A-to-Z Issue 1: RPG News, Product Announcements and Related Banter

A A is for the A-TO-Z list itself. We’re beginning a new thing here: an alphabetical list of news, reflections and banter, posted regularly. There will be one blurb for each letter of the alphabet. It will mostly be RPG and other game news, but interspersed in those paragraphs will be some looks back at prior games, and whatever else will fit a letter and not be too far off-topic.

B Saturday, October 18th sees Mongoose Publishing holding its second BABYLON 5 Open Day at its offices in Swindon. In attendance will be Miss Claudia Christian (Commander Susan Ivanova), available to sign books, chat about her time filming Babylon 5, and even playing the odd game!

C Fantasy Flight Games announced a Warhammer Scenario Writing CONTEST.

D RPG Associate Game Designer wanted at Wizards of the Coast, according to a job listing website.

E Next month a new ELRIC of Melnibone supplement will be published by Mongoose. Cults of the Young Kingdoms will look at the different factions of the Young Kingdoms, including histories, objectives, and bonuses for the members of each group.

F Mongoose PDF role-playing game magazine Signs and Portents #61 is availble for FREE.

G GYGAX Games and Mongoose Publishing announced their agreement for the publication of Lejendary Adventure™ a multi-genre role playing game system by Gary Gygax, the father of tabletop role-playing games.

H HELIX: The Post Apocalypse, High-Tech, Fantasy, Western Role Playing Game uses just about every letter of the alphabet in the title. The new RPG game is now available at Key20 Games.

I Steve Kenson has an article about Play Styles that’s related to the new Green Ronin Song of ICE and Fire Roleplaying Game.

J Also related to Green Ronin, there’s a new Hero Lab Design Journal entry. “Hero Lab allows you to create, manage, and advance player characters and NPCs.” A few months back data files to support Mutants and Masterminds were added to the software. The entry includes several screenshots to get a better feel for the software.

K KOBOLD Quarterly released a new issue.

L Here is a wiki-List of D&D 4th Edition 3rd party publisher releases.

M Robotech: the MACROSS Saga is a new sourcebook for the recently released Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles RPG. Both are available from http://www.palladiumbooks.com/.

N D&D Insider will require NUMMARY contributions (aka money) for a subscription to the digital offerings (online play facilitators, Dragon and Dungeon articles, etc.)

O Game Table ONLINE allows people to play classic and new board games over the internet. They were going to be part of a new website run by Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast where GTO would write on-line versions of Hasbro’s classic games which includes some old Avalon Hill titles. Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast changed their plans and now GTO is hosting those games themselves, including Acquire, Axis and Allies adn RoboRally.

P One critique D&D 4E is that every player needs to look up “powers.” An issue that was only a problem for spellcasters looking up spells in prior editions. D&D POWER Cards to the rescue.

Q Not a lot comes to mind that starts with “Q”. Please post comments for what to link to that is related to “Q”. (For that matter it may be a good idea to post some “X” related links also.

R The RPG Site has an interesting discussion going about game balance.

S If you love the old school Star Frontiers game, there is a group keeping it going. They’ve released Issue #9 of their “Star Frontiersman” magazine.

T True Dungeon announces True Realm a two-day “gamer theme park” that let’s you immerse yourself in a game experience. April 3-4 2009 in Illinios.

U PCGen 5.15.4 is now available, so it is time to download and UPDATE your PCGen software.

V V is for Circus Maximus. Why? (No, I said “V”, not “Y.” The online community changes the U’s into V’s because that’s how the U’s were written in Roman Empire times. It has a bunch of great members and a cool denarii participation-reward system.

W We are still WAITING for the revised GSL. That’s not meant to be a knock on the people working it, but nevertheless a number of third party publishers have already moved on. The GSL is Wizards of the Coast’s latest license agreement allowing third party publishers to use the D&D logo and 4th edition rules. But many potential licensees were concerned over several of the terms in the license.

X There was never an official X-Files RPG. But Dark Matter and Bureau 13 come close to the feel and subject matter of the series.

Y The Emerald City Gamefest Games YARD sale will support the group’s mini-con in November.

Z Gary Gygax’s Castle ZYGAG: Upper Works will be available soon from Troll Lord Games. The boxed set is designed for the Castles and Crusades game system, but it easily converts to D&D 1st and 2nd editions and like any adventure, with some work it can be used for any RPG system.