gaming

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Happy New Year, Loyal Readers!

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

I hope that you rang in the New Year in style and have great things ahead in 2011! I simply want to take a moment to thank all the Loyal Readers who bought my books and stories in 2010, who posted kind reviews at Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, Goodreads, etc; and who took time to tweet, email, or otherwise let me know that you enjoyed my work. I love to tell stories. I love to entertain and amuse people. So it always makes my day when I hear from a Loyal Reader that you liked something I wrote.

Of course, I know what many of you would like is for me to write faster! (And, perhaps, better). Noble Cause is very obviously way behind schedule. My plan to release that book in 2010 were derailed various non-writing time commitments, as well as self-inflicted delays, such as the month or so I spent writing Sarah Palin: Vampire Hunter and the month or so I spent on the Caladon Falls role-playing game project. For those who have been patiently waiting for the new book, I apologize for getting sidetracked. I’m back on the case, and will have Noble Cause done and published by spring.

Aside from the aforementioned SPVH and Caladon Falls, 2010 also saw my world audiodrama debut at The Dramapod, which was at least non-awful enough that they invited me back for a dramatic reading of my horror-comedy short story Beginner’s Luck as part of The Dramapod Halloween special. The Dramapod gang produces some really fun material and if you enjoy audiostories, you should definitely check out their catalog.

Also in 2010, I quietly released the original Jason Cosmo Non-Trilogy as free Smashwords ebooks. This is a limited time Smashwords exclusive, so if you haven’t jumped over to grab Jason Cosmo, Royal Chaos, or Dirty Work do it soon! I’ve secured rights to re-use the original Richard Hescox cover art for the ebooks. As soon as the new covers are done, the Non-Trilogy ebook titles will go on sale at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, Apple and other ebook retailers, priced at $2.99.  So get ’em while they’re free! (And if you’d care to post a review of the Non-Trilogy at Smashwords, I would greatly appreciate it.)

Speaking of ebooks, through the end of 201o my 9 ebook titles have 16,584 downloads (free + sales) at Smashwords alone, with just shy of 40,000 total downloads/sales when other retailers are included. Those numbers include far more free downloads than sales, since I gave away the Hero Wanted ebook for one full year. Whether you bought or read if for free–thanks for reading!

And if you bought, thanks again!

What’s ahead for 2011? I can only tell you my plans. Chances are, some of these won’t happen and I’ll think of new projects as I go. But here is my working list:

  • Release Noble Cause: this is definite. This will happen.
  • Re-release Jason Cosmo, Royal Chaos, Dirty Work ebooks with new covers. Also coming soon.
  • Another Jason Cosmo mini-novel (cf. Rainy Daze)
  • Revised version Royal Chaos: Book 3 in the relaunched series, after Noble Cause.
  • Boltblaster: At long last!
  • Sarah Palin Vampire Hunter II: because you demanded it!
  • Maybe a few other non-Jason Cosmo stories, for variety’s sake.

Less definite, but I’d like to do:

  • Hero Wanted podcast/bookcast: I love what authors like Seth Harwood and Scott Sigler are doing, serial podcasting entire books. But as I learned recording Beginner’s Luck, it is hard work and time-consuming. I want to do it, but this won’t be a top priority.

That’s what I have on the drawing board for you in the year ahead, Loyal Readers! Thank you again for all your support and encouragement. I hope your own plans for 2011 are even bigger and better than mine!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

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Caladon Falls: Milltown Irregulars Character Profiles by Dan McGirt

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

I want to point interested Loyal Readers to the character profiles I provided for Savage Mojo’s Caladon Falls fantasy RPG campaign setting. I described the basic setup of Caladon Falls in an earlier post. My small contributions to this product were in two categories–the mini-scenes I mentioned last post, and a set of pre-gen character profiles–which you can download free right now at Savage Mojo.

The premise of the Caladon Falls campaign is that the player characters are the Milltown Irregulars, a ragtag band of hastily assembled militia auxiliaries sent on various critical–and increasingly dangerous–missions as the invasion of Caladon by evil forces progresses. While you can roll your own characters (are RPG characters still “rolled” or is it all “build with points” now?) Savage Mojo also provides a group of pre-made characters you can choose from.

My assignment was to create names, personalities and back stories for each of these characters, including some explanation of how and why they all happened to be in the little nowhere settlement of Milltown at just the right–or wrong–time. This is what distracted me from Noble Cause for a month or two this past summer. It was fun, but time-consuming!

The Milltown Irregulars (click to enlarge)

For inspiration I was given the group portrait (click image to enlarge) that illustrates this post, and plentiful background on the setting and major plot points of the campaign. Within a few hundred words apiece, I tried to give each character an interesting personal story and a compelling reason to be in Milltown and to get involved once the action starts.  Because it is a dark campaign, most of the Irregulars have some degree of a painful past. I also tried to think of the dynamics of the group as a whole and to plant seeds that could set up conflicts, friendships, and perhaps even romance among the characters as the campaign progresses–depending on how the players play it.

Going left to right, here is the Milltown Irregulars starting line-up:

  • Larin (aka Gregard), House Spy: That doesn’t mean he’s a real estate agent. He’s an agent in the employ of one of the noble houses that rule the kingdom of Caladon
  • Gris, Hunter: A loner and explorer more at home in the wilderness than in towns. And a peerless tracker of evil-doers.
  • Isolde, Archer: Local girl made good. Matchless with a bow. Also, hates matches.
  • Tyrnan, Mercenary: Loves to fight. Has issues with authority. Should be a fine addition to the army!
  • Aloic, Crusader: He’s a man on a mission. Don’t get in his way.
  • Nym, Knight: A young knight with his head in the clouds.
  • Raelyn, Enchanter:  She’s the best worker of magic in a thousand generations. Just ask her.
  • Kayth, Protector: Someone has to heal all these people. But harm his brother Nym and he’ll take you apart.
  • Eiohna, Druid: A free spirit. Truly out of this world. (And my personal favorite.)

I enjoyed the exercise and the chance to let my imagination run wild in someone else’s sandbox. Again, you can see for yourself how it turned out by downloading the free Caladon Falls Milltown Irregulars pdf at Savage Mojo. Even if you don’t plan to buy Caladon Falls, check out the cool characters. You might just change your mind and decide to buy the campaign book too (which is the only way you’ll be able to read my aforementioned mini-scenes!)

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

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Caladon Falls

Greetings, Loyal Reader!

The Caladon Falls campaign setting from Savage Mojo is on sale now — 10% off — at their store. Caladon Falls is an exciting campaign that will take beginning characters from novice to world-class heroes of legend–if they survive!  I contributed a few prose mini-scenes sprinkled through the text.  I’ll add some excerpts over the next few days.

Caladon Falls from Savage Mojo

Caladon Falls

For now, here is the teaser text:

They came out of nowhere and started ripping the world apart, one city at a time. Using power on a scale never before seen, Warlocks wielding the magic of the Wild have a mission: raise armies and annihilate the entire continent of Austeria. Set in the fantasy realm of Relic, this book looks at warfare through the eyes of common soldiers – soldiers whose side is losing the war.

Take the challenge. Roleplay in a fantasy world without cute pointy-eared elves, where the dwarves aren’t cookie-cutter copies of Tolkein’s stout, bearded mountain folk. Focus on a daily life and death struggle where the enemy is cruel, powerful, and around every corner. Take the challenge. Let your adventurers become…

…mankind’s only hope.

Check it out!

Best regards,

Dan McGirt

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Dave Arneson, Gary Gygax and Jason Cosmo

The recent passing of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Dave Arneson saddens me, as did the death last year of Gary Gygax. Though I never met either man, I owe them a debt of gratitude for many hours of entertainment. I also must acknowledge them as creative influences on the Jason Cosmo saga. It is safe to say that without the work of Arneson and Gygax (along with many other creators and authors at TSR and Dragon magazine) there would be no Jason Cosmo! Continue reading →