, Indiana! Come see us at Booth 511 to check out our latest print publications, learn about the new d∞ ("d-Infinity") multi-platform game supplement, and get a copy of a special freebie we have created just for this convention.

New releases being displayed for the first time at any convention include print editions of City Builder: A Guide to Designing Communities, The Noble Wild: An Animal Player's Handbook for Fantasy Role-Playing Games, Muerte al Chupacabras!, a script for Cthulhu Live, and Volume #1 of the d∞ ("d-Infinity") multi-platform game supplement (for more information about this great new publication, go to http://skirmisher.cerizmo.com/items/6320--d-infinity-subscription#).

We are sharing with model and miniature manufacturer Armorcast and with LARP/AirSoft outfitter Dark Threads, which will be exhibiting a full range of gear, "Zombie Hunter" patches, and more.

Skirmisher is also participating in Flying Buffalo's "Poker Game" and is the Three of Clubs in its 2010 Poker Deck!

Come See Skirmisher at Origins Booth 332!

2010-06-22T00:14:00.003-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC will be exhibiting at the Origins Game Fair, June 23-27, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio! Come see us at Booth 332 to check out our latest print publications, learn about the new d∞ ("d-Infinity") multi-platform game magazine, and get a copy of a special freebie we have created just for this convention.

New releases being displayed for the first time at any convention include print editions of City Builder: A Guide to Designing Communities, The Noble Wild: An Animal Player's Handbook for Fantasy Role-Playing Games, Muerte al Chupacabras!, a script for Cthulhu Live, and the Volume #0 preview issue of d∞ ("d-Infinity").

We are sharing with LARP/airsoft outfitter Dark Threads, which will be exhibiting a full range of gear, "Zombie Hunter" patches, and more.

Skirmisher is also participating in Flying Buffalo's "Poker Game" and is the Three of Clubs in its 2010 Poker Deck!

Skirmisher Now on Facebook and Twitter!

2010-05-29T13:29:00.001-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC now has an official page on Facebook! To check it out and become a fan, either search against "Skirmisher Publishing LLC" on Facebook or go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Skirmisher-Publishing-LLC/124697687559095.

Skirmisher is now also on Twitter! To follow what Skirmisher is doing, go to http://twitter.com/skirmisherllc.

These are two great new ways to stay up-to-date with what Skirmisher is doing and get exclusive benefits available only to members.

Flying Buffalo Releases New 'Poker Deck'

2010-05-03T16:34:00.004-04:00

Following on a tradition it started in 2008, Flying Buffalo Inc. has announced the imminent release of its third-annual "Poker Deck" promotion.

"Each year I honor four famous game designers by making them a 'king' in my poker deck," said Flying Buffalo's Rick Loomis. "The other 48 cards are advertisements from various game companies, game stores, game artists, and game conventions."

The company will be producing 6,000 of these decks and using them as part of an associated game it will be running in conjunction with the various advertisers in the deck.

Skirmisher Publishing LLC will appear as the 3 of Clubs in the deck and will be participating in the "Poker Deck" games at both Origins and Gen Con. Skirmisher will also have a special freebie for anyone with one of the Poker Decks who comes by its booth as part of the promotional game.

To see samples of cards from this and previous years and all the companies participating this year, go to http://www.flyingbuffalo.com/pokerdeck.htm. For more information or to comment on this announcement, go to to page associated with it on the Skirmisher Forum.

Live from the GAMA Trade Show

2010-03-23T02:01:00.001-04:00

LAS VEGAS -- Skirmisher Publishing is on the ground for the GAMA Trade Show! It looks like it is going to be a great event and we are here covering it for our Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine, Skirmisher Update, and new "d-Infinity" quarterly magazine, as well as Brutarian magazine.

Over the next five days, we will be meeting with hundreds of publishers, retailers, distributors, and other members of the game industry. We will also be attending seminars, social events, and much more of what this great show has to offer.

To keep track of or comment on what Skirmisher is doing at GTS, go to http://skirmisher.com/forum/index.php?topic=2105.0. And if you are going to be at the show, reply to the post at the above link so we can meet and chat a little face-to-face!

Adventures in Wonderland: A Sourcebook for OGL Roleplaying Games

2010-03-10T17:44:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Wonderland, a strange, sometimes creepy alternate world that incorporates aspects of a fairytale land, the elements of children’s nightmares, and a demi-plane of chaos!

Skirmisher Publishing LLC is pleased to announce the release of Adventures in Wonderland: A Sourcebook for OGL Roleplaying Games ($7.99, SKP E 1011, 58 pages; authors Michael J. Varhola and Shane O’Connor). It is available as a PDF download through several online sales venues, including DriveThruRPG (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=79282&affiliate_id=200677).

This game book is inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll, among them his Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and a number of poems. It includes:

* More than 20 monsters, races, and NPCs native to Wonderland.

* Chapters of Wonderland Skills, Feats, Spells, and Magic Items.

* A Wonderland Gazeteer

* Wonderland Adventure Hooks

* Tables for selecting Random Wonderland Items

To comment on or discuss Skirmisher's Adventures in Wonderland, go to the dedicated section on the Skirmisher Forum, at http://skirmisher.com/forum/index.php?topic=2049.0.

For more information, contact Skirmisher Publishing LLC, 499 Mystic Parkway, Spring Branch, TX 78070; http://www.skirmisher.com; sales@skirmisher.com.

Annual GM's Day Sale

2010-03-04T12:54:00.006-05:00

He regularly stabs, mangles, perforates, burns, and otherwise damages your precious character. She delights in torturing your PC's emotions, thwarting their every plan, denying every desire.

And you love your GM for just these things and more!

Celebrate the teller of interactive tales with the rest of us, as DriveThruRPG presents the "One Fourth Off for the Fourth" GM's Day! During this annual event, hundreds upon hundreds of titles are 25% off!

Skirmisher is proud to participate in this annual event and has included its entire product line in it. So, if there is something of ours you have had your eye on, now would be the perfect time to pick it up.

The sale runs from March 3-8. Make with the clicky-click!

Skirmisher Releases 'Dhanurvidya & Varman: The Arms and Armor of India' for 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons

2010-02-26T17:04:00.002-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC is pleased to announce the release of Dhanurvidya & Varman: The Arms and Armor of India, a supplement licensed for use with the 4th Edition of the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game ($6.99, SKP E 1009, 64 pages; authors Michael J. Varhola and Alejandro Melchor). It is available as a PDF download through several online sales venues, including DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and the Skirmisher Game Store.

This fully-illustrated supplement draws upon the history, mythology, and folklore of ancient and medieval India to present more than 70 new powers; full descriptions and statistics for 24 weapons and 20 items of armor or shields; two new weapon groups; and a section on familiar weapons that might appear in an Indian milieu.

While a few arms and armor items from India appear in traditional D&D campaigns, the region's rich and colorful variety of armaments is largely unknown in most campaign settings. Such arms and armor can be used both to enhance the action of a traditional campaign and to punctuate the distinct, exciting adventures and characters possible in settings inspired by the vast region.

This book contains information about the weapons used throughout the Indian subcontinent -- to include what are now the nations of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, along with the border regions of Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Nepal, and Tibet -- from the most ancient times right up to the pre-Colonial era. It also considers significant influences on the arms and armor of India, such as the 900-year Muslim domination of the region that began in the 7th century A.D.

For more information, contact Skirmisher Publishing LLC, 499 Mystic Parkway, Spring Branch, TX 78070; http://www.skirmisher.com; sales@skirmisher.com.

Gamers Help Haiti

2010-01-29T12:14:00.004-05:00

DriveThruRPG is in the midst of a major fundraising drive to aid in rescue, recovery, and relief efforts in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. So far, the online store has, amazingly, raised more than $158,000 in this initiative.

Called the "Gamers Helping Haiti Bundle," the product includes more than a hundred products totaling over $1,000 in retail value. For a simple donation of $20 -- all of which goes to Doctors Without Borders to support their post-earthquake Haiti relief efforts -- RPG fans can have this once-in-a-lifetime collection of gaming products. It can be viewed at http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=78023&affiliate_id=200677.

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has requested that three of its products to be used in this bundle in hope that it will thereby be more attractive to gamers and increase the amount of money raised for the Haiti relief efforts. Those publications are Creatures of the Wastelands, Creatures of the Wastelands: Habitats, and Creatures of the Wastelands: The Thrasher Gang.

As of this writing, gamers purchasing the bundle had downloaded nearly 20,000 copies of the Skirmisher publications included in it. (To view Skirmisher's page on DriveThruRPG, go to http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=2132&affiliate_id=200677 )

DriveThruRPG already had opportunities to donate available within a day of the disaster. When publishers began asking how they could support the cause, the bundle was created to be an all-inclusive shared effort. Those who donated at the lesser levels will not be left out, however, and gamers who have already donated $5 or $10 will be receiving a special coupon code that lets them pay the difference from their initial donation to get the bundle.

"We are humbled by the generosity of both our customers and our publishers, all of whom have stepped up at this time of terrible tragedy to offer aid to a desperate people," said Sean Patrick Fannon, marketing and communications manager for DriveThruRPG. "We are also very proud to facilitate these collective efforts, providing the necessary tools and technology to bring it all together."

More than tools and technology, however, DriveThruRPG is really putting its money where its mouth is.

"We have always believed in the power of giving and sharing to make the world a better place," said Steve Wieck, president and co-owner of the site. "To that end, we are matching funds with everyone who's making a straight donation at the $5 and $10 level."

There is no set date for terminating the donation efforts but the special bundle will only be available until the end of January. For more information, contact Sean Patrick Fannon at sean@onebookshelf.com.

Seasons Greetings from Skirmisher

2009-12-23T22:44:00.002-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing would like to wish all of our friends and readers a Merry Christmas, Super Saturnalia, Happy Yule, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Festive Kwanza, Terrific Zarathosht Diso, Belated Bodhi Day, Bountiful Boxing Day, Cheery Needfest, Idyllic Eid al-Adha, Warm Advent, Cool Childermas, Hangover-Free Gantan-Sai, and Happy Holidays overall, as well as Happy New Year and wonderful 2010! Happy Birthday, Mithra! Party on, Bacchites, pass the vino! Woohoo Sekhmet, you go girl! Sol Invictus! Best wishes to followers of lords and ladies Hermes, Isis, Mithra, Nodens, Baldur, Apollo, Rama, Telchur, the various "New World" deities, and assorted other cults and groupings. And we're pretty sure that star has something to do with the Yellow Sign ...

Apologies to any others that have been overlooked! Feel free to let us know if there is a favorite sect you would like mentioned here.

Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!

Skirmisher Releases 'MILFS: Monsters I'd Like to F***'

2009-12-15T01:41:00.004-05:00

Have you ever looked at a female monster your party was up against and thought:

"Man, I'd like to roll d20 to hit that!"

Well, now you can! Skirmisher Publishing LLC is pleased to announce the release of MILFs, the monsters you would most like to have a random encounter with ($3.99, SKP E 0936, 8 pages; authors Melissa Dowell and the Skirmisher Game Development Group; artist Melissa Dowell). It is available as a PDF download on several online sales venues, including DriveThruRPG (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=68992&affiliate_id=200677) and RPGNow
(http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=68992&affiliate_id=200677).

This set of full-color paper miniatures is designed to be compatible with other 25/30mm figures and contains nine different creatures, all scaled to be approximately man-sized. Furthermore, four of these have also been scaled for use as giant-sized creatures and one of them has been provided with a variant that can be used to show her in flight.

Miniatures in this set include:

* One slinky Dark Elf

* One Centipede Woman

* One sexy Fire Elemental

* One heavily-armed she-Satyr

* One Cyclops chick that has also been scaled for use as a one-eyed giantess

* One Harpy that has been provided with a variant that can be used to represent her in flight

* One Sea Naga that has also been scaled for use as a giant sea monster, "Mother Hydra," etc.

* One Bigfoot/Yeti/Abominable Snowwoman, which also has a giant-sized counterpart

* One Woodwife that has also been scaled as a Treant

MILFs is part of Skirmisher's Cardstock Characters line of figures that can be downloaded, printed out, and used in a variety of different RPGs and wargames. Other currently-available sets include ones for use with Mutant Future and other post-apocalyptic and science-fiction games; anthropomorphic ducks and pigs inspired by the Quactica wargaming rules; and the "Forbidden Creatures of Foree" line of creatures that some companies have declared off-limits.

We hope you enjoy MILFs! Remember: You can't spell "Treant" without "T" and "A."

Thanks for Visiting Skirmisher at Gen Con!

2009-08-26T02:45:00.005-04:00

Thanks to everyone who visited Skirmisher at Gen Con Booth 313! It was great meeting so many new people and spending time with friends, fans, and others who we only get the opportunity to see once a year.

This year Skirmisher shared a large, triple-sized booth with two other great companies, model maker ArmorCast and miniature manufacturer Lance & Laser, and also displayed 5th Epoch's innovative Metal Magic & Lore role-playing game, TerrorWerks T-shirts and other memorabilia, and sculptures by artist Shea Garvin. We also had an active demo table that saw good use by Quactica miniatures wargaming rules creator Steve Lortz, Vito Pandolfo and the rest of the crew from 5th Epoch, and Shea Garvin and his brother Lee. Just as important, of course, was the presence of our two beautiful booth babes, "Con Kitty" and "Loleda"! Other critical Skirmisher personnel included Will Thrasher and a special thanks goes out to Devra Gelfand, who graciously pitched in at the booth.

Skirmisher's editorial and publishing staff was also available to talk with people interested in working with our company and contributing to various projects. Naturally, we also had available our full product line of d20/OGL supplements, Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition books and scripts, tabletop wargaming rules, and our "Quactica" and "Orcs of the Triple Death" miniatures.

Beyond the people mentioned above, we had a great time speaking and hanging out with various other people. These include but were not limited to:

* The ArmorCast and Lance & Laser contingent of Matt Beman, Steve Strnad, Erik Morrice, and Clint Staples.

* The Terrorwerks live action event crew, including Mac McLaughlin, Stefan Rice, Megalon, Ollie Cass, Brendan Cass, Gregg Agostini, Matt Start, Mark Shireman, Jason Arons, Ken Simerara, and Sasha.

* Old and new friends alike, including Jon Reichman, Ricoh, and the always-stunning Amanda S.

* Bob Cahill and the whole Starwind Design crew -- who have been the biggest supporters of our ongoing Edgar Rice Burroughs "Mars" projects -- and Anthony Gallela of Bucephalus, who gave me the creepy rat thing that spooks my wife every time she wakes up and sees its eyeless pupils staring at her.

* Marcy Ganow, Bunkie, and all the other members of the Game Publishers Association, who always make us glad to be members of the gaming community.

* Cthulhu Live LARPers, including Emily Monster, Andrew McNeil, Jason Susalla, that goth chick with the corsets from Nebraska, and Tim, Pat, Megan, and Ryan Ewick.

* Also, a special "Hooah!" to the Gen Con fraternity of 11-Bs, including Varhola, Ken, Shea, and Dimitri (with a nod to our brothers and sisters with FA, MI, MP and other lesser MOSs/branches and services).

* All the fans, customers, and other people who spent time chatting with us at the Skirmisher/ArmorCast/Lance & Laser booth.

Please forgive any omissions, misspellings, or the like and post a reply about anything you catch here so that we can fix it!

Weekend Gaming Recovery Rally!

2009-08-21T12:12:00.004-04:00

On Monday, August 17, thieves broke into and robbed the Green Lake Games game store, at 7509 Aurora Ave. N. in Seattle, Washington.

"We've managed to replace the glass in the door already, but obviously the rest of what was stolen is not as easily replaced," said Anthony.

In an effort to recover from this setback, the store is encouraging anyone who can to come down on Saturday and Sunday, August 22-23, to play some games.

"Bring a friend or the family, play an old favorite or try a new game, check out our newly-expanded role playing game section, or support the store by picking up that game you've been thinking about," Anthony said. "Help us put our recently-expanded gaming area to use. We'll be putting a bunch of stuff on sale, so don't miss out on this opportunity!"

The store will be open both days from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information or to RSVP to this event, go to http://tiny.cc/glg.

Come See Skirmisher at Gen Con Booth 313!

2009-08-06T13:46:00.002-04:00

Skirmisher will be exhibiting at Gen Con and we hope you will come by and see us at Booth 313! We will be sharing a large space this year with two other great companies, model maker ArmorCast and miniature manufacturer Lance & Laser. Skirmisher will also be displaying products associated with a number of other endeavors, including 5th Epoch's innovative "Metal Magic & Lore" role-playing game, TerrorWerks T-shirts and other memorabilia, and sculptures by artist Shea Garvin.

Several Skirmisher authors and artists will be spending time at the booth and this will be a great opportunity for fans to meet and chat with them. Our editorial and publishing staff will also be available to talk with people interested in working with our company and contributing to various Skirmisher projects. Even more popular, of course, are our two beautiful booth babes, "Con Kitty" and "Loleda"!

We will also have available our full product line of d20/OGL supplements, Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition books and scripts, tabletop wargaming rules, and our "Quactica" and "Orcs of the Triple Death" miniatures. All sorts of discounts and specials will be available, to include free downloads of certain electronic products for people who purchase various hardcopy books or miniatures.

Bring a copy of this newsletter with you to Booth 313 and receive 20% off your purchase of any Skirmisher products.

Skirmisher Relocates to Texas

2009-08-01T02:30:00.001-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has relocated from its former location in Springfield, Virginia to Spring Branch, Texas, about 40 miles northwest of San Antonio and in the heart of scenic Hill Country. The innovative game company is noted as the publisher of the Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition horror live-action role-playing game (LARP), a number of historic gaming reprints as well as some games inspired by them, and numerous d20/OGL products.

“We decided to relocate to Texas for a number of reasons, and it has been good for us in every way,” said Michael J. Varhola, the company’s publisher. “In addition to having outgrown the space available to us in Virginia, the Washington, D.C., metro area is very expensive and did not offer any particular benefits to us as a game publishing company. It is also pretty cool to now be living in a resort area in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.”

Skirmisher’s new headquarters include additional work and meeting space, indoor and outdoor game demonstration areas, and a small warehousing area for inventory and supplies. The company’s offices are available for meetings and other activities by appointment.

A number of notable game companies are located in the same general area, to include Steve Jackson Games, about 60 miles to the northeast in Austin.

Skirmisher Publishing LLC
499 Mystic Parkway
Spring Branch, TX 78070
http://www.skirmisher.com
sales@skirmisher.com

Skirmisher Releases 'Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures, L-S'

2009-04-14T12:52:00.004-04:00

Are your game's Weretigers a bit on the unhealthy side? Are your Mephits not quite as intimidating as they should be? Are your Dark Nagas markedly unskilled? These are just a few of the monsters in the OGL SRD that have errors in their stat blocks, bringing their mistakes into your game.

ENWorld staff reviewer and 3.5 rules guru John Cooper and Skirmisher Publishing LLC have stepped up to address these problems with the Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures series of books. This critical new series of books fixes the problems you may not have even known your monsters had and presents thoroughly revised and corrected stats for the myriad creatures in the v.3.5 SRD.

"This product is a valuable resource for both gamers and publishers of OGL products," writes DriveThruRPG Staff Reviewer Peter Ingham in his 5-star review of the first book in the series. "I'm very pleased with this product and ... it's nice to see the monsters and creatures of the SRD as they should have been presented in the first place."

Skirmisher has just released the third volume in the series, Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures: OGL Monster Stats L - S (Lamia - Swarm) ($6.99, SKP E 0917, 150 pages; John Cooper, Shane O'Connor, and the Skirmisher Game Development Group; artists Sharon Daugherty, Bradley K. McDevitt, and George Sieretski). It is available as a PDF download on several online sales venues, including DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

Features of this book include:

* Corrected stats for all the monsters in the L - S sections of the v.3.5 SRD that address often-overlooked elements like skill synergy bonuses, size modifiers, and shapechanging abilities. Entries that have received especially painstaking attention in this volume include the various forms of Lycanthrope, skill points for which are almost universally incorrect in the SRD.

* Stat blocks for OGL creatures described or referred to in the SRD but not given statistics there, including the Merrow, Half-Orc 1st-Level Warrior, Sahuagin Mutant, and Sahuagin Malenti.

* Improved organization of material, especially items not listed in the proper order.

* "Cooper's Comments" sidebars throughout explaining particular changes and giving guidance on how to effectively reflect them in the game.

This book and the series of which it is part are designed to be an invaluable resource for OGL game masters, players, and publishers alike. It is fully bookmarked and designed to be printer-friendly and easy-to-use.

Other currently available titles in this series include Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures: OGL Monster Stats A - D (Aboleth - Dwarf) and Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures: OGL Monster Stats E - K (Eagle, Giant - Krenshar). The final title in the series, Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures: OGL Monster Stats T - Z (Tarrasque - Zombie), which will also include corrected versions of the appendices on Animals and Vermin, is scheduled for release in May.

Incorporating all official errata as well as corrections for errors that went unnoticed until now, this book presents the monsters from the SRD as they should be. Fix up your foes and run a better game with Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures!

Skirmisher Publishing LLC
P.O. Box 150006
Alexandria, VA 22153
http://www.skirmisher.com
sales@skirmisher.com

Skirmisher Releases 'Creatures of the Wastelands'

2009-02-22T01:06:00.003-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC is pleased to announce the release of Creatures of the Wastelands, a collection of monsters, mutations, and other material designed for use with Goblinoid Games' Mutant Future and other post-apocalyptic games ($7.99, SKP E 0912, 80 pages; authors Derek Holland and the Skirmisher Game Development Group; artists Dragan Ciric and Jeremy Pea). It is available as a PDF download on several online sales venues, including DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

Subtitled A Menagerie of Mutants and Mutations, Creatures of the Wastelands is fully compatible with Mutant Future, as well as Labyrinth Lord and other games that use the familiar “1st Edition” rules introduced in the 1980s. This collection includes:

* More than 200 new creatures, including the terrible Great Mother, several mutant dinosaurs, the warlike Lumbricid, the insideous Silver Sheet, and the mysterious Smart Stones.

* More than 50 mutations, including the new the Parasite mutation type and a number of Plant mutations.

* Several odds-and-ends, including new terrain types, new materials, and a number of non-creature hazards.

* Original illustrations by fantasy artists Dragan Ciric and Jeremy Pea.

Creatures of the Wastelands is fully bookmarked and designed to be printer-friendly and easy-to-use and includes low-resolution screen-friendly and high-resolution printer-friendly versions both of its cover surfaces and its interior pages.

For more information about Creatures of the Wastelands and to comment either on it or this announcement, go to the section dedicated to Mutant Future supplements on the interactive Skirmisher Forum.

Skirmisher Publishing LLC
P.O. Box 150006
Alexandria, VA 22153
http://www.skirmisher.com
sales@skirmisher.com

Skirmisher Releases 'Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures, A-D'

2009-02-02T23:56:00.008-05:00

Are your game's Aboleth Mages under-average? Are the Greater Barghest's skill points grimly befuddling? Do you find Retriever Demons to be ridiculously dominant against your PCs? These are just a few of the monsters in the OGL SRD that have errors in their stat blocks, bringing their mistakes into your game.

ENWorld staff reviewer/3.5 rules guru John Cooper and Skirmisher Publishing LLC have stepped up to address these problems with the Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures series of books. This critical new series of books fixes the problems you didn't even know your monsters had and presents thoroughly revised and corrected stats for the myriad creatures in the v.3.5 SRD.

Skirmisher has just released the first volume in the series, Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures: OGL Monster Stats A - D (Aboleth - Dwarf) ($6.99, SKP E 0908, 134 pages; John Cooper, Shane O'Connor, and the Skirmisher Game Development Group; artist Alejandro Melchor). It is available as a PDF download on several online sales venues, including DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

Features of this book include:

* Corrected stats for all the monsters in the A - D sections of the v.3.5 SRD that address often-overlooked elements like skill synergy bonuses, size modifiers, and shapechanging abilities.

* Stats for a number of official OGL monsters mentioned but not given statistics in the SRD, such as the Hound Archon Hero's Juvenile Bronze Dragon mount.

* Improved organization of material, especially items not listed in the proper order.

* "Coopers Comments" sidebars throughout explaining particular changes and giving guidance on how to effectively reflect them in the game.

* Fully bookmarked and designed to be printer-friendly and easy-to-use.

This book and the series of which it is part are designed to be an invaluable resource for OGL game masters, players, and publishers alike. The three subsequnet volumes are currently in development and scheduled to be released on a monthly basis, in March, April, and May. Cover concepts for the E - K, L - S, and T - Z volumes have been completed and can be viewed here.

Incorporating all official errata as well as corrections for errors that went unnoticed until now, this series of books presents the monsters from the SRD as they should be. Fix up your foes and run a better game with Cooper's Compendium of Corrected Creatures!

Skirmisher Publishing LLC
P.O. Box 150006
Alexandria, VA 22153
http://www.skirmisher.com
sales@skirmisher.com

Skirmisher Releases 'Tests of Skill v.3.5'

2009-01-22T00:04:00.006-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has just released Tests of Skill v.3.5, a thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded version of its innovative OGL adventure module and sourcebook ($12.99, SKP E 0907, 130 pages; authors Paul O. Knorr, Shane O'Connor, Michael J. Varhola, and the Skirmisher Game Development Group; artists Sharon Daugherty, Todd Diamond, and Geoff Weber.). It is available as a PDF download on several online sales venues, including DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

Subtitled An OGL Adventure and Sourcebook for Fantasy Role-Playing Games Set in the Silurian Heights, Tests of Skill v.3.5 is designed to entertain and challenge players through scenarios and encounters that can be overcome optimally through role-playing, skill use, and diplomacy. While traditional hack-and-slash techniques can be used to deal with some challenges, most groups will find that tact, thought, and appropriate use of skills, feats, and abilities are generally much more useful and effective. The book also includes numerous tips on adjudicating skill checks that can be applied to any game session.

Tests of Skill was originally released as a version 3.0 publication and intended as a companion volume to Skirmisher's Experts v.3.5. This edition has been expanded by 24 pages, had its character and monster stats corrected and revised, and had added to it one new encounter, one new scenario, one new scenario outline, a new monster, a section on Defects and how to use them in the game, and numerous other elements. It is intended to be enjoyed both by people familiar with the previous version and those completely new to it.

Features of Tests of Skill v.3.5 include:
* A versatile wild-land setting -- the Silurian Heights -- that can be used as a campaign setting or easily dropped into almost any existing milieu, including statistics on six different urban areas and local weather.
* More than two dozen detailed encounters, including three complete mini-dungeons and general and specific encounter tables.
* Three detailed scenarios and three scenario outlines that explain how to organize the included encounters into effective plot lines.
* 10 maps and diagrams, including player's and DM's wilderness maps, diagrams of several encounter areas, and a dungeon map based on Dwarven Forge's Master Maze sets.
* Dozens and dozens of fully keyed and described NPCs, including two complete adventuring parties and stats for sample Warriors, Commoners, and Experts of the types like to be encountered.
* Three new prestige classes, the Gnoll Crocuta (plus the new Fear spell domain), Humbug, and Mercenary Commander.
* 16 new Skills, 35 new Feats, and 19 new Defects.
* Three new monsters, the Half Troll, Dire Hyena, and Multi-Mind.
* Detailed rules on the creation, usage, and special properties of books, including their effects on XP and skill checks.

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

For more information about Tests of Skill v.3.5 and free bonus material related to it, go to the section dedicated to it on the Skirmisher Forum.

Skirmisher Publishing LLC
P.O. Box 150006
Alexandria, VA 22153
http://www.skirmisher.com
sales@skirmisher.com

'City Builder Volume 1' Becomes Best Seller

2008-12-22T15:47:00.008-05:00

City Builder Volume 1: Communities and City Builder Volume 2: Craftsman Places, the first two editions in the 11-volume City Builder series, have been designated as "Silver Best Sellers" on the DriveThruRPG retail site! This recognition is paralled with "Silver Popular Pick" labels on the RPGNow retail site.

Most of the other volumes in the City Builder series have also received some sort of similar recognition on the two major online retail sites. Volumes 3-9 are "Copper Best Sellers" on DriveThruRPG and volumes 3-11 are "Copper Popular Picks" on RPGNow.

"A true systemless role playing game supplement series, City Builder is one of the most useful city building tools to come around in this half of the decade," DriveThruRPG staff reviewer Nathan Collins said in a recent writeup. "Strong writing accompanies fantasy element nicely. Whether you need to develop one isolated building the PCs are set to encounter, or a city that needs to 'pop up' quickly, there is something in this set that will greatly help you."

Skirmisher publishing released City Builder Volume 1: Communities as a PDF download in February 2008 and followed up with one volume in the same format each month thereafter, completing the series with the release of City Builder Volume 11: Underworld Places in December. Each of the volumes in the series is currently available either individually or as a bundle containing all of them (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=59033&affiliate_id=200677). The volumes are very modestly priced, ranging in cost from $1.99 to $3.99, and the entire bundle is only $19.89 (a savings of $7 off all the volumes individually).

Of the 13,736 products currently available on DriveThruRPG, 18.2% of them -- or some 2,255 -- have one of the five different metallic Best Seller medallions.

"We are really proud to get this sort of recognition for the City Builder series," said Skirmisher publisher Michael J. Varhola. "We put a lot of effort into all of our products and it means a lot to us when we are able to meet the needs of so many of our readers with some of them."

To view the various City Builder volumes on DriveThruRPG, go to http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?cPath=4417&affiliate_id=200677. To view all of Skirmisher's products on DriveThruRPG, go to http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=2132&affiliate_id=200677.

Skirmisher Gets Top Ranking on WarGameVault

2008-12-11T02:21:00.008-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has just been ranked as one of the top 15 retailers on WargameVault, an online retail site devoted to downloadable versions of new and classic wargames. Skirmisher is one of more than 160 publishers that makes its products available through the site and currently has two dozen individual items listed on it ranging in price from free to $4.99. And all of Skirmisher's titles on WargameVault are on sale through the end of December, so now is the perfect time to pick up something for yourself or as a gift.

Skirmisher's bestselling items on WargameVault are Skirmish!, the quick-play miniatures rules that are the namesake of the company; Stevenson at Play, a book on wargaming by the famous adventure author; H.G. Wells' Little Orc Wars, a quick-play set of fantasy rules that uses live catapult fire to resolve combat; and Chevauchee, a set of miniatures rules for medieval Combat.

Click here to access Skirmisher's page on WargameVault directly. And we have always got a number of exciting products in the works, so be sure to come back often and see what's new! And there is no reason not to download and check out some of the several free items we offer through the site.

Skirmisher Acquires 'Quactica' Miniatures

2008-11-24T17:36:00.011-05:00

Skirmisher has just acquired the entire "Quactica" line of white metal figures from miniature manufacturer Lance & Laser (Columbus, Ohio). This deal was the result of a series of meetings between Skirmisher's Michael Varhola and Lance & Laser's Erik Morrice in August during Gen Con 2008 in Indianapolis to discuss transfer of the line from one company to the other.

The "Quactica" miniature line, which consists of 93 figures organized into 26 sets of one to five miniatures each.
Most of these miniatures were sculpted by veteran game designer Steve Lortz, and a number were created by sculptors Clint Staples (Warthogs, Hogre, Rarebits) and Kevin Contos (Dwargs). More information about the rules and miniatures is available from a dedicated section of the Skirmisher's online game store (http://skirmisher.cerizmo.com/categories/559--quactica-rules-miniatures).

For a limited time, anyone who buys two or more sets of the metal figures will automatically receive a free PDF version of the Quactica miniatures rules, and anyone who orders five or more sets will receive a free copy of both the PDF and the hardcopy book version of the rules!

'Metal, Magic and Lore' Now Available from Skirmisher

2008-11-13T18:35:00.003-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has entered into an agreement with 5th Epoch to distribute its Metal, Magic and Lore role-playing game through its various sales outlets, including its online store and directly through its booth at game conventions.

Metal, Magic and Lore combines the classic elements of fantasy role-playing with a very realistic setting. Combining fast-paced combat and magic play with a setting rooted in historical realism, MML is proving an appeal to seasoned RPGers who crave a mood of an epic literary saga in their campaigns.

"This is truly a beautiful game and we are very pleased at the opportunity to sell it alongside our own products," said Michael J. Varhola, head of Skirmisher. "We identified this as the best new role-playing game released last year and being able to help get it into people's hands this year is very exciting for us."

Clerisy Releases 'Ghosthunting Virginia'

2008-10-06T00:14:00.006-04:00

Ghosthunting Virginia (Clerisy Press, 2008), the latest book by Skirmisher Publishing LLC publisher Michael J. Varhola, has just been released nationwide, and the author and publisher are participating in all sorts of organizational events in support of it. For a constantly updated list of such events, to include book signings, podcasts, and radio shows, go to http://www.booktour.com/author/michael_j_varhola. For personal updates to the book, check out Varhola's TravelBlogue at http://varhola.blogspot.com.

Virginia and the District of Columbia are fertile ground for serious and casual ghosthunters alike and have no shortage of venues for paranormal investigation -- if visitors know where to look. Varhola has spared no efforts to make Ghosthunting Virginia as useful a resource as possible for those interested in visiting haunted sites as he leads readers on a guided tour of the most haunted sites in the Old Dominion and the nation's capital. A great many of these sites have some connection to the Colonial era or to the Civil War, two defining elements in the history of the region. Battlefields, cemeteries, tunnels, caves, bridges, haunted highways, inns and taverns, lighthouses, theatres, haunted cities like historic Winchester, Colonial Williamsburg, and Washington, D.C, and all manner of other eerie locales can be found in this novel and informative travel guide! It’s also perfect late-night reading for anyone who loves a good ghost story.

Ghosthunting Virginia is available from a variety of sources, including Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com. Signed and personalized copies of the book are available directly through Skirmisher's online store (http://skirmisher.cerizmo.com/items/2098-ghosthunting-virginia-signed-by-the-author).

Skirmisher Releases 'Quactica' Miniatures Rules

2008-09-13T02:18:00.006-04:00

Quactica: Battles for the Soul of Middle Aesopia was one of the new products Skirmisher released at Gen Con 2008 in Indianapolis. This innovative set of miniatures rules was created by veteran game designer and miniatures sculptor Steve Lortz, 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.

Quactica is a 90-page softcover book that retails for $9.95 and is available both at game stores and directly from the Skirmisher Online Store. It is also available as a PDF download from DriveThruRPG and other online venues for $4.99.

In addition to the metal miniatures available for Quactica, there are also several free downloadable cardstock miniatures currently available for people who want to start playing this game right away. They include a Duck archer, a Gobbling archer, a Hawgzilla, and a Dwarg fighter. More will be available soon, so keep your eye on the Skirmisher Forum!

Quactica 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.

'Noble Wild' Nominated for ENnie!

2008-07-20T00:28:00.008-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC's The Noble Wild: An Animal Player's Handbook for d20/OGL Role-Playing Games has been nominated for a 2008 ENnie award in the "Best Adversary/Monster Product" category, which is awarded to a product whose primary focus is monsters or adversaries. Voting for products runs from July 21 through August 3 on the ENnie Awards Website.

The Noble Wild (176 pages, ISBN 0-9777211-1-6, SKP E 0801) was written by author Lee Garvin, author of the widely-acclaimed Tales from the Floating Vagabond and the Control conspiracy role-playing game. It is currently available for download at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. While this book normally sells for $17.99, Skirmisher has temporarily made it available for much less in order to get it into people's hands during the ENnies voting period and encourage them to vote for it:

* On DriveThruRPG and RPGNow, the price of the book has been cut by 50%, to just $7.99, for all customers.

* In addition, in the Daywalker Bonus Content section of the Skirmisher Forum, registered members can access a coupon for a 75% discounted copy of the book, which they can pick up for only $4.49! Registration on the Forum is free and open to anybody.

The Noble Wild introduces comprehensive rules for playing intelligent animals in a wide variety of game settings and situations. It will be popular with everyone from groups that want to try all-animal or mixed animal/humanoid parties, to players who want to expand the options for their animal companions and familiars, to game masters who are looking for interesting and unexpected foes to run against their players.

Features of this "Animal Player's Handbook" include:

* Statistics for more than 60 playable species of noble animal;

* Modifications and additions to existing classes, skills, and feats appropriate to animal characters;

* A new basic character class, the Greater Familiar;

* Eight new Prestige Classes, including the Man-Eater and War Mount;

* Special rules for the use of magic by animal characters;

* Information on running several different sorts of campaigns, along with guidelines for Modern scenarios;

* Deeds, magical abilities acquired by performing heroic actions;

* Rules for several new types of magical treasures, including Fetishes, Jujus, and Spellthralls;

* Hundreds of illustrations by artists that include Dragan Ciric, Sharon Daugherty, Todd Diamond, Phil Kightlinger, Russell Prime, Ryan Rouse, George Sieretski, Geoff Weber, and Kira Woodmansee;

* And more!

Skirmisher puts a lot of time and effort into making its products as great as possible and would be grateful to any of our readers who are willing to take the time to vote for The Noble Wild!

To comment on this story or the release it is about, go to the page dedicated to it on the Skirmisher Forum.

Skirmisher Releases 'Quactica'!

2008-06-26T23:05:00.003-04:00

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.

2008-06-15T17:57:00.008-04:00

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!

Skirmisher Launches Game Store

2008-05-20T17:38:00.005-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has launched a new store as part of its Website through which it will for the first time directly sell its products online. This store can be accessed via the "Game Store" and other links on the Skirmisher Website or directly at http://skirmisher.cerizmo.com.

"We are in the process of stocking our shelves, many of our hottest items are currently available, and eventually everything we publish or sell will be available here directly from us," says Publisher Michael J. Varhola, including the company's growing library of PDF publications. "There will also be benefits to shopping here."

These benefits will include:

* FREE shipping and handling for all print publications, miniatures, and other analog items;

* Special discounts not available anywhere else on print publications and miniatures;

* Exclusive signed and personalized collectible items;

* And more!

Skirmisher products will still be available to the same extent they always have been through various other venues, including DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and Amazon.com, as well as brick-and-mortar game stores and at the company's booths at game conventions.

For more information about Skirmisher's new online game store or anything else related to the company, email sales@skirmisher.com.

Skirmisher Releases 'City Builder Volume 4: Professional Places'

2008-05-01T22:00:00.010-04:00

City Builder Volume 4: Professional Places is the fourth in a series of 11 complementary books that will help guide Game Masters through the process of designing exciting and compelling urban areas and places within them for their campaigns. It is not specific to any particular game setting and is designed to be compatible with the needs of any ancient, Dark Ages, Middle Ages, Renaissance, or fantasy milieu (26 pages, $1.99, SKP E 0812). It was written by authors Michael J. Varhola and Jim Clunie.

City Builder Volume 4 is currently available for download at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. A coupon for a reduced-price download of the book is available through the Daywalker Bonus Content section of the Skirmisher Forum (contents of which are visible only to people who are both registered on the Forum and logged in).

Contents of this book include:

* An Introduction that describes the scope of the series and how to use the material in this volume;

* Individual sections devoted to descriptions of Guildhouses, Hospitals, Mages' Lodges, and Training Halls;

* One or more Adventure Hooks tying in with each described sort of place; and

* An appendix on Guilds that describes such institutions and includes a series of tables for randomly generating their characteristics and specific regulations.

This download includes both low-resolution screen-friendly and high-resolution printer-friendly versions of the book and its cover.

Other volumes in this series currently available include include City Builder Volume 1: Communities, City Builder Volume 2: Craftsman Places, and City Builder Volume 3: Entertainment Places.

Skirmisher Releases 'City Builder Volume 3: Entertainment Places'

2008-04-07T01:00:00.004-04:00

City Builder Volume 3: Entertainment Places is the third in a series of 11 complementary books that will help guide Game Masters through the process of designing exciting and compelling urban areas and places within them for their campaigns. It is not specific to any particular game setting and is designed to be compatible with the needs of any ancient, Dark Ages, Middle Ages, Renaissance, or fantasy milieu (22 pages, $1.99, SKP E 0810). It was written by authors Michael J. Varhola and Jim Clunie.

City Builder Volume 3 is currently available for download at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. A coupon for a reduced-price download of the book is available through the Daywalker Bonus Content section of the Skirmisher Forum (contents of which are visible only to people who are both registered on the Forum and logged in).

Contents of this book include:

* An Introduction that describes the scope of the series and how to use the material in this volume;

* Individual sections devoted to descriptions of Carnivals, Menageries, Museums, Parks, and Theaters; and

* One or more Adventure Hooks tying in with each described sort of place.

This download includes both low-resolution screen-friendly and high-resolution printer-friendly versions of the book and its cover.

Other volumes in this series currently available include include City Builder Volume 1: Communities and City Builder Volume 2: Craftsman Places.

Skirmisher Releases 'City Builder Volume 2: Craftsman Places'

2008-03-17T14:58:00.005-04:00

City Builder Volume 2: Craftsman Places is the second in a series of 11 complementary books that will help guide Game Masters through the process of designing exciting and compelling urban areas and places within them for their campaigns. It is not specific to any particular game setting and is designed to be compatible with the needs of any ancient, Dark Ages, Middle Ages, Renaissance, or fantasy milieu (18 pages, $1.99, SKP E 0805). It was written by authors Michael J. Varhola and Jim Clunie.

City Builder Volume 2 is currently available for download at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. A coupon for a reduced-price download of the book is available through the Daywalker Bonus Content section of this Forum (contents of which are visible only to people who are both registered on the Forum and logged in).

Contents of this book include:

* An Introduction that describes the scope of the series and how to use the material in this volume;

* Individual sections devoted to detailed descriptions of Armories, Arsenals, Blacksmithies, Clothiers, and Jewelers; and

* One or more Adventure Hooks tying in with each described sort of place.

This download includes both low-resolution screen-friendly and high-resolution printer-friendly versions of the book and its cover.

Other volumes in this series currently available include include City Builder Volume 1: Communities.

Skirmisher Releases 'A Brief History of Gnolls'

2008-03-06T22:13:00.005-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has just released A Brief History of Gnolls: Anthropophagy and Emeralds from Wales to Wisconsin and Beyond (26 pages, $2.99, SKP E 0803). This unique and entertaining volume traces the history of the title fantasy creatures in literature and gaming, from when they were first introduced nearly a century ago up through the present.

A Brief History of Gnolls is currently available for download at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. A coupon for a reduced-price download of the book is available through the Daywalker Bonus Content section of this Forum (contents of which are visible only to people who are both registered on the Forum and logged in).

Features of this book include two entertaining quasi-academic essays by writer Paul Haynie that examine the literary history of Gnolls; an appendix containing the 1912 Lord Dunsany short story that first introduces the creatures in question; and illustrations by artists Jon Kaufman and Sidney Sime.

A Brief History of Gnolls is the first in a series of similar books that will be devoted to other sorts of fantasy creatures with origins in folklore and literature, such as Orcs, Ogres, Goblins, and Trolls.

To comment on this article or the book it is about, go to its page on the Skirmisher Forum.

Skirmisher Releases 'City Builder' Series

2008-03-03T23:14:00.021-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has released the first four volumes in its new City Builder series, a collection of 11 complementary books that will help guide Game Masters through the process of designing exciting and compelling urban areas and places within them for their campaigns. The series is not specific to any particular game setting and is designed to be compatible with the needs of any ancient, Dark Ages, Middle Ages, Renaissance, or fantasy milieu. It was created and written by authors Michael J. Varhola and Jim Clunie.

City Builder Volume 1: Communities includes an Introduction that describes the scope of the series and the contents of the upcoming volumes; a section on the Characteristics of Communities that examines small communities, towns, cities, and special-purpose communities like military bases and plantations, along with regional and racial influences on the development of communities; a section on Buildings; a section on the Physical Characteristics of Cities that includes discussion of fortifications, lighting, and conditions on, above, and below city streets; and a section on Disasters.

City Builder Volume 2: Craftsman Places includes an Introduction that describes this volume and how to use the material in it; individual sections devoted to detailed descriptions of Armories, Arsenals, Blacksmithies, Clothiers, and Jewelers; and one or more Adventure Hooks tying in with each described sort of place.

City Builder Volume 3: Entertainment Places includes an Introduction that describes this volume and how to use the material in it; individual sections devoted to descriptions of Carnivals, Menageries, Museums, Parks, and Theaters; and one or more Adventure Hooks tying in with each described sort of place.

City Builder Volume 4: Professional Places includes an Introduction that describes the scope of the series and how to use the material in this volume; individual sections devoted to descriptions of Guildhouses, Hospitals, Mages’ Lodges, and Training Halls; one or more Adventure Hooks tying in with each described sort of place; and an appendix on Guilds that describes such institutions and includes a series of tables for randomly generating their characteristics and specific regulations.

All of the currently available books in this series are available for download at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. Coupon for reduced-price downloads of the books are available through the Daywalker Bonus Content section of the Skirmisher Forum (contents of which are visible only to people who are both registered on the Forum and logged in). All downloads in the series include both low-resolution screen-friendly and high-resolution printer-friendly versions of the books and their covers.

Skirmisher Releases 'Noble Wild'

2008-02-14T01:10:00.007-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has released in PDF format its long-awaited book The Noble Wild: An Animal Player's Handbook for d20/OGL Role-Playing Games (176 pages, $17.99, ISBN 0-9777211-1-6, SKP E 0801). It was written by Lee Garvin, author of the widely-acclaimed Tales from the Floating Vagabond and the Control conspiracy role-playing game.

The Noble Wild is currently available for download at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

This exciting new book introduces comprehensive rules for playing intelligent animals in a wide variety of game settings and situations. It will be popular with everyone from groups that want to try all-animal or mixed animal/humanoid parties, to players who want to expand the options for their animal companions and familiars, to game masters who are looking for interesting and unexpected foes to run against their players.

Features of this "Animal Player's Handbook" include:

* Statistics for more than 60 playable species of noble animal;

* Modifications and additions to existing classes, skills, and feats appropriate to animal characters;

* A new basic character class, the Greater Familiar;

* Eight new Prestige Classes, including the Man-Eater and War Mount;

* Special rules for the use of magic by animal characters;

* Information on running several different sorts of campaigns, along with guidelines for Modern scenarios;

* Deeds, magical abilities acquired by performing heroic actions;

* Rules for several new types of magical treasures, including Fetishes, Jujus, and Spellthralls;

* Hundreds of illustrations by artists that include Dragan Ciric, Sharon Daugherty, Todd Diamond, Phil Kightlinger, Russell Prime, Ryan Rouse, George Sieretski, Geoff Weber, and Kira Woodmansee;

* And more!

To comment on this story or the release it is about, go to the page dedicated to it on the Skirmisher Forum.

Skirmisher to Publish 'Quactica' Miniatures Rules

2008-01-08T15:38:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC is pleased to announce that it will be publishing Quactica: Battles for the Soul of Middle Aesopia, a set of miniature wargaming rules by veteran game designer and miniature sculptor Steve Lortz. The rules are currently scheduled for release shortly after the New Year.

Set in a world inhabited by various races of anthropomorphic animals, the Quactica rules tie in with a beautiful line of miniatures scultped by Lortz and produced by Lance & Laser. Some of the compelling races battling for their place in the world of Middle Aesopia include usually-good Ducks, Dwargs, and Mice, and typically bad Porks, Ratmen, and Warthogs (the latter sometimes known as Hogres).

Depicted here is a provisional cover for the Quactica rules book, which includes an original image by Marty Edwards that has been colorized by artist Sharon Daugherty.

Anyone interested in playtesting the Quactica rules while they are in production -- and receiving thanks for their efforts in the published edition of the book -- should contact the company at littlewars@skirmisher.com. To comment on this article or the game it is about, go to its section on the Skirmisher Forum.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-23T21:52:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing would like to wish all of our friends and readers a Merry Christmas, Super Saturnalia, Happy Yule, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Festive Kwanza, Terrific Zarathosht Diso, Belated Bodhi Day, Bountiful Boxing Day, Cheery Needfest, Idyllic Eid al-Adha, Warm Advent, Cool Childermas, Hangover-Free Gantan-Sai, and Happy Holidays overall, as well as Happy New Year and wonderful 2007! Happy Birthday, Mithra! Party on, Bacchites, pass the vino! Woohoo Sekhmet, you go girl! Sol Invictus! Best wishes to followers of Isis, Mithra, Nodens, Hermes, Baldur, Apollo, Rama, Telchur, the various "New World" deities, and assorted other cults and groupings. And we're pretty sure that star has something to do with the Yellow Sign ...

Apologies to any others that have been overlooked; feel free to let us know if there is a favorite sect you would like mentioned here.

Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!

Skirmisher Releases 'House of Pain'

2007-12-20T00:44:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC is proud to announce the release of House of Pain, an official script for the Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition live-action horror roleplaying game ($4.99, ISBN 0-9777211-5-9, SKPE0704). It is currently available for download from DriveThruRPG.com, RPGNow.com, and YourGamesNow.com.

Welcome to the New World Order! It is the autumn of 1991, and the world is not what it used to be. Saddam Hussein's army lies in smoldering ruins. The Soviet Union is suffering its death throes. Germany has been reunified. Africa is aflame with small bush wars. Across the world, the balance of power is shifting. Old powers are dying out and the playing field of the future will be a chaos of warlords and rogue states.

In this full-length adventure for Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition, the players are power-brokers who have been invited to a private summit to help form the geopolitical landscape of the next century. But while they plot their moves and hide their secrets, they may find that they themselves are pawns in a much larger, more ancient game.

This scenario includes:

* Suggestions for props, costumes, and atmospheric effects.
* World-spanning conspiracies.
* 42 Pre-generated characters, so you can jump straight into the game.
* Two versions of the adventure: one optimized for reading on-screen, and one optimized for printing.

To comment on this story or discuss House of Pain, go to the section devoted to it on the Skirmisher Forum.

Skirmisher Releases 'Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars: Shadows of a Dying World'

2007-12-09T22:56:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC is proud to announce the release of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars: Shadows of a Dying World, a 62-page d20 sourcebook available in PDF format ($11.99, ISBN 0-9777211-9-1, SKPE 0707). It is currently available for download from Your Games Now, DriveThruRPG.com, RPGNow.com, and Paizo, and on CD-ROM from Amazon.com.

Set on the red planet not as it exists, but as people at the turn of the 20th century thought it might be, Shadows of a Dying World is drawn from the Mars series of Edgar Rice Burroughs and presents creatures from his world in game terms. Its contents are compatible with any games that use the d20/OGL system and can be inserted into them in whole or in part.

On this Mars, elegant city-states rise along the banks of world-spanning canals, luxurious airships ply the thin atmosphere, feisty princesses and feckless nobles are menaced by killers of the drear dried-up sea-beds, and skilled swordsmen defend dynasties that have ruled for aeons. Despite both wondrous technology and mysterious mental abilities developed beyond the comprehension of Earthlings, however, the most farsighted of the Martians know that the history of their world is drawing toward its end, and that its life-giving atmosphere and waterways are already sustained only by vast efforts of engineering.

Shadows of a Dying World presents the unique wonders and dangers posed by the weirdly sentient denizens of Burroughs' Mars. Creatures covered in Shadows of a Dying World include the Apt, Banth, Calot, Corphal, Great White Ape, Green Martian, Kaldane, Rykor, Plant Man, Silian, Sith, Thoat, Ulsio, and Zitidar.

Other features of this book include guidelines for using Burroughs' creatures in both Mars and non-Mars campaign settings, Martian random encounter tables, new Feats, the Class Defense Bonus combat option, and original illustrations by artists Brendan Cass, Dragan Ciric, Sharon Daugherty, William Hazzard II, and Geoff Weber. This book also comes with Combined Creature Creation, a 52-page bonus document compiled and used during the creation of this book and provided as a useful tool for game masters.

The material in this book is compatible with the 3rd edition of the d20 system and is a preview of a complete roleplaying game based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars currently under development by Skirmisher Publishing LLC. It will be compatible with the upcoming new edition of the d20 system, will provide core rules adapted to Burroughs’ unique milieu, and will include classes, skills, feats, technological devices, psionic powers, and campaign setting information.

For more information about Shadows of a Dying World or the Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars campaign setting, contact Skirmisher Publishing LLC at d20@skirmisher.com.

To comment on this story or to discuss the release it is about, go the appropriate section on the Skirmisher Forum.

Pyschologists Discover That Virtual Gamers Play Themselves

2007-12-06T22:06:00.000-05:00

COMMERCE, Texas -- Computer games are among the hottest forms of entertainment with the average American spending more time and money on these than on movies. So many people are playing -- at least one in every hundred -- that gaming has attracted the attention of psychologists.

Role-players themselves also often wonder if their virtual opponents are as tough as they seem, or if they really are just precocious twelve-year-olds or loving grandparents.

It turns out that, if your opponent is shrewd, then it is very likely that person has those same traits in real life, too, according to a new study recently published in Imagination, Cognition and Personality.

Texas A&M University-Commerce's Anna Park and Dr. Tracy Henley, head of the psychology department, studied the relationship between personality and character preferences in fantasy computer role-playing games. They discovered that people choose characters that are reflections of their own personalities.

Park was intrigued by the relationship between personality, and the things people actually do in their everyday life. She wondered if very different types of people would choose very different types of roles as a function of their personalities. With the help of Henley, Park devised a lengthy survey that simulated the process of creating a character for a fantasy computer game.

About 250 participants volunteered to complete the study, which explored the relationships between the participants' personalities and their choice of fantasy game characters.

"I was surprised that people weren't choosing something different from what they were in the real world," says Park. "I thought compliant people might choose an evil character as a way to release aggression, but they didn't. It seems that people want some form of themselves in the fantasy so that they can see themselves
perform in that environment."

Henley adds, "It is difficult for most people to keep up a facade and to be consistent in that guise across diverse situations over a long period of time. Sooner or later you revert to who you actually are."

Overall, the study found males are more likely to prefer more deviant and assertive characters than females, who tended to favor characters from gentler species - such as elves -- or associated with helping professions -- such as cleric or ranger.

Interestingly, about 28 percent of women preferred to play a male character, whereas 100 percent of men wanted a male character.

Additionally, most (54 percent) of people wanted their character to be morally good, with 38 percent wanting their character to be neutral, and 6 percent wanting their character to be evil. "Those are the folks you want to avoid when playing World of Warcraft, and in dark alleyways," Henley observed.

"Even if fantasy gaming," says Park, "people seem to mimic life."

Skirmisher Announces 'Cyber Monday' Holiday Sale Deals

2007-11-22T13:48:00.001-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC is celebrating the start of the holiday season and thanking its many loyal readers and customers by having a holiday sale that will include very heavy discounts and many special, collectible, and unique items that would make great gifts (for others or oneself). In particular, we will be adding one new or special item to our eBay store or to one of our Amazon.com listings every day between now and the end of the year! During this sale, every item in the Skirmisher inventory will either be substantially reduced in price, accompanied by a variety of free items, or both. (Keep your eye on this page for updates on these items!)

"We have so many new items coming out over the next few months that we both need to make space in our warehouse and drum up extra revenue for an unprecedented number of printings," said Michael J. Varhola, Skirmisher editor-in-chief and publisher. "This is definitely in the interests of our customers, and that's fine with us; our main goal has always been to get our books and other products into people's hands, and this will help us accomplish that."

Examples of sale specials on Amazon.com include -- but are not limited to -- heavily discounted copies of:

* Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition live-action horror role-playing game (new $14.95, used $9.95, signed collectible $24.95).

* The Old Man of Damascus script for Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition (new $4.95, signed collectible $10.00).

* Nuisances d20 parody book (new $13.95, used $9.95, signed collectible $19.95).

* Nuisances: Director's Cut revised and expanded d20 parody book on CD-ROM (new $11.95, signed collectible $14.95).

* Warriors d20 sourcebook (new $4.95, used $3.95, signed collectible $19.95).

* Tests of Skill d20 sourcebook and adventure (new $7.75, used $6.95, signed collectible $19.95).

* Experts v.3.5 d20 sourcebook (new $19.95, used $14.95, signed collectible $24.95).

* USSMC FM 7-22: Space Boarding Operations futuristic field manual (new $4.99, signed collectible $10.00).

* H.G. Wells' Little Wars miniature wargaming rules (new $8.95, used $6.95, signed collectible $10.00).

* H.G. Wells' Little Orc Wars quick-play miniature wargaming rules (new $2.95, used $1.95, signed collectible $10.00).

* H.G. Wells' Floor Games miniature wargaming rules (new $8.95, used $7.95, signed collectible $11.95).

Examples of sale specials at Skirmisher's eBay store include:

* A Devil Candlestick Holder, a resin-cast replica of a Victorian era original that is the first in a series of props and collectible tie-ins for the Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition live-action horror roleplaying game.

* Free copies of Skirmisher's H.G. Wells' Little Orc Wars quick-play rules with all sets of the company's Orcs of the Triple Death hand-painted miniatures.

* Free temporary tattoos designed by artist Matt Beman of Beaumont Miniatures with both print copies of Skirmisher's popular Nuisances d20/OGL parody book.

* Up to 60% off cover price on starting bids for signed, collectible copies of Skirmisher d20 books, including its popular Experts v.3.5, Warriors, and Tests of Skill.

No matter what you order or where, mention that you are a Skirmisher reader and we will be sure to throw in a few extras with your order!

Movie Review: Beowulf

2007-11-18T17:25:00.000-05:00

If you want to see a good fantasy flick, sort of like Shrek with a darker flavor, then go see Beowulf. The fight scenes with Grendel and the Dragon are excellent.

If you want to understand the epic poem, there are better ways to spend your time. I'm slated to teach Beowulf to my seventh grade humane letters class next quarter, so I spent a good chunk of last summer studying up on it. This made me especially anxious to see what they would do with a movie version. I picked up the comic book serialization at Readers' Copies, so I wasn't surprised when I actually saw the story on screen.

What qualities make a free man worthy of respect? What makes a king a good king? How should we respond when bad things happen to good people? These are the themes that drive the epic. The qualities admired in the Middle Ages were prowess, loyalty, generousity and courtesy. The poem of Beowulf shows us that the valuation of these qualities were not imposed by some ideal in the Middle Ages, but grew out of the conditions of life experienced by people north of the Alps in the Dark Ages. These qualities were different in some ways from the qualities admired by the classical Greeks and Romans. Our American culture today owes more to the qualities of the north than to the classical qualities of the south.

However... since World War I, the anti-heroic seems to dominate, with a few exceptions such as The Lord of the Rings.

SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! Do not read on if you want to be surprised by anything in the movie!!!

The writers of the Beowulf movie turn all of the major male characters into anti-heroes. Evil doesn't happen to people because that is the nature of life in this present evil age. Evil happens because no red-blooded male can resist doing the deed with Grendel's mom, and then lying about it afterwards! Grendel is Hrothgar's son. The Dragon is Beowulf's son. We never find out who Wiglaf's son is going to be, but as the movie ends, we know there is going to be one.

Grendel and the Dragon are pretty good monsters (except the Dragon looks a little too much for my taste like Godzilla from the version with Matthew Broderick), but Grendel's mom just seems silly, if you can picture a nekkid Angelina Jolie as looking silly. She has a prehensile braid that she doesn't really do anything with, and stilletto heels growing out of her feet. She's covered with some kind of golden fluid which is always running off of her body except over the strategic parts. Speaking of strategic parts, the animators didn't do a very good job of reproducing the effects of gravity on her upper story female appurtenances, which was another thing that made the graphics remind me of Shrek.

According to the movie, Beowulf's outstanding feats of bravery and prowess (exaggeration, the figure of speech hyperbole, was to spoken sagas what special effects are to Hollywood movies) were nothing more than the blowhard tales of a lying, glory hungry braggart.

Sad.

And it's not just because it's a movie done in comic book style. I really liked 300.

-- Steve Lortz

To comment on either this review or the movie itself, go to its page on our interactive Forum!

Movie Review: Darkon

2007-11-12T23:29:00.001-05:00

One of the few non-comedic movies by gamers, about gamers, and ultimately for gamers, Darkon (Ovie Productions/Seethink Productions, 2006) is a documentary that focuses on the activities of the Darkon Wargaming Club, a fantasy live-action role-playing (LARP) group in Baltimore, Maryland.

Moreso than movies of any sort by non-gamers about role-playing gaming (e.g., the execrable Mazes and Monsters), Darkon explores the purposes, positive aspects, and benefits of the hobby and the motives people have for participating in it. While it also hints at the all-consuming effect RPGs can have on their participants, it is ultimately more of an apologia for the hobby than an examination of it.

From a technical point of view, Darkon is well filmed, excellently scored, and structurally sound. One thing it does not do, however, is explain what a LARP is. Naturally, this does not matter much as far as gamers are concerned, but the absence of such explanation severely limits the value this film could have had as a tool for telling the non-gaming world about something about which it has limited awareness and little understanding. It is also a little on the long side, with multiple, interchangeable battle scenes, some of which could have been cut in lieu of some interviews with some third parties who could have helped put LARPing and RPGing in context.

A product of its times, Darkon draws as much on the genre of reality television as it does on that of documentary, with asides to the camera by its various subjects that shed light on their motivations and relationships in and out of the game. Depending on whether one likes reality TV or not, this could be seen as either a benefit or a detriment.

Some of the costuming and props used by the Darkon LARPers are impressive, with especial kudos going to the Dark Elf reenactors (who do not appear in the film nearly enough). Firing catapults and a wooden fortress that is actually burned at the end of a battle demonstrate the willingness of this club's members to go above and beyond in their gaming.

Overall, Darkon is worth a watch by anyone interested in seeing a particular side of the gaming genre. It is likely, however, to be just as confusing as it is enlightening to outsiders, and does not go nearly as far toward producing an understanding of the hobby to those not already familiar with it.

Darkon is 93 minutes long. It premiered and won the Best Documentary Audience Award at the 2006 South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, and is an official selection playing at the Hot Docs, Maryland Film Festival, Silverdocs, LA Film Festival, Britdoc and Melbourne International Film Festival. It aired on the Independent Film Channel Nov. 12, and that might thus be a good place to keep an eye out for it.

To comment on either this review or the movie itself, go to its page on our interactive Forum!

Skirmisher Releases 'Nuisances' Sequel

2007-10-22T11:23:00.001-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing is pleased to announce the release of Nuisances: Director’s Cut, the revised and expanded sequel to its popular Nuisances d20/OGL sourcebook of hilarious and annoying things that can go wrong in a fantasy adventure. Features of this PDF-format release include more Defects, off-color Feats, and much, much more.

Nuisances: Director’s Cut is available as a $12.99 download from:

YourGamesNow.com

DriveThruRPG.com

RPGnow.com

Paizo.com

Arima.it

TV Series Review: Cavemen

2007-10-04T23:19:00.000-04:00

So why does this show suck? Unfortunately, that really is the only question, because there is no doubt that it does.

For those unfamiliar with the premise of the show, the doomed-to-be-shortlived series Cavemen focuses on a number of Neanderthals and their struggle to exist in modern day America and is based on the characters featured in a series of television ads for Geico Insurance. The concept is solid and there is every reason to think it could be executed successfully.

I had to think about it for awhile, but then the tagline from the commercials -- something to the effect of "We're not that much different from you" provided me with the key to the show's suckiness. Even though cavemen/Neanderthals are actually a different species than humanity, the title characters of this show, it turns out, are exactly the same as those of us who are boring jerks.

Maybe its my background as a game writer -- rather than a soulless, hack, committee-based writer from California -- but this show had so much potential, and none of it has been realized. To start with, the producers should have focused on the fun things that would make cavemen different from us.

What could conceivably be funny, for example, about giving them occupations like perpetual grad student and furniture store clerk, when they would have more compellingly been drawn to things like subterranean utility workers and guides at cave parks? Why would they play prosaic games like squash, when a whole episode could be devoted to them trying get hunting licenses to go after game with spearsor having a picnic at the La Brea Tar Pits? A show like this could write itself, and it takes some willfully bad writing to make it quite so crappy and boring.

Another tiresome aspect of this show is an attempt to portray the cavemen as being subjected to a number of stereotypes associated with various human minorities. [i]Yawn![/i] This has been done so many times before, and never more drearily than this. And, as noted previously, Neanderthals really are a different species, so using them as a metaphor for racial stereotyping is both uncompelling and off the mark.

Additional comments are welcome, including those from anyone who wants to tell me why I'm wrong. I'd like to enjoy this show and am just sorry that I have thus far been unable to.

Skirmisher Announces 'Fall Cleaning' Sale

2007-09-28T15:17:00.000-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has announced that it will be conducting a "Fall Cleaning" sale through the first week of October through its eBay store.

During this sale, every item in the Skirmisher inventory will either be substantially reduced in price, accompanied by a variety of free items, or both. Skirmisher is also offering a number of unique and collectible items that can make perfect gifts (for others or oneself).

"We have so many new items coming out over the next few months that we both need to make space in our warehouse and drum up extra revenue for an unprecedented number of printings," said Michael J. Varhola, Skirmisher editor-in-chief and publisher. "This is definitely in the interests of our customers, and that's fine with us; our main goal has always been to get our books and other products into people's hands, and this will help us accomplish that."

Examples of sale specials include:

* Free copies of Skirmisher's H.G. Wells' Little Orc Wars quick-play rules with all sets of the company's Orcs of the Triple Death hand-painted miniatures.

* As a special promotion, copies of Skirmisher's H.G. Wells' Little Orc Wars quick-play rules marked down for a limited time from $2.95 to just $.99.

* Free temporary tattoos designed by artist Matt Beman of Beaumont Miniatures with both print copies of Skirmisher's popular Nuisances d20/OGL parody book and the Nuisances: Director's Cut PDF.

* Up to 60% off cover price on starting bids for signed, collectible copies of Skirmisher d20 books, including its popular Experts v.3.5, Warriors, and Tests of Skill.

* A collectible, insulated Gen Con mug signed by d20 author Perry Frix.

* And much more, all at Skirmisher's eBay store!

Movie Review: 'Resident Evil: Extinction'

2007-09-22T23:40:00.000-04:00

Resident Evil: Extinction, the latest offering in the movie trilogy based on the popular horror video game, lives up to the standards of its predecessors and will not likely disappoint fans of apocalyptic zombie films (of whom this reviewer is one).

In Extinction, omnipresent action star Milla Jovovich reprises her role as little-red-dress-and-jackboot-wearing monster hunter Alice, and is ultimately joined by former compatriots Oded Fehr as soldier Carlos Olivera and Mike Epps as L.J. Other returning players include Iain Glenn as the gloatingly evil Dr. Isaacs (and the equally malevolent Manfred Powell in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider).

In Extinction, the effects of the zombie-generating T-virus have spread far beyond Raccoon City and decimated not just the human population of the planet but also the environment, creating widespread desertification. Survivors in this undead-haunted world include hidden enclaves of Umbrella Corporation minions, pockets of cannibalistic scavengers, an armored convoy of nomads led by Olivera, L.J. and Claire (Ali Larter), and, naturally, Alice, attired for the post-apocalyptic world in renegade biker garb and armed, among other things, with a pair of Nepalese kukris.

Survival in the harsh, zombie-ridden wasteland of the future would likely be difficult enough without anyone trying to make it worse, but that is, of course, what Dr. Isaacs endeavors to do, in the course of his interminable experiments.

One element in Extinction has got to be either a tribute to classic Mel Gibson action film The Road Warrior, or a rip-off from it, is the armored tanker truck, complete with fighting platforms and flamethrower. Hell, it might actually be the same truck for all I know (although it would not likely have made its way from Australia to the various Mexican venues where Extinction was filmed).

There are a few potentially minor weak points in the film that might chafe even fans of the genre a little. One of these is the use of fragmentary flashbacks that are not likely to mean much to people who haven't seen the previous films (if there are any that have seen this one and not the others). Another is a super-monster that, while more than adequate, is not quite as interesting or impressive as those that appeared in the previous Resident Evil movies. And, with no cobbler being apparent in Isaacs' Nevada facility, one might wonder why the profligate Umbrella Corporation does not bother to reuse boots no longer needed by their wearers (you'll see what I mean).

Those points aside, however, there are a number of fun twists and revelations in Extinction that help to fill in the blanks in the Resident Evil story and plenty of zombie-killing action -- and the necropolis-like remnants of the Las Vegas strip alone make this film well worth watching.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Skirmisher Launches Online Forum

2007-09-03T15:24:00.000-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC is proud to announce the launch of a new online Forum! Readers can access it from the Skirmisher homepage at http://www.skirmisher.com by clicking on "Skirmisher Publishing LLC's Online Forum" near the top of the page, or visit it directly by going to http://www.skirmisher.com/forum.

Anyone is welcome to register, become a member of the Skirmisher community, and discuss any aspect of its books, miniatures, other products, and the games they support — often with the authors, artists, and developers who have created or contributed to them.

Dedicated sections within the Forum include ones devoted to:
* Skirmisher's wildly popular Nuisances OGL/d20 parody book;
* Its H.G. Wells historic reprints and rules inspired by them, including the H.G. Wells' Little Orc Wars miniatures warfare rules;
* d20 material in general and Skirmisher's Experts, Warriors, and Tests of Skill books in particular; and
* The Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition live-action horror role-playing game;
* The Control self-standing conspiracy RPG.

"Many of our customers have been asking for something like this for a couple of years now," says Michael J. Varhola, Skirmisher's publisher and editor-in-chief. "While we did not really have the resources to do it right before, however, we now have a talented, technically-oriented staff capable of launching and supporting a high-quality, interactive Forum that can be a really useful tool for our readers."

Check out Skirmisher's Forum at http://www.skirmisher.com/forum — and feel free to start posting to it right away!

Gen Con After-Action Report

2007-08-21T15:49:00.000-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC would like to thank everyone who helped make Gen Con a success for us this year! We met lots of old friends, made a bunch of new ones, and did not create too many more enemies than usual. People and groups we would like to acknowledge, not in any particular order, include:

* Our booth babes Lindsey "Con Panda" and Emily "Loleda/Alice," who ensured a steady flow of gamers and creepy stalkers alike to booth 314.
* Matt Beman of Beaumont Miniatures and ArmorCast, the driving force behind the new line of Nuisances miniatures that we introduced at the show.
* The various people and companies we met with and will be working with over the coming year, including Ginfritter's Gnomish Workshop, Pagan Publishing, Dagon Industries, Impressions Advertising and Marketing, Quactica author Steve Lortz, d20 writer Shane O'Connor, editor Darrell Hardy, and CL3 author Will Thrasher (who also deserves thanks for helping us pack out at the end of the show).
* Starwind Design, who we have exhibited next to at Gen Con since 2001 and who have always gone out of their way to be friendly and make us feel welcome.
* Dave and Owen, the "Cthulhu Kids," who helped hold down the booth, ran our first-ever PowerLunch tournament, and helped us pack out at the end of the show.
* The Miniature Building Authority, which provided terrain for our first-ever H.G. Wells' Little Orc Wars game at Gen Con.
* The Game Publishers Association -- especially David Wainio -- whose members are always helpful and supportive and make us glad to be part of the game industry.
* OneBookShelf.com, which generously took us to dinner at Bucca di Beppo and took the time to provide us with professional guidance.
* Richard Poppe of Ryleh Enterprises, who displayed his mythos art at our booth.
* The Chicago Gay-Mers, who we hung out and drank with a couple of nights and who introduced us to Sailor Jerry rum.
* Party Hard Corps, who shared their booze with the Skirmisher crew and taught us some cool new drinking games.
* People who hung out and partied with us, including Will from Norfolk, Ken and Sasha from New York City, and Jon from Pittsburgh.
* Every fan who played in one of our events, bought one of our products, or dropped by to visit with us for awhile.

Other companies' games and products that caught our eye at this year's Gen Con and which we will write about in future articles and reviews include:

Best New Role-Playing Game: Metal, Magic, and Lore, from 5th Epoch Publishing
Best New Board Game: World of WarCraft: The Board Game from Fantasy Flight Games
Best New Card Game: Wench! Top Shelf from Mydzei Games LLC
Best Gaming Accessory: The humongous, 54" x 102" Mondomat from Chessex

Other Skirmisher milestones and the like include:

New High Points: Lightsabre duels in the basement of the Hilton, schwaggling the flip flops from the devil at the Alpha/Omega booth (picture to come).
New Low Points: Having someone try to schwaggle one of our junior staff members from us.
New Favorite Drink: Order one weissbeer, one lemonade, and one extra glass, and then mix the drinks in equal parts. Very refreshing at the end (or middle) of hot and busy con days.
Best Quote: "We're booth babes ... They're booth whores." (With regard to the non-gamer "models" working at various booths.)

We will be talking more about Gen Con in this and other posts, so keep your eye on this Website and feel free to come back with any comments you might have!

Skirmisher Releases 'Experts v.3.5' in PDF

2007-08-06T21:37:00.001-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing is pleased to announce the PDF release of Experts v.3.5. Originally published in print format, this book is a thoroughly updated, expanded, and revised version of Experts, the company's original d20 tome dedicated to bringing new depth and playability to the Expert, the NPC class only briefly described in the DMG.

In addition to updating this edition to 3.5 standards, Skirmisher has added to and updated the book’s many exciting features:

* More than 30 fully detailed Expert types, including the Alchemist, Blacksmith, Courtesan, Merchant, Miner, Navigator, Physician, Sage, Sailor, and Weaponmaker.

* More than 100 new skills, including dozens of new Crafts and Professions and detailed rules for creation of everything from weapons and armor to buildings and ships.

* More than two dozen ready-to-use NPC Experts that can be used as-is or easily modified to suit any campaign or adventure.

* More than 20 new magic items.

* Three new prestige classes, including the Guild Master, and the Militia Leader, and the all-new Spellcrafter, which are suitable for PCs and NPCs alike.

Experts v.3.5 is available as a $12.99 PDF download from a number of online retailers, including DriveThruRpg.com and RPGNow.com; Italian site Arima.it; Paizo.com; and publishing cooperative YourGamesNow.com.

For more information, go to www.skirmisher.com.

Skirmisher Releases "USSMC FM 7-22: Space Boarding Operations"

2007-07-12T00:26:00.000-04:00

One of Skirmisher Publishing LLC’s most innovative new publications is USSMC FM 7-22: Space Boarding Operations, which it released at the Origins game convention, held July 5-8 in Columbus, Ohio. This military-style field manual is designed to read like an actual U.S. Space Marine Corps field manual devoted to boarding hostile spacecraft in 2089. Its author, Lt. Col. Oliver Cass, is an active-dutyU.S. Army officer experienced in both real-world operations and manual writing.

USSMC FM 7-22: Space Boarding Operations is currently available through eBay and will soon also be available through Amazon.com. A PDF-format version of USSMC FM 7-22 is or will soon be available through a number of online sales venues, including DriveThruRpg.com and RPGNow.com; Italian site Arima.it; the European fantasy-download.com; Paizo.com; and publishing cooperative YourGamesNow.com.

USSMC FM 7-22 is also the official publication of TerrorWerks, a heartpounding live-action roleplaying experience that debuted at Origins, where it was an overwhelming success. It was organized by the venerable PST Productions — one of the longest-operating and most successful Cthulhu Live live-action role-playing production groups — and MindGame Productions, a live-action gaming company that runs the largest Airsoft events on the East Coast. TerrorWerks players assumed the roles of U.S. Space Marines, civilian engineers, and MineraTek executives thrust into the heart of an orbiting refinery being ravaged by an unknown alien
horror. Using their wits, skills, and an arsenal of fully-automatic Airsoft weapons, the Marines will battle their way through the station, racing against the clock to save themselves and any survivors. Along the way, the players will search for clues to the identity and origins of the horrors that strike out of the darkness.

For more information about USSMC FM 7-22: Space Boarding Operations, contact Skirmisher at webmaster@skirmisher.com.

Skirmisher Launches Electronic Publishing Venture

2007-07-01T12:55:00.000-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has just launched an electronic publishing venture to produce games, supplements, and other materials in PDF format that will greatly expand the number of titles the company has available. This venture will also make many of its titles available much sooner than they otherwise would be and will make them easier and cheaper for some customers to obtain.

Skirmisher’s electronic-format publications are or will soon be available through a number of reputable online sales venues that many readers may already be familiar with. These include DriveThruRpg.com and RPGNow.com; Italian site Arima.it; the European fantasy-download.com; Paizo.com; and publishing cooperative YourGamesNow.com. Many of the electronic publications will also be available directly from Skirmisher on CD-ROM.

“One of our main motivations for this venture was to make some of our products available sooner for the people who play our games,” says Skirmisher publisher Michael J. Varhola. “Especially for our Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition horror live-action roleplaying game. Many of these products will eventually also be available in print. It is much faster and economical for us to publish them in PDF format first, however, and many will thus be available electronically months sooner and for about half of what they will cost in print.”

Skirmisher will also be making some of the most popular items from its backlist available in PDF, especially its line of d20 and OGL books intended for use with games that use the same rules system as popular Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.

“Many people just prefer to purchase their gaming products in PDF format, or to see if they like them before paying full price for print versions, and we wanted to be responsive to that,” Varhola says. “It is also very expensive to send print versions of books to some places in the world, especially to English-speaking countries like Australia and New Zealand. Fans in those countries have been requesting this move from us for some time and we are pleased that we can finally accommodate them.”

Skirmisher’s new electronic publishing venture is run by Darrell Hardy, a veteran of the game industry who has worked for several years with Fantasy Flight Games. He is also editor of Skirmisher’s electronic line of products for Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition and will be authoring several of them.

For more information about Skirmisher’s exciting new electronic publishing venture, contact the company at pdfs@skirmisher.com.

Visit Skirmisher at Gen Con Booth 314!

2007-06-27T14:03:00.000-04:00

As always, Gen Con Indianapolis is the place to be in August, and Skirmisher will be displaying its latest books and other products in the exhibit hall at Booth 314, at the left end of the exhibit hall. Be sure to come by and look at our latest releases, sign up for some of the events based on our games, and speak with us in person! New products scheduled for release at the con include:

* H.G. Wells’ Little Orc Wars, a versatile, easy-to-learn miniature wargaming system based on rules developed by the great science fiction author.

* USSMC FM 7-22: Space Boarding Operations, an innovative book that is designed to read like an actual U.S. Space Marine Corps field manual devoted to boarding hostile spacecraft and battling their crews in A.D. 2089. It is also the official licensed publication of the TerrorWerks (http://www.terrorwerks.com/) live-action event that will debut at Origins in July.

* Old Man of Damascus, a script for the Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition live-action horror roleplaying game.

* Nuisances: Director’s Cut, a revised and expanded edition of Skirmisher’s off-color and most popular OGL/d20 book.

* Several free giveaways and premiums will also available — some exclusively for recipients of this newsletter, so be sure to bring your copy to get what’s coming to you!

There will also be a number of events run at Gen Con by Skirmisher or based on its products. All are listed on the Gen Con website (www.gencon.com/2007/indy) and, by day, will include the following. If you are already signed up for a Skirmisher event, please contact us at d20@skirmisher.com for useful advance information!

Thursday: "The Green Fairy," an 1890s gaslight event for Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition run by PST Productions.

Friday: "PowerLunch First-Ever National Tournament," an event run by Skirmisher based on its PowerLunch Collectible Trading Business Card Game (CTBCG), the winner of which will get a free lunch at a local restaurant. Bring this newsletter to receive a free deck! Free copies of PowerLunchTM are also available for download at http://www.skirmisher.com/ so that you can practice a little before the con; "Expedition to the Burial Peaks," one of Skirmisher’s infamous Great Con scenarios, based on material from its popular Nuisances d20/OGL book; and "Arcana Imperium," a Roman-era Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition event run by PST Productions.

Saturday: "Object of Desire," a Wild West Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition event run by PST Productions; and an "H.G. Wells’ Little Orc Wars" tournament-style game.

Authors and artists associated with many of Skirmisher’s products will be on hand at the company’s booth to sign copies of their work and chat with fans and customers. These will include Cthulhu Live creator Robert "Mac" McLaughlin, Cthulhu Mythos artist Richard Alan Poppe (http://www.thestygiandepths.com/) and Skirmisher author, founder, and publisher Michael J. Varhola. Be sure to come by and chat with them a little!

Fantasy Artist Lissanne Lake Featured in Exhibition

2007-04-16T14:39:00.000-04:00

The Atrium Gallery at the Bergen County Y, a Jewish Community Center in the township has announced that it will present paintings by Lissanne Lake of North Bergen. The show opens Sunday, April 29 with a reception in the artists’ honor and will continue through Wednesday, May 30. Lake will make remarks at the opening reception at 11:30 a.m., with light refreshments to follow. The event concludes at 1:00 pm.

Lake’s paintings have appeared on the covers of several Skirmisher Publishing LLC books, including their d20-system books Nuisances (2005), Experts v.3.5 (2005), and Warriors (2003).

Telling stories through painting, Lissanne Lake calls herself a natural illustrator who loves to incorporate strong colors and themes of antiquity and paradox for a dramatic, photo-realistic effect. Her recent work utilizes representation of living figures and objects, both realistic and decorative, in combination with still-life subjects.

“Art,” says Lake, “is one of the few ways I feel we have to extend the brevity of the human lifespan and potentially touch the future.” She seeks “to celebrate the juxtaposition of the transient and the eternal,” as is evident in the current show.

Lake has been a full-time illustrator for nearly 20 years. After earning her bachelor’s of arts degree in illustration from Jersey City State College in 1978, she worked in the advertising business before returning to illustration and fine arts. Since then, her work has appeared on more than 100 book covers and product packages and in magazines and other publications.

Lake’s work has been displayed in various gallery shows across the country, including at the Olympia & York juried show in New York. The artist has won numerous awards and citations for Best-in-Show, including from the prestigious Worldcon. Her recent solo exhibitions include the Nutley Library and at Independence Bank in Hoboken, New Jersey. Lake frequently participates in group shows throughout metropolitan New York and New Jersey. She has continued her training in art doing portrait painting of live models and does regular demonstrations in acrylic technique for interested students.

Much of Lake's published work has appeared on the covers of role-playing game books, magazines, and similar products. In 2001, she published a tarot card deck in collaboration with author Raymond Buckland.

The Atrium Gallery is open during regular YJCC hours. For more information, call (201) 666-6610, ext. 222.

Fantascene and Its Gothic Terrain

2007-03-21T15:51:00.000-04:00

Skirmisher recently discovered model maker Fantascene and acquired a number of items from its Gothic Terrain line of resin models for table-top games that use 25 mm to 30 mm miniatures. Located in Lincolnshire, England, this relatively new company has not yet gotten much exposure in the United States and is still unknown to many American gamers and collectors.

“I really started making model scenery when my son and daughter became interested in gaming,” Fantascene owner and sculptor Geoff Broad told Skirmisher. “I made models as a kid but left it until I had children of my own who wanted things they couldn’t buy to go with their toys and games. At first, it was simple stuff like rocks and hills, then more involved projects like houses and watchtowers.”

After Broad won a Games Workshop scenery making contest, however, and people began asking him to make models for their gaming groups, he expanded his operations and finally decided to turn his hobby into a business. He studied under noted miniature building maker John Atkinson (formerly of miniature collectible maker Lilliput Lane), bought specialized equipment like a vac unit (form removing bubbles from rubber molds and resin mix), launched a Website, and started attending trade shows around the United Kingdom.

Fantascene’s models are made either from a very dense and durable urethane, for items like Halfling holes and ruined buildings, or from hard-cast resin, for smaller items like crypts, tombs, and headstones, as well as buildings with hollow interiors. All of the company’s models are available either painted or unpainted.

It is not always easy to gauge quality from online pictures, however, and the prices of these items were all modest enough that we expected they would be commensurately modest as well. Suffice it to say, Fantascene, which Broad has operated as a full-time business since the autumn of 2005, is one of those companies that has not yet discovered the value of its own products. All of the ones we looked at were beautifully sculpted, well painted, and very reasonably priced.

One of the pieces with which we were most impressed, for example, is the company’s “Dracula’s Crypt,” a cast resin model with exquisite exterior details and a removable roof that allows the interior to be both viewed and used. Almost unbelievably, the company sells this beautiful piece unpainted for just 10 British pounds and fully hand-painted for just 18 British pounds! Those prices convert to about U.S. $19.50 and U.S. $35, respectively.

Fantascene’s models are also clearly designed with gaming in mind and generally have a footprint that is compatible with a 1-inch-square grid pattern, which we found to be very convenient. Its various Statues and Monuments, for example, have 1-inch square bases, Dracula’s Crypt is about 3 inches wide by 4 inches long, and its Small Crypt neatly fills as 2-inch by 2-inch area. Because of this suitability for wargaming, Skirmisher has decided to feature a number of Fantascene models in its upcoming Little Orc Wars miniature wargaming rules.

In addition to its Gothic Terrain, Fantascene also has four other lines of models, including ones devoted to Bits ‘n’ Pieces, Buildings, Halflings, and Fortifications, and many of the models in them are fairly unique and do not have counterparts in other companies. And, according to Broad, the company will also soon be expanding its offering with lines tying in with science fiction, history, and the Far East. All of its products are available directly through its Website.

“Fantascene is here to stay,” Broad says. “We certainly put the effort into meeting gamers and hobbyists needs and will continue to make and offer our customers a diverse range of scenic products.”

Skirmisher Discounts Items

2007-03-19T11:37:00.000-04:00

Skirmisher has recently cut prices by as much as 50% on a number of its books, games, and miniatures and listed them in its game store on eBay for a limited time.

Items that this special promotion applies to include the d20 books Experts v.3.5, Warriors, Tests of Skill, and Nuisances; the live-action roleplaying game Cthulhu Live and its Companion CD-ROM; and Skirmisher's Orcs of the Triple Death miniatures.

Most of Skirmisher's books are also available through Amazon.com, where the company frequently uses temporary promotional pricing as well.

"We just like to give people not familiar with our products a little extra incentive to try them out," explains Skirmisher editor-in-chief Michael J. Varhola. "Our games and supplements are some of the best available, and we have found that once gamers try them they will come back to us again and again."

Impressions Announces Free RPG Day

2007-01-31T20:10:00.000-05:00

Impressions Advertising & Marketing announced Jan. 31 the launch of Free RPG Day for gamers across the country. The in-store event will be celebrated Saturday, June 23.

Impressions, working with hobby game retailers and RPG publishers, will bring new RPG Quickstart Rules and Adventure Modules to the hands of gamers. Consumers will get their hands on brand new material for a variety of RPGs, and no overstock, retail-priced, or dead product will be given away.

“The goal is to get consumers inspired to play a new RPG, which could in turn, create sales through a consumers local brick-and-mortar retailer. We already have commits from Goodman Games, White Wolf, Chessex and others.” said Aldo Ghiozzi, owner of Impressions.

“We are very much in support of this”, said Ed Evans, owner of All Things Fun in West Berlin, New Jersey. “I welcome old and new customers alike to make a day of it in my store!”

All gamers need to do is find a participating retailer (as they sign up) at www.FreeRPGDay.com.

Impressions Advertising & Marketing handles the distributor sales and shipping for nearly 50 hobby game companies to over 40 distributors worldwide, while also being the publishers of GameBuyer Magazine, the only monthly business-to-business publication 100% devoted to the hobby game retailer.

USSMC FM 7-22: Space Boarding Operations

2007-01-02T15:55:00.000-05:00

One of Skirmisher’s most innovative new publications is USSMC FM 7-22: Space Boarding Operations, scheduled for release in spring 2007 and designed to read like an actual U.S. Space Marine Corps field manual devoted to boarding hostile spacecraft in 2089. Its author, Lt. Col. Oliver Cass, is an active-duty U.S. Army officer experienced in both real-world operations and manual writing.

USSMC FM 7-22 is also the official publication of TerrorWerks, a heart-pounding live-action roleplaying experience that will debut at the Origins game show in July 2007. It is being organized by the venerable PST Productions — one of the longest-operating and most successful Cthulhu Live production groups — and MindGame Productions, a live-action gaming company that runs the largest Airsoft events on the East Coast. TerrorWerks players will assume the roles of U.S. Space Marines, civilian engineers, and MineraTek executives thrust into the heart of an orbiting refinery that is being ravaged by an unknown alien horror. Using their wits, skills, and an arsenal of fully-automatic Airsoft weapons, the Marines will battle their way through the station, racing against the clock to save themselves and any survivors. Along the way, the players will search for clues to the identity and origins of the horrors that strike out of the darkness.

For more information, contact Skirmisher at webmaster@skirmisher.com.

Happy Holidays from Skirmisher Publishing!

2006-12-24T21:29:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing would like to wish all of our friends and readers a Merry Christmas, Super Saturnalia, Happy Yule, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Festive Kwanza, Terrific Zarathosht Diso, Belated Bodhi Day, Bountiful Boxing Day, Cheery Needfest, Idyllic Eid al-Adha, Warm Advent, Cool Childermas, Hangover-Free Gantan-Sai, and Happy Holidays overall, as well as Happy New Year and wonderful 2007! Happy Birthday, Mithra! Party on, Bacchites, pass the vino! Woohoo Sekhmet, you go girl! Sol Invictus! And best wishes to followers of Isis, Mithra, Nodens, Hermes, Baldur, Apollo, Rama, Telchur, the various “New World” deities, and assorted other cults and groupings. Apologies to any others that have been overlooked; feel free to let us know if there is a favorite sect you would like mentioned here. Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!

Skirmisher’s Top Picks from Gen Con

2006-09-23T01:25:00.000-04:00

Several games, accessories, and related products caught the eyes of the Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine staff at Gen Con 2006 in Indianapolis in August. Following are Skirmisher’s “Top Picks” of especially good, fun, or useful products from this most recent Gen Con (along with the companies that produced them). We recommend all of these items and reviews of several are in the works now. So, check back here often to read more about them!

Medieval Building Set (Dwarven Forge)
HorrorClix “Great Cthulhu” (Whiz Kids)
Hollywood Shuffle non-collectible card game
Counting Zzz’s non-collectible card game
Villainy non-collectible card game
Dead Hand Chaos Poker non-collectible card game
Qin role-playing game
Pit Fighter: Fantasy Arena board game
EuroVillage Series “Town Wall” components (The Miniature Building Authority)
“Qauctica” miniatures (Lance & Laser)
Warriors of the Gods role-playing game

Product Review: Medieval Building Set

2006-09-14T00:09:00.000-04:00

A Skirmisher “Top Pick” from Gen Con 2006!

One of the most versatile and useful gaming accessories released at the most recent Gen Con, in August, had to be Dwarven Forge’s Medieval Building Set. Not only has the company lived up to its usual high standards with this set, it has made available something markedly different from its existing product line.

According to Dwarven Forge, the Medieval Building Set “is meant to be the first of many aboveground sets that will finally allow our collectors to take their adventures into villages, towns, and cities.” This set certainly does that, and its Tudor-style components are ideal for creating three-dimensional floorplans for essential urban adventuring areas like taverns, inns, shops, guildhouses, and any number of other buildings. They are also fully compatible with the stonework and cavernous pieces of the other sets, allowing creation of multimedia subterranean and aboveground structures alike.

Like the company’s other Master Maze components, the modular pieces in this set are scaled for use with 25mm miniatures and marked with a 1-inch grid pattern that makes them ideal for creating floorplans that accurately correspond to graph paper maps. Likewise, they are made of handpainted cast resin, with felt-covered bottoms to keep them from scratching any surfaces on which they are placed.

This is a nice, fat set, and well worth the $99 price. Its 40 pieces are adequate to configure any number of small, medium, or even relatively large floorplans; without too much effort, we were able to create a three-room structure that was a scale 40 by 90 feet (with one piece left over). Components in this set include four Doors, 10 Straight Walls (three different versions), four Window Walls, eight Corner Walls (two different versions), 12 plain 2-inch by 2-inch Floor pieces, one 2-inch by 2-inch Floor piece with a bearskin rug, and one Secret Door.

As with many Dwarven Forge products, it is the little details that make one realize just how much care and imagination goes into developing the company’s various sets. With that idea in mind, my favorite pieces in the Medieval Building Set are a secret door disguised to look like a bookshelf and the wooden floor segment with a bearskin rug on it, both of which are very cute and elegant.

Other nice details of the pieces in this set include wood grain on the edges and little brackets on the corners of the 2-inch floor pieces, which can help make them all the more suitable for use in platforms, boardwalks, wharfs, or other applications where their sides might be seen.

Addition of accessories like Dwarven Forge’s Medieval Furniture Set or Dungeon Accessories Set (elements from which are shown in the pictures accompanying this review) -- or similar accessories from other companies -- can help to further customize areas created with these components.

Among game manufacturers, Skirmisher Publishing LLC is a big fan of Dwarven Forge products, and you can look for floorplans based on the Medieval Building Set and other Master Maze components in the upcoming Nuisances-inspired d20/OGL sourcebooks The Great Con and Antipaladin’s Quest.

Dwarven Forge’s Medieval Building Set can be purchased directly from the company.

HorrorClix sells out at WizKids

2006-09-07T15:42:00.000-04:00

Joe Hauck, Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Product Development at WizKids, has announced that his company has sold out of the first production run of HorrorClix.

"The good news is that HorrorClix is experiencing a wonderful release, and we appreciate and recognize all of your help in creating this success," Hauck said in an e-mail to retailers, distributors, and WizKids volunteers. "The bad news is that despite our efforts to create what we thought were sufficient quantities of inventory to stock the product for three to six months after the release date, our inventory is currently out in the U.S. After the promotional window for the Cthulhu figure was closed, we continued to receive re-orders from all of our distribution partners as more and more fans became excited about our new line of Clix-based minis."

Now that the product has launched to consumers around the world, WizKids said it is receiving re-orders even earlier than it had expected.

"The good news is that anticipating this upswing in interest and activity, we have a reprint already in the works and on the way," Hauck said. "The reprint is expected to arrive in early October. So although in the short term we may have a lack of product to satisfy everyone's needs, we will be able to catch up fairly quickly."

Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine acquired one of the Cthulhu figures last month at Gen Con and can vouch for why demand has been so high, as it is a striking, incredible piece that would be a great prop for almost any horror-oriented game and beautiful collector's item as well.

HorrorClix is still available to retailers through most adventure game distributors. For more information on HorrorClix, go to www.wizkidsgames.com.

A Tour and a Puzzle

2006-07-28T11:03:00.000-04:00

Mantra Design Studio has put together a video tour of the Indianapolis Convention Center in preparation for the arrival of thousands of people from all over the world for Gen Con Indy (Aug. 10-13). This is not just a normal tour, however, and embedded in it is a cryptic puzzle. Everyone who finds the correct solution to this puzzle will be entered to a final drawing for some great prizes, including an "Investigator's Pack" from Skirmisher Publishing LLC — a $50 value — that includes a copy of the new Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition game, four other books, and an interactive companion CD to the LARP designed by Mantra Design Studio.

Only correct answers will be entered to the final drawing and chances of winning will vary with the number of entrants, but these are some great prizes and for you puzzle buffs out there this puzzle should be a good challenge!

So here's how to play:

1) Goto http://www.mantrads.com/gc2006/index.php
2) View the online tour and try to locate the secret button and decipher the cryptic messages.
3) Then, follow these clues to find the final solution to the puzzle and your entrance into the drawing on Saturday, Aug. 12 (time to be announced at Skirmisher Publishing LLC's booth 228)
4) Turn in your correct entries at authorized locations (locations and instructions revealed only to those with the correct answer)!
5) Win. Win. Win!

Now. Investigators and gamers alike mi-go, go, go! And good luck!

Come to Skirmisher's 'Twisted Tentacle Mixer'!

2006-07-25T16:11:00.000-04:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC would like you to join us the night of Friday, August 11, for a Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition kick-off party! This event will begin at 8 p.m. at the Alcatraz Brewing Co. (located at 49 W Maryland St # 104), after the "Shafted" Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition scenario being played at the Gen Con game convention, and will run until it closes! We have reserved the entire balcony area, so there will be plenty of room for everyone. Music, games, and other activities will tie in the with "Miskatonic University Twisted Tentacle Mixer Frat Party Theme"!

Special guests at the event will include Robert "Mac" McLaughlin -- creator of the Cthulhu Live live-action roleplaying game and author of its revised, expanded, and improved 3rd edition -- and Mythos artist Richard Alan Poppe.

Other highlights will include exclusive information about the long-awaited release of the latest edition of the popular LARP, pitchers of Skirmisher's famous Tindalosian Ale, degenerate Mythos-related drinking-games, prize giveaways, ill-advised contests, misguided instances of performance art, and a generally rollicking good time with Skirmisher Publishing LLC, PST Productions, MindGame Productions, and the rest of the Cthulhu Live crew.

Don’t miss this event! It will make this year’s Gen Con one to remember. If you would like to attend, either click here to go to Evite or email us at cthulhulive@skirmisher.com and we send you a personal invitation.

Book Preview: Battlestar Galactica 3: Sagittarius is Bleeding

2006-06-22T23:14:00.000-04:00

Tor/Forge has announced the upcoming release of Sagittarius is Bleeding, the third book in its series of novels based on the current Battlestar Galactica television series!

Action in Sagittarius is Bleeding revolves around the character or Laura Roslin, last-surviving member of the former president's cabinet and now leader of the shattered 12 Colonies. This story was written by Peter David, author of numerous other books (e.g., The Knight Life), comic books (e.g., Swamp Thing), and television scripts (e.g., Babylon 5).

Sagittarius is Bleeding is due for release in October 2006. Keep your eye on this space, however, for a feature review long before that; Skirmisher has obtained an advance copy of the novel and will soon give you the inside scoop on what looks like a very promising complement to one of our favorite shows.

Preorder Cthulhu Live 3E and Get a Free Bonus CD!

2006-06-13T18:37:00.000-04:00

The stars are right for the eagerly anticipated release of a thoroughly revised, expanded, and improved edition of the Cthulhu Live live-action role-playing game this September! Customers who preorder the game now through Skirmisher's eBay store will receive a free interactive CD with a retail value of $9.95.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition is a 5.5 x 8.5 inch, softcover, 200-page book with four-color front and back covers and black-and-white interior (Skirmisher Publishing LLC, SKP 0602, ISBN 0-9777211-0-8, September 2006, $19.95). It is a completely revised, expanded, and updated version of the acclaimed live-action roleplaying game based on the horror tales of H.P. Lovecraft. This newest and best edition of Cthulhu Live includes a richly detailed and uniquely playable rules system that incorporates 12 years of best practices and refinements from hundreds of gamers worldwide. Features of this self-contained game include:

* All-new rules for skills, combat, Sanity, Magic, and Psychic powers.
* Extensive information on organizing events, stagecraft and special effects.
* Guidelines on role-playing Outsiders tainted by the touch of the Mythos.
* New and improved photographs, graphics, and other images, including works by renowned Cthulhu Mythos artist Richard Alan Poppe.
* And much more!

ABOUT THE CD
Skirmisher Publishing has partnered with Mantra Design Studios to produce the Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition Companion CD-ROM. With a stunning graphic interface and a soundtrack by Midnight Syndicate, the Cthulhu Live Companion is a fantastic tool resource for Keepers and Players alike. Compatible with PC, Mac and Linux platforms, the CD-ROM includes:

* An advanced character creation program.
* Character Card Creator.
* Government ID Badge Creator.
* Library of Cthulhu Live Game Scripts with ready-to-print hand-outs.
* Fearsome collection of Tome Texts to print and bind for your own props.
* Extensive selection of document props ready to be customized and used in your games.
* A simulated secure email server ready to send encrypted email to modern agents.
* And much more!

The CD-ROM retails for $9.95 but is available at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE for preordered sales for Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition. All pre-ordered books will be sent out during the month of September, with a precise date to be announced. To preorder this great book and also get the CD for free, just click here.

Customers wishing to preorder copies of Cthulhu Live3rd Edition with a check or money order can send payment to: Skirmisher Publishing LLC, Attn: CL3, P.O. 150006, Alexandria, VA 22315-0006. Cost is $19.95 per book/CD set plus $3.95 shipping for the first one and just $1 shipping for each additional one ordered at the same time.

Book Review: DragonArt: How to Draw Fantastic Dragons and Fantasy Creatures

2006-06-09T10:39:00.000-04:00

Dragons are certainly among the most quintessential elements of the fantasy genre and their likenesses comprise one of the cornerstones of the art associated with it. A relatively new book, DragonArt: How to Draw Fantastic Dragons and Fantasy Creatures (Impact Books, 2005, ISBN 1581806574, 128 pages, $19.99), is both an enjoyable browse and a useful guide for anyone interested in creating their own dragons or other fantastic creatures with pencil and paper.

DragonArt is divided into three major parts, Fantastic Dragons, Unique Details, and Other Fantasy Creatures, along with an introduction, a section on how to use the book, and a brief guide to fantastic creatures.

Lessons in this book are progressive in nature, beginning with fundamentals and moving into increasingly advanced aspects of dragon design, all illustrated with step-by-step illustrations that are punctuated by helpful tips and tricks throughout. And author/artist Jessica “NeonDragon” Peffer has a clear, easy writing style that can be easily comprehended, absorbed, and acted upon, an example of which follows below.

“Okay, so we’re going to discuss the anatomy of a creature that exists nowhere but in our minds. Sounds kind of silly to say that something made from pure imagination does not look correct, but that will happen if your creature doesn’t look believable. To help make your dragon as real as possible, base its structure on real creatures,” she writes at one point (page 44). “The ideal dragon is likely a mix of cat, bird, and reptile body types. The trick is choosing which parts to keep and which ones to throw out. You want it to feel like a single creature.”

This advice, incidentally, is very reminiscent of that given by Leonardo Da Vinci in his notebooks for drawing creatures of this ilk, making Peffer well read or naturally very insightful, either of which speaks well for her. Under “How You Should Make an Imaginary Animal Look Natural,” the increasingly famous Renaissance man writes, “You know that you cannot invent animals without limbs, each of which, in itself, must resemble those of some other animal. Hence if you wish to make an animal, imagined by you, appear natural -- let us say a Dragon, take for its head that of a mastiff or hound, with the eyes of a cat, the ears of a porcupine, the nose of a greyhound, the brow of a lion, the temples of an old cock, the neck of a water tortoise.”

DragonArt also includes guidelines on drawing a number of other sorts of fantastic creatures, including basilisks, chimeras, gargoyles, and griffins.

For those interested in applying the guidelines presented in this book, a companion DragonArt Kit: How to Draw & Paint Fantastic Creatures that includes a compressed version of the book and some art supplies will also be available soon. Author Peffer is also the creator of the popular fantasy art Website NeonDragonArt.com, which can give anyone potentially interested in this book the opportunity to get a sense of the kinds of creatures they can learn to create themselves.

Book Review: 'Shadows in the Asylum'

2006-05-23T13:44:00.000-04:00

When any given publisher releases a book with a theme in which it specializes, such a work does not necessarily warrant attention; chaff gets pretty thoroughly mixed with palatable morsels in many cases, and this is as true with horror -- more true, perhaps -- than with many other genres. But when a reputable regional publisher releases a bona fide horror title, it makes a conscientious fan wonder whether it might not be worth a closer look.

This is certainly the case with Emmis Books' Shadows in the Asylum: The Case Files of Dr. Charles Marsh (2006, ISBN 1-57860-204-1, $14.95), an innovative work written by D.A. Stern, bestselling author of a number of Blair Witch Project adaptations and spinoffs. Not only does it warrant a closer look, its innovative structure both encourages and compels one.

Unlike more traditional books, Shadows in the Asylum’s story unfolds in the form of a variety of documents, including medical records, newspaper clippings, historical documents, journal entries, email messages, and even the scribbled notes of its central character. This makes a passive reading of the book difficult and challenges the reader to glean the information that will reveal the secrets contained within its pages.

Events in the book revolve around the title Dr. Charles Marsh, a man with a dark past who has recently assumed a position as a psychologist at an asylum in Wisconsin. Marsh soon develops an interest in one of the institution’s patients, a woman who suffered a mental breakdown while on an archaeological dig in northern Wisconsin and now claims to be haunted by spectral monsters. From that point onward, the lines between patient and healer begin to blur, and Marsh is inexorably drawn into a struggle with his uncertainty about what is real and what is imaginary, and what can be addressed with the tools of science and what cannot.

While the works of horror master H.P. Lovecraft are evoked by the contents of this book -- and, along with the Blair Witch Project, invoked by the publisher in its promotional and backflap materials -- discerning readers will also detect the influence of an earlier by equally seminal father of the genre: Bram Stoker, whose Dracula is a compilation of diary entries, letters, newspaper articles, phonograph transcripts, and the like. Shadows in the Asylum takes this concept a step further by presenting it graphically as well as textually. (A technique, by the way, that would make this book an ideal prop for live-action horror roleplaying games like Cthulhu Live.)

It would not be right to include any spoilers or give away any surprises here, and so this review will forgo providing too many details of the horror that lurks at the roots of this compelling story (although the most fanatic horror aficionados already know what sort of creatures lurk in the cold wastes of the upper Midwest …). For those looking for that exceptional work that transcends what they have come to expect from an often dissatisfying genre, however, suffice it to say that Shadows in the Asylum will not disappoint.

Book Expo America 2006

2006-05-20T11:11:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, DC -- Book Expo America 2006, held here 19-21, was the place to be for anyone involved in writing, publishing, selling, or distributing books (and, from the looks of a great number of overburdened people struggling with totes bursting with samples and swag, those who love books as well).

Old friends Skirmisher publisher Michael J. Varhola visited with at the show included Writer's Digest Books and for which he wrote Everyday Life During the Civil War and the Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference and Savas -- now Savas-Beatie -- for which he wrote Fire & Ice: The Korean War, 1950-53 and D-Day. Others whose books have been favorably recognized on this site and in other publications with which Varhola is affiliated included Dover Publications, Emmis Books, Inner Traditions, Stackpole, and Wizards of the Coast. All had great looking new titles displayed at the show and it was encouraging to see so many nice titles from so many favorite companies.

New friends Varhola met with for the first time and with who's work he was impressed included Adventures Unlimited Press, American University of Cairo Press, Barron's, Casemate, Encounter Books, Illumination Arts Publishing, Leading Books Press, MapQuest, Meisha Merlin Publishing, and Word Forge Books.

Keep your eye on this space for reviews of some of the most fun, interesting, and promising titles we ran across at BEA '06! Just a few of them include Shadows in the Asylum, The Giza Death Star Destroyed, and DragonArt.

Skirmisher Q&A: Fineous Fingers Miniatures

2006-05-16T12:43:00.000-04:00

Q: About 15 to 20 years ago, Dragon Magazine had a cartoon called "Fineous Fingers." He was a thief with a band of adventurer friends. Around that time there was a set of miniature metal figures offered in a box set with all the main characters. A supposed friend of mine got light fingered and walked off with the Wizard miniature from the set and claimed he accidentally lost it. Right!

I was wondering if you could tell me if there is any place I could either get a replacement or another entire set? If not can you tell me where to look or who to ask?

A: Fineous Fingers is a little older than you remember! We checked our 20-year-old Dragon magazines, and he was no longer in them, then went back to our 25-year-old ones -- the oldest ones we had easy access to --and he was not in them either. A little poking around on the Web then revealed that he appeared in Dragon magazine in 1980 and before but, as far as we can tell, not since.

With regard to the miniatures, our condolences; we have all lost gaming stuff over the years to similar "friends" (many of whom no doubt misguidedly style themselves after Fineous). You are not the only one who no longer has a set of these, either; in our cursory research into this subject, we came across the following quote in an online gaming forum: "I used to own a full set of Fineous Fingers figures, but alas, they're lost now. Never got around to painting them, but they were awesome."

If you are interested in replacing any of them, our recommendation would be to periodically do a search on eBay. We ran a quick check for you just now and no luck, but new stuff gets listed every day, and that might end up being your best bet. We have quite a few gaming props there, both ones we used to have and ones we could not afford back in the day.

Hope that helps!

Rob Kuntz to Write AD&D-Compatible Adventure 'Cairn of the Skeleton King'

2006-05-15T10:50:00.000-04:00

Enter an ancient tomb where the undead lurk, where deadly necromantic powers hold sway, and where a king has arisen from the past to challenge your every footstep ... Discover the Warrens of the ghools, creatures of nightmare, fed by an evil power, cursed never to see the light of day ...

Pied Piper Publishing has announced that it will be publishing Dungeon Module CAS1: Cairn of the Skeleton King -- an adventure compatible with the AD&D 1st and 2nd Edition Games -- and that it will be authored by veteran game designer Robert J. Kuntz.

This adventure is written by veteran game designer Robert J. Kuntz,Ennie award winning designer of Maure Castle from Dungeon Magazine.

"If you are seeking adventure with action, newness and the constant challenge of peril, then Cairn of the Skeleton King is a DM’s dream andthe PCs’ nightmare," Pied Piper Publishing said.

This adventure is a 48-page adventure for levels 4-7, with two scenarios in one, each compatible with both AD&D editions, and includes full-color cover and and blac-and-white interior illustrations by veteran artist Jim Holloway. It will have a limited print run of 500 copies, each signed and numbered by the author. According to the company, these will not be available in bookstores and will not be reprinted. The expected release date is mid-July.

Get a Copy of 'Warriors' for $2.37!

2006-05-09T23:48:00.000-04:00

For a limited time, Skirmisher Publishing LLC is selling slightly used or shelfworn copies of its d20 book Warriors on Amazon.com for just $2.37.

"It's true, and these books are actually in very good shape," said Skirmisher Publisher Michael J. Varhola. "We just want the opportunity to get some of our products into the hands of people who might not yet be familiar with them. Warriors is a great book, and we believe that anyone who takes a look at it will want to see some of our other d20 and wargaming books."

Warriors is a comprehensive D20 sourcebook for fantasy role-playing games that expands upon the description of the Warrior class in the 3rd Edition DMG. It is an invaluable resource both for dungeon masters who want to expand the variety and realism of combat encounters and martial non-player characters and for players who want to enhance the military and combat capabilities of their characters.

Features of Warriors include 16 military prestige classes; more than 30 military subtypes; nine non-military subtypes; two dozen skills; nearly a score of feats, including eight devoted to aerial warfare, new weapons, armor, and equipment, including weapon accessories, elephant gear, siege engines, balloons and blimps, and guidelines for incorporating high-technology weapons into a fantasy campaign; 16 new spells; more than 80 new magic items and five new weapon special abilities; three new combat-oriented monsters; two dozen detailed, ready-to-use NPCs; rules for incorporating chariots into combat; rules for using large beasts like elephants in warfare; and guidelines on historical and non-human heraldry.

To purchase a copy of Warriors for just $2.37, go to the book's product detail page on Amazon.com.

Castles & Crusades Condensed PDF Now Available

2006-04-13T13:13:00.000-04:00

Troll Lord Games (Little Rock, Ark.) announced April 12 the release of a condensed version of their wildly popular Castles & Crusades Role Playing Game in PDF form today. The PDF will be available for sale on RPGNow, DriveThruRPG, and Enworld.

Castles & Crusades Condensed is a rules light, fantasy role playing game. Its easy-to-learn attribute-based rules system allows players to choose among six archetypal character classes and five races to create their characters. Spells, equipment, fast-paced combat rules, and all essential information needed to play a game of Castles & Crusades are in this book. It also contains 20+ monsters and The Rising Knight adventure. With 113 pages, C&C Condensed retails for $12.95 and gives players everything they need to play the game.

Castles & Crusades is one of the hottest selling FRPGs on the market today. Released in 2005, it has routinely posted as one of the top 10 best selling RPGs and it is already on its secondprint run.

For more information, visit Troll Lord Games. To speak with or harangue the authors, or any one of the Troll Lords, visit the Troll Lord Games message boards! And be sure to check out the other books in the series: Castles & Crusades Players Handbook, Castles & Crusades Monsters & Treasure, Castles & Crusades Castle Zagyg, Character Reference Sheets, the adventure modules Assault on Blacktooth Ridge and Slag Heap, and more.

Book Review: Nation Builder

2006-04-01T14:03:00.000-05:00

Nation Builder (Troll Lord Games, 2006, ISBN: 1931275807) combines elements of classic and contemporary roleplaying game manuals into a solid resource that will be valued by anyone planning campaigns or scenarios involving political entities. Indeed, there is such a wealth of information and material in this book, applicable to so many situations, that it is likely to be useful to almost any game milieu creator.

"In a basic or even rudimentary sort of campaign, where dungeon-stomping and monster-hacking are the be-all and end-all of action and role-playing, the existence of nations and their various characteristics are little more than a backdrop for the milieu," from the Introduction to Nation Builder, establishes the theme of this valuable book. "If that backdrop can be given greater detail, however, more intense colors, and even three dimensions, the depth and breadth of the roleplaying experience can be expanded upon commensurately. Game Masters have it within their ability to increase the enjoyment of the games in this way and to create nations that are tangible, believable, and enjoyable."

Nation Builder is designed to be a general, system-neutral gaming resource, but also contains solid appendices of rules and statistics specific to the d20 and Lejendary Adventures rules systems. Indeed, the wealth of new material for these game systems makes this book a good value for someone who subscribes to either of them. Material specific to the d20 system, for example, include five prestige classes especially suitable for nation building campaigns, including the Diplomat, High Priest, and Mercenary Commander. If you are looking for an excellent, inspirational gaming resource, this is it. Nation Builder is useful and enjoyable and sure to be an asset that you can return to again and again.

Nation Builder is available from better game stores and through Amazon.com. To address questions directly to author Michael J. Varhola, email varhola@skirmisher.com or respond to this posting.

Skirmisher Q&A: Nuisances Bonus Material

2006-03-16T23:02:00.000-05:00

Q: I purchased a copy of Nuisances the other day and found it to be an excellent, entertaining, read. That said, after reading a review of the product elsewhere, I realized that it was supposed to include a CD, an item that some local hooligan at the FLGS apparently rtemoved from the book prior to my purchasing it. Out of curiosity, is the material on the missing CD available for download anywhere?

A: We included a CD of bonus material with each copy of Nuisances that we sold at Gen Con 2005, but that was a special promotion that did not carry over to retail sales or anywhere else. One of the main documents from that disk, however, is available for free from the Downloads section of our Website (www.skirmisher.com). We also frequently add new Nuisances material to that section and to our "What's New" blog (several items reside there now, as a matter of fact).

Also, the bonus CD will be included in its entirety with our new line of "Monster Porn" DVD cases, which we will be making available though our online store within the next week or so (http://stores.ebay.com/Skirmishers-Game-Store).

Winter Wolves Announces "Ice Queen" Expansion for Magic Stones

2006-03-10T15:43:00.000-05:00

Winter Wolves (Albareto, Italy), creators of the popular rpg/card game "Magic Stones," announced March 10 that they have released a new expansion pack for the game called "The Ice Queen."

In this expansion, your druid is summoned by the Ice Queen herself, the supreme ruler of the Frozen Lands. She wants you to retrieve a precious medallion that she lost in the recent battle against the Blood Orcs in the Wastelands. Many bandits are scavenging the area looking for valuable items, so you must be careful ...

In this last expansion, players will be able to collect two new avatars, the Golden Giant for the Life School of magic, and the Griffon for the Spirit School. They will also face new formidable opponents like ghost spiders, ravage beasts, and so on, in a new quest that will have two different endings for a better re-playability.

Numerous bug fixes and enhancement to the game itself are also present in this last update, that will be free of charge for registered users.

For more information, go to www.winterwolves.com/magicstones.

Skirmisher Q&A: Resources for Blind Gamers

2006-02-28T15:17:00.000-05:00

Q: I need some suggestions for games that can be played with someone blind (age 18). We have Catch Phrase that he really enjoys, but need more games. Any suggestions? Thanks a ton.

A: With regard to “traditional” games, the first thing that comes to our mind are Braille playing cards, several different varieties of which are available (e.g., on Amazon.com), including Poker, Rook, and Tarot decks (although we are not familiar with any actual games that can be played with the latter sorts of cards).

Roleplaying games, of course, would be our first choice. Not many resources are available for blind players, but if at least one person in a gaming group was sighted, they would be able to serve as a game master and narrator for anyone who was not. There is no reason to think that participating in a roleplaying game would be any less enjoyable for a blind player than for any other (although a little assistance from the game master or another player with paperwork might occasionally be helpful). Indeed, having a blind player in a party might even inspire some variants that do not usually turn up in roleplaying game sessions (e.g., the possibility of one or more blind characters in a party).

We hope that helps a little bit! If any of our readers have any other ideas or suggestions, please be sure to post them here!

Call For Addenda and Errata

2006-02-27T22:49:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC is looking for additions and corrections to our books! If you have identified errors that need to be corrected, material that needs to be added, or anything of a similar nature, we would appreciate you telling us about it. If you do, we will credit your contributions in any published material that includes them (unless you ask us not to) and will send you a free copy of it.

Books for which we are seeking addenda and errata include Nuisances, Experts v.3.5 , Warriors, Tests of Skill, H.G. Wells' Little Wars, and Control.

Please send all addenda and errata to d20@skirmisher.com.

"Show Me on the Miniature Where the Dirty Orc Touched You"

2006-02-18T18:34:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has announced the release of its official new 2006 T-shirt, which is emblazoned with the words "Show Me on the Miniature Where the Dirty Orc Touched You ... " and the image of a small, quivering hand pointing at an Orc miniature in the palm of a larger hand. Be the first in your gaming group to wear one!

This high-quality black T-shirt is 100% pre-shrunk cotton and features the Skirmisher Publishing LLC triple-skull logo on the back. It is available in sizes Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, and -- naturally -- Extra, Extra Large. To order one of these shirts, either go to Skirmisher's eBay store or send check or money for $19.99 per shirt ($21.99 for XXL), plus $3.95 S&H for the first shirt and $1 for each short thereafter, to Skirmisher Publishing LLC, P.O. Box 150006, Alexandria, VA 22315.

FREE BONUS items that come with this shirt include a variety of current Skirmisher handouts and a prepainted resin 25/28mm miniature from its "Orcs of the Triple Death" line of figures that you can use for helping demonstrate the words on this stylish gaming shirt.

Skirmisher Q&A: Archer Rangers

2006-02-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

Q: I'm looking for any leads you may give me on two old Dragon articles dating back to the 80s. One was on a new sub class of rangers called an Archer ranger and the other was regarding character profiles on Elric and Stormbringer. Any help would be appreciated.

A: Several years ago, Wizards of the Coast released an indexed version of Dragon back issues on CD. If that is still available, it would probably be your best bet for tracking down specific articles.

With regard to the Archer Ranger, our understanding is that the bow-oriented options available to the v.3.5 Ranger incorporate an earlier vision of what this class should be. Around the time the v.3.5 rules were released, there was a download available on the Wizards site with an alternate bow-using Ranger class.

With regard to the Elric stats, it must have been the very early 1980s! Prior to the 1984 re-release of the 1st Edition Dungeons & Dragons Deities & Demigods tome, this book included sections on the Melnibonean and Cthulhu mythos. These were, however, infringements of other people's intellectual property, and the book was reprinted without them (and without, naturally, any mention of the book's previous incarnation).

Hope this helps at least a little! We would be interested in hearing from anyone who knows anything more about either of these subjects.

Nuisances Addenda: Random Suggestive Words

2006-02-13T22:25:00.000-05:00

The editors at Skirmisher Publishing LLC are hard at work pulling together material for an expanded Addenda and Errata sheet for our extremely popular book Nuisances! Following is one of the tables that will appear in it, and we would appreciate your help with it or anything else you would like to pitch in on. If we use your material, we will acknowledge your contribution and send you a copy of any product we use it in (e.g., we are talking about releasing an expanded, PDF version of Nuisances later this year).

Random Suggestive Words (d?)
1 Fallacious
2 Felicitate
3 Homophone
4 Masticate
5 Philately
6 Seaman
7 ...

Submit your suggestions for this table, or any other Nuisances-oriented material, by either responding to this post or emailing us at d20@skirmisher.com!

Skirmisher Trivia: Orcs of the TripleDeath

2006-02-02T23:47:00.000-05:00

Customers and fans of Skirmisher Publishing LLC may be interested to learn that — immediately prior to being shipped out to whoever has ordered them — all of our Orcs of the Triple Death are the subject of a brief ceremony that includes a salute by an active-duty U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel!

"We take the martial nature of these Orcs very seriously," said Skirmisher's Michael J. Varhola. "We don't know what sort of assignments these Orcs will be given when they get to their new homes, but we want our customers to know that they are the product of a highly regimented, militarized environment."

Skirmisher's Orcs of the Triple Death, a line of pre-painted, resin 25/28mm miniatures — in a variety of sets and with a number of different accessories — are most readily available through Skirmisher's Game Store and eBay auctions.

Skirmisher Adds Items to Store

2006-01-24T11:36:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has begun to expand its recently opened eBay store and has added a number of new items that might be of interest to our readers--including an Orc Catapult Crew that includes eight prepainted Orc miniatures, a working model of a heavy catapult, and full d20/OGL game statistics.

Skirmisher also substantially reduced the price of all "Buy It Now" items in its store, discounting them all as much as 70% off full regular retail prices!

Purchase anything in Skirmisher's eBay store and say you read about it on this Website and Skirmisher will throw in a free book of your choice.

Nuisances Addenda: Hemmet’s Spells

2006-01-20T00:45:00.000-05:00

Following are spells which we neglected to include for repulsive pimp Sorcerer Hemmet, one of the Archtypical NPCs presented in Chapter 7 of our extremely popular OGL book Nuisances. How the hell did we end up leaving these out? Well, we did, and can only cite the opening words of the book in our defense (i.e.,“Shit happens”). Special thanks are due to Wayne Tonjes of GamingReport.com for bring this to our attention. Nuisances owners can insert the following into page 68, between the paragraphs titled“Class/Racial Abilities” and “Possessions ”:

Spells Known (Sorcerer 6/7/6/3, save DC 12 + spell level): 0 (7)—Detect Magic, Flare, Flash*, Mage Hand, Massage*, Message, Read Magic; 1st (5)—Animate Rope, Charm Person, Grease, Mount, Reduce Person; 2nd (3)—Eagle’s Splendor, Make Hole*, Rectal Hand*; 3rd (2)—Haste, Layingman’s Lubrication*.

Plus, add to his Possessions a scroll with two castings of the 4th level Sorcerer spell Layingman’s Love Shack*.

*New Spells: Spells followed by asterisks are new and have not actually been written up yet. Submissions are welcome and, if selected, will be posted here. And if we do post yours here, we will send you a free, signed copy of Nuisances (or any one of our other books if you already have it).

Nation Builder Available

2006-01-12T10:25:00.000-05:00

Troll Lord Games has announced that Gary Gygax’s Nation Builder is available for immediate shipping. Nation Builder marks the sixth installment in the Gygaxian Fantasy World series of fantasy world and dungeon design books written or edited by Gary Gygax.

Laboriously researched and written by game designer and history author Michael J. Varhola, Nation Builder fleshes out themes first presented in World Builder (GFW II, Gygax and Cross) and Living Fantasy (GFW III, Gygax), but with its primary focus on the political, social and economic entities that comprise states in both modern realistic and fantastic settings. Each subject is supported with an ongoing series of detailed examples and miniature case studies, making Nation Builder both a guide to creating campaign settings and a ready-made sourcebook and sample milieu for writers, designers and the like.

Gary Gygax’s Nation Builder is fully compatible with any role playing games but does contain content specific to the d20 and Lejendary Adventure RPGs. Nation Builder is 140 pages, hardcover, with an SMRP of $27.95.

Nation Builder is available with a slip sleeve large enough to hold all six existing volumes in the series. The sleeve is also sold separately. Contact your local retailer, distributor or supply outlet for more details.

For more information visit the Troll Lord Games Website, to speak with or harangue the authors or any one of the Troll Lords visit the Troll Lord Games message boards! And be sure
to check out the other books in the series Gary Gygax’s Canting Crew, Gary Gygax’s World Builder, Gary Gygax’s Living Fantasy, Gary Gygax’s Insidiae and Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names.

2006-01-06T10:03:00.000-05:00

Troll Lord Slip Sleeves Available

2006-01-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

Troll Lord Games has announced that the slip sleeves for both The Gygaxian Fantasy Collector’s Pack and the Castles & Crusades Deluxe Set are now available.

This Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds Collector’s Slip Case is an open ended slip sleeve and comes in charcoal black textured paper and holds the entire six volume set: Gary Gygax’s The Canting Crew, Gary Gygax’s The World Builder, Gary Gygax’s Living Fantasy, Gary Gygax’s The Extraordinary Book of Names, Gary Gygax’s Insidiae, and Gary Gygax’s Nation Builder (by Michael J. Varhola).

Castles & Crusades Deluxe: Enjoy the whole game! This boxed version comes complete with the C&C Players Handbook, 2nd Printing, C&C Monsters & Treasure and the setting Castle Zagyg Vol. 1, Yggsburgh, packaged in an open-ended charcoal black, slip sleeve.

You can buy these items separately for products you may already own, or you can purchase the entire package deal. Please contact your local retailer today!

For more information visit the Troll Lord Games Website. To speak with or harangue the authors or any one of the Troll Lords, visit the Troll Lord Games message boards!

Happy Yule!

2005-12-20T23:31:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing wishes everyone a Super Saturnalia, a Happy Yule, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Festive Kwanza, a Terrific Zarathosht Diso, a Belated Bodhi Day, a Bountiful Boxing Day for King Wenceslas, a Cheery Needfest, a Fun Id al-Adha, a Warm Advent, a Cool Childermas, a Hangover-free Gantan-sai, and an overall Happy Holiday. Happy Birthday, Mithra! Party on, Bacchites, pass the vino! Woohoo Sekhmet, you go girl! Sol Invictus! Apologies to any others that have been overlooked, included followers of Isis, Mithra, Baldur, Apollo, Telchur, various Native American tribes, and assorted cults and groupings. Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!

Preview of 2006

2005-12-15T09:53:00.000-05:00

Following are some of our upcoming major releases for 2006. There will be others, too!

“H.G. Wells’ Floor Games” follows our release of the great science fiction author’s “Little Wars,” and focuses on the use of props and miniatures in gaming. Like Well’s other Skirmisher release, this one is both informative and humorous.
RELEASE DATE: March 2006. Softcover, 80+ pages, $9.95, SKP 0601.

“Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition” takes the popular live-action horror game to a new level! Our version has been completely expanded, revised, updated, and improved by original author Robert “Mac” McLaughlin and his loyal team of people from the Innsmouth chamber of commerce. Bonus features will include an interactive DVD.
RELEASE DATE: June 2006.

“Noble Wild” is a beautiful, comprehensive d20 book that gives players and DMs alike the tools they need to create detailed animal characters. Not intended for the fuzzy at heart! While this book can be used to create cute characters, it is intended to bring the fiercest and most compelling aspects of beast-kind to the gaming table.
RELEASE DATE: August 2006.

Fans Convince Vivendi to Allow Release of "King's Quest IX"

2005-12-12T09:58:00.000-05:00

The fan-driven campaign to save King's Quest IX has been successful. On Friday, Dec. 9, Vivendi Universal Games announced that they have agreed to allow the fan-made game "King's Quest IX" to be released, under the new title of "The Silver Lining." The group making the game will be granted a fan license.

"We are so thrilled with this news," says Matt Compton, one of the members of the Save King's Quest IX campaign. "We were very hopeful that if we organized the fans of the King's Quest series, we would be able to get Vivendi's attention. It feels so good to know that we were successful in doing that."

The Save King's Quest IX campaign was launched in mid-October, just a few weeks after Vivendi issued a cease and desist order to the fans making the game. The campaign focused on asking fans to send letters and emails to Vivendi, as well as having bloggers write about it.

"There are still many King's Quest fans around the world," says Cat Tyson, another member of the campaign. "We know it means so much to all of them that Vivendi has agreed to allow the game to be released. We've very grateful to Vivendi for this."

King's Quest IX is a fan-created project that has been in development since early 2002, and is based on the King's Quest series of adventure games made by Sierra Online. More than 40 people from around the globe have participated in its creation. Upon completion, the game will be made available as a free download on the game's Website.

"After extensive evaluation, Vivendi Universal Games is pleased to announce that the fan developed trilogy project 'The Silver Lining' (previously known as King's Quest IX: Every Cloak Has A Silver Lining), based on characters from Sierra Entertainment's "King's Quest" series, has been given approval to continue development," Vivendi announced Dec. 9. "We look forward to seeing the first of its three upcoming chapters, 'Shadows', completed soon."

Screenshots from the game can be found at www.kqix.com/media/screenshots/.

2005 In Review

2005-12-09T10:19:00.000-05:00

Following is a bit about two of this year's major releases.

Experts v.3.5, the d20 sourcebook dedicated to the Expert NPC class that we released at Gen Con, was our biggest release of the year and possibly the nicest book we have ever produced. It has received excellent reviews all around and is being accepted by many D&D/d20 gamers as a “core” sourcebook. It is currently moving into retail distribution and you are still in good time to order what is sure to be a hot item for many of your customers. (Softcover, 176 pages, $24.95, SKP 0502, ISBN 0-9722511-9-7.)

Nuisances, our outrageous d20/OGL parody book, has been our hottest item of the year! Full of everything from irreverent humor to features like the “anti-Feat” Defect concept, this title moves quickly among any group of gamers who has a chance to see it. And unlike many gaming books, Nuisances appeals to gamers of many different age groups, from older gamers who get the inside jokes to younger ones who appreciate its offbeat take on gaming. (Softcover, 96 pages, $19.95, SKP 0403, ISBN 0-9722511-4-6.)

New Castles & Crusades’ Adventure Available

2005-12-01T10:46:00.000-05:00

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Troll Lord Games announced Nov. 30 that the Castles & Crusades adventure module Fingers of the Forsaken Hand is available for immediate shipping. It is the fourth adventure module released this year for the C&C role-playing game and is 24 pages with an MSRP of $8.95.

Fortune favors the bold! In the town of Brionne, at the base of the Sickle, stories are spun of a long forgotten complex buried deep in the ruins of that ancient mountain. There, the wealth of the ancients lies buried in long-sealed crypts, guarded by creatures of the netherworlds. Only the very brave, or very foolish, would dare to seek their fortunes in those forsaken halls.

Fingers of the Forsaken Hand is designed for six to eight characters of 8th-10th level. For more information visit the Troll Lord Games Website, And to speak with or harangue the authors or any one of the Troll Lords visit the Troll Lord Games message boards!

Fans Fight To Save King's Quest

2005-11-30T10:16:00.000-05:00

Fans from around the world have joined together in an effort to save King's Quest IX: Every Cloak Has A Silver Lining game shut down by Vivendi, according to Matt Compton of the Save King's Quest IX Campaign.

King's Quest IX, a fan-created project that has been in development since early 2002, is based on the King's Quest series of adventure games made by Sierra Online. More than 40 people from around the globe have participated in its creation. Upon completion, the game was to be made available as a free download on the King's Quest IX Website.

The game was set to be released this winter. However, shortly after releasing a trailer for the game, the fan-developers received a cease and desist letter from the current King's Quest copyright owner, Vivendi Universal Games. They were forced to shut down.

Just a couple of weeks later, King's Quest fans from all over the globe joined forces and launched the Save King's Quest IX campaign. Their Website details their mission, as well as various ways that people can help.

"We're asking anyone who'd like to see this game be released to e-mail Vivendi," said Cat Tyson, one of the organizers of the campaign. "It's very important for fans to have their voices heard, and we encourage everyone to let Vivendi know how they feel."

"There are many other ways that people can help," says Jason Mumford, another member of the campaign. "People can blog about us, they can post about us on game-related message boards; even talk about us in chat rooms. Anything to help spread the word."

But the group refrains from talk of boycotts or protests. The Save King's Quest IX organization has made it clear that they do not hold any anger towards Vivendi for issuing the cease and desist letter.

"We understand that Vivendi was only protecting its intellectual property," says campaign member Matt Compton. "We simply want them to consider allowing King's Quest IX to continue. We'd like Vivendi to explore the idea of reaching a non-commercial agreement with the fans who've made the game, so it can still be released."

The fans may have some hope, as the Save King's Quest IX Website has received more than 15,000 unique visitors, and the group reports that more than 1,000 emails have been sent to Vivendi.

"The fan community for classic adventure games like King's Quest is much larger than I think most people realize," says Compton. "When people found out that there was a King's Quest game being made by fans, they got very excited. Now that it's been forced to shut down, those same people really want to do something to help save it."

Save King's Quest IX graphics can be found at www.savekqix.org/banners.htm. Screenshots from King's Quest IX can be found at www.kqix.com/media/screenshots.

Dwarven Forge Announces Releases

2005-11-22T10:36:00.000-05:00

Dwarven Forge has announced that it has re-opened the pre-orders for the second wave of the limited edition of its Den of Evil (Room and Passage) Sets, which will be available some time after Feb. 1.

"The first wave sold out before it even got here,and with the fantastic reviews that the first wave has generatedthe second wave should sell out quickly," said Dwarven Forge's Jeff Martin. "Remember that only 1,500 of these sets will everbe made so be sure to reserve one before one now."

Dwarven Forge also announced a number of upcoming releases:

Sci-Fi Beta Expansion Set -- this triple-sized sci-fi set will also be available after Feb. 1 and will include forcefield doors, curved hallways, curvedcorners, computer panels, porthole walls and even more.

Cavernous River Set -- this cavern expansion set will allows customize-able rivers to enter cavern set ups. It should be released in April 2006 and it will featurethe incredible sculpting to date, "plus clear resin 'water' thatwill look incredible."

Cavernous Lake Set -- With a scheduled release of June 2006 this followup to the Cavernous River Set will allow large bodies to water in your subterrain worlds and will come complete with other pieces to flesh out this exciting environment.

Den of Evil (Wicked Additions) Set -- A host of highly useful pieces will allow DoE fans to add stairs, raised platforms, pillars, and otherelements to add more challenges to this unique product line. It shouldbe available in November 2006.

Over the past two years, Skirmisher Publishing LLC has worked with Dwaven Forge to include in its products dungeon maps created using digital photography of the company's three-dimensional models. Products currently available with this feature include the d20 books Tests of Skill and Experts v.3.5, and a number of its upcoming releases will include components from the above-mentioned sets.

Skirmisher's Game Store

2005-11-18T17:11:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher Publishing LLC has launched Skirmisher's Game Store, an online venue for its books, miniatures, and other products. It can be visited at http://stores.ebay.com/Skirmishers-Game-Store.

Now, Skirmisher fans and customers will be able to purchase items directly from the company while ejoying all the online protections and guarantees offered by eBay and PayPal.

Other benefits of shopping at Skirmisher' Game Store will include significant special offers and discounts, bonus materials sent out with every purchase, and information on how to receive things like free books and downloads--features unavailable with items bought through other venues.

New update system afoot!

2005-11-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

Skirmisher is pleased to unveil its new look! News, reviews, and other information will now be updated on a very frequent basis using a new blog-based delivery system. Stay tuned. Message boards will follow shortly!

Paul Knorr
Publisher^3