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Designing Arrows of Indra
Bill and I didn't design Arrows of Indra so I can only talk about our experience publishing the book. The writer and designer was TheRPGPundit who wrote Lords of Olympus and GnomeMurdered. When I first...
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WORDS OF VAARAN KINGDOMS
Vaaran is a dialect of Gruskel and spoken widely in the Vaaran Kingdoms. It is a language spoken mainly by the human farmers and serfs in the region and the local Gru tribes (nobles tend to speak...
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GRIM BEASTS AND GRIMS
In Sertoriusthere is a special kind of monster called a Grim Beast. This is actually an entire category of creature (belonging to the broader division of Grim). When Sertori (spell casters) misuse...
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FLAWS AND CUSTOMIZATION IN SERTORIUS
Flaws are not just an easy way to get a few extra Skill Points, they are also a way for players to flesh out their character and tie the character to the mechanics of the setting itself. I think for...
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Chinese Calligraphy is DEEP (GUEST BLOGGER MAK JO SI)
Today our friend Mak Jo Si from Chi in Nature shares his thoughts on Chinese Calligraphy. You can see some of his work here: Chi in NatureChinese Calligraphy is DEEP by Mak Jo SiChinese Calligraphy is...
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WANDERING HEROES OF OGRE GATE UPDATE
When we originally started Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate it was intended to be small, just a little martial arts variation of Sertorius. As we worked on it, the system and setting grew. Despite this we...
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Sertorius Campaign: The Swords of the Four Taverns (Session One: The Immortal...
This was the first session of a new campaign set in the Vaaran Kingdoms. The party:Gaius: A Ronian-blooded aristocratUloff: A Gru TraderDreckergael: A human hunter who casts spells randomly when...
View ArticleNew Weapons for Sertorius: War Hammer and Maul
Made these for Saturday's game because we had a Gru Player Character in need of something blunt and hefty. TABLE: NEW WEAPONSWeaponGroupDamageAccuracyLethalMuscleTypeRange/ReachPrice/SilverWar...
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PONDERING HEROES OF OGRE GATE: QI DUELS
We have long been trying to find a way to make internal energy duels possible in Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate. In wuxia films and series characters are able to harness and channel energy called Chi or...
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Exploring Wuxia Series
Return of Condor Heroes 2006As I've mentioned here, Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate is inspired by both wuxia films and television series. Wuxia movies are relatively easy to find and view. Most people...
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WIDENING THE LENS: WHY WE SHIFTED FROM FOCUSED TO BROAD DESIGN
There are a lot of different ideas about game design out there. One thing you see people talk about is whether games should be focused or broad (or somewhere in between). This can apply to many...
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THE ENEMIES LIST
Ever since Servants of Gaius, the Network System has featured an Enemy Flaw. In Sertorius we developed the concept further to create mechanics that help the GM determine the nature of the enemy and the...
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DESIGNING IN OCTOBER
For me October is a particularly helpful time of year. One thing I've learned about myself, and it is quite consistent, is I do my best game writing and development during the Fall and especially the...
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Martial Arts in Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate
I've touched on this before but would like to write about it in more depth because it has come up in discussions with play testers. In Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate, the martial arts system is modeled...
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HISTORY AND GAMING
This entry is more more about history than gaming itself, but the two often intersect and when they do, fireworks are not an uncommon byproduct. I've been following a number of conversations and blog...
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INTERVIEW WITH ELEANOR FERRON
This has apparently existed since 2010 but I only just learned about it from the Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque site. Jack has been posting about Ravenloft this month and in one of them he...
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TERROR NETWORK OCTOBER BUNDLE
We are putting out a Terror Network bundle for October. You can get all the Terror Network books and modules in PDF for $6.00. This includes the Terror Network RPG, The Agency Resource Guide, The...
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WUXIA INSPIRATION: THE 14 AMAZONS
Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate (WHOG) draws on a number of sources for inspiration. I watch a lot of wuxia movies and TV shows, and these have had a big influence not only on Ogre Gate, but on Sertorius...
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THE IMMORTAL ARCHITECT
In Sertorius, elves are immortal. They are susceptible to violence or disease, but not to old age. So they are more like elves from Tolkien. But they are also a bit dark due to their history. One thing...
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SWORDS OF THE FOUR TAVERNS PART II: The Pillar of Druba and the Dragon God...
This is a report of the second session of our Vaaran Kingdoms Sertorius session. You can see session one HERE. The party:Gaius: A Ronian-blooded aristocratUloff: A Gru TraderDreckergael: A human hunter...
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