Firefly RPG Nominated for Game of the Year

Firefly RPG Front Cover

The recently released Firefly RPG does its job of making taking a ship and crew out into the black for misadventures and big damn heroics about as fun as you might want it to be. With some of the fastest fast-play rules in a recent RPG, and clever examples of play based on each individual episode of the TV show, you’ll be evading Reavers and plundering Alliance wrecks in no time. SOURCE: The Escapist 2014 Award Nominees

Want to give a shout-out to everybody who’s worked with me to make this game a reality (both past and present), to Margaret Weis for believing in me, and to the fans and reviewers for your support. It’s been a hell of a ride since I signed on in 2013. Besides the corebook, we’ve also released the GenCon 2013 Exclusive corebook preview, Echoes of War: Thrillin’ Heroics, and Things Don’t Go Smooth which is on sale at 25% off through Saturday. Just announced? Smuggler’s Guide to the Rim. I couldn’t do this without all of you! Thanks!

P.S. If you’re dying to know more about Smuggler’s Guide to the Rim, here’s my post about it!
P.P.S. Hopefully I did okay on this… Thank yous plus squeeing plus lots o’ information!

December 18, 2014
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NaNoNetMo (Yep, I made it up!)

Mushu Avatar

Been a while since I’ve blogged without squeeing, so here you be. This year…Wow. For me, I feel that 2014 belongs to the Trickster–that’s for sure! Insert the word “unexpected” into just about everything possible, and that sums up my rollercoaster ride.

But now that the year’s winding down, I find myself in need of some quiet time to focus on art, cleaning house, and writing so erm…I can do more of that, really. I’m nowhere near finished unpacking yet, and that means I’ve got my work cut out for me. Plus, I’m heading to a writer’s retreat and am doing a few more conventions this year than I have in the past, so yeah…

National No Internet Month! Starting on Friday, December 19th and running through January 19th. WOO!

I can’t go away entirely because that’s the nature of the proverbial work beast right now, but this means no external website visits, no Twitter, Facebook, Google+, forums, or what-have-you…nada…unless there’s an emergency I have to deal with. A few blog posts here and there on this site? The Squee project? New announcements? Yep, absolutely. But other than that, e-mail will be best to get a hold of me.

Of course, this is nothing new mind you. It’s just funny how connectivity works nowadays. If I don’t say something, people think I’ve gone off the face of the planet or something. I wish I had the money to travel around the world! Sheesh!

    Mood: Ready for Spring
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Managed!
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: 30 on the elliptical
    In My Ears: Heater fan. Seriously.
    Game Last Played: Brain Age II
    Book Last Read: Erm… Can’t remember! And it was just yesterday!
    Movie Last Viewed: Not sure. I’ve been re-watching the Doctor Who Christmas specials, though.
    Latest Artistic Project: Beading! Cookies!
    Latest Fiction/Comic Release: Last Man Zombie Standing.
    Latest Game Release: Things Don’t Go Smooth
    What I’m Working On: Primarily tie-in games work, original comics, and novels.


December 17, 2014
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Introducing Smuggler’s Guide to the Rim

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Howdy, Browncoats!

Today, I am thrilled to tell you that we’ve finished the manuscript for Firefly RPG, and it is now available for pre-order with an estimated February 2015 delivery. If you’ve already dived into Things Don’t Go Smooth, you’re probably aware that our second supplement is geared for your friendly neighborhood GM. It’s got a big pile of rules, Antagonists, and a pair of Episodes, too—along with new GM-facing rules in the shape of scene and location triggers for Trait dice.

Smuggler’s Guide to the Rim, on the other hand, is a book for both players and GMs. I am super excited about this supplement and can’t wait to share it with you, because it is jam-packed with great stuff! Smuggler’s Guide to the Rim introduces Reputation rules for Crewmembers, 12 new archetypes, the Good Shepherd’s Run, more Chinese translations, more rules, new in game aids, and a pair of Episodes written by Margaret Weis and Greg Stolze. 

Here’s the chapter-by-chapter breakdown of this amazing book:

Chapter 1: Openin’ Up Your Smuggler’s Guide: This here section gives you an overview of what’s in the Smuggler’s Guide to the Rim. It’s pretty short on account of the fact that you’ll probably want to get to the good stuff. 

Chapter 2: Usin’ Your Reputation: If’n you want to try out the new rules to risk your Reputation, then read on! Find out how to earn it, how to lose it, and how to make it count. While Reputation rules are player-facing, Gamemaster characters will employ Dispositions to guide interactions with the Crew. In addition to the new Reputation rules, you’ll also dive into plenty of examples, read about the four Factions in the ’Verse, and get an overview of Dispositions, too!

Chapter 3: Crewmembers and Boats: If’n you want to risk your Reputation, you may want to revisit the rules on your Crew Sheet and Ship Sheet. In this chapter, you’ll read about the suggested Reputation die ratings for the Serenity Crew and discover twelve, brand new archetypes. They are: Alliance Contractor, Alliance Dogfighter, Alliance General, Folk Hero, Freedom Fighter, Roving Medic, Corporate Broker, Corporate Lackey, Corporate Researcher, Friendly Face, Lone Hood, and the Shady Entrepreneur.

Chapter 4: Good Shepherd’s Run: Each location in the Blue Sun and Kalidasa Systems is presented like a brand new Episode for you to dive in and explore with new story ideas, ship rules, . You’ll fly to places like Deadwood, Ghost, Kuan Lo, and strange locations like The Nest!

Chapter 5: All in the Family: Margaret Weis presents a brand new Episode for Smuggler’s Guide to the Rim.Nothing’s more important than family, ’cept maybe a big ole strongbox of gold coins. Bao-Huang Qin, the leader of the Dragon Tong, has tasked your Crew with recoverin’ his loot, thought lost after it’d been confiscated by the Alliance. Qin ain’t askin’, though—he’s holdin’ Jayne’s momma as collateral and his daughter, Fang-Hua Qin, is accompanying the Crew on this job. Easy, right? Problem is it’s on a wreck floatin’ in Reaver space, and four mercs sent by Qin’s unlikely rival Agnes Pierce will be racin’ your Crew to the prize—and they don’t give a damn about Jayne’s momma.

Chapter 6: Circling the Wagons: Greg Stolze penned this here Episode. Folk in the Core think they can put a leash on damn near everyone else in the ’Verse, and one of their leashes is named Special Independent Investigator Garth Mandrake. But a leash matters less to them what love power than who’s holdin’ it. Mandrake’s found himself caught between two political cliques within the Alliance. Their tiff strands him on an uncharted rock facetiously known as Barry’s Kingdom, with each side hiring a ship—the Crew and their greatest rivals—to pick him up and get him under their control. The Crews got to deal with double-dealing, rampaging wrecks and the namesake of the planetoid to get the SII in hand while he’s still breathing. And that’s before the Reavers show up.

Appendix: We’ve included a brand new FAQ, Chinese translations, collated all the Distinctions, added in the maps for the Kalidasa and Blue Sun Systems, and included a set of brand new tools for players and GMs—an Advancement Sheet that includes Reputation die ratings and a GMC Sheet, too!

Stay tuned for more news about this brand new supplement! Hope you’re as excited as we are to share it with you!

This post originally appeared on www.margaretweis.com.

December 17, 2014
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The Big Catch-Up on 25 Squees (and other Musings)

Darth Vader Masked Avatar

I have Avengers on in the background as I’m writing this, and thinking back (for some bizarro reason) to the Ewoks television series, and how much I don’t like Hydra and would like to Monica Smash them into oblivion. See also: lamenting the fact that I let the Squee project lag, but scrambled to take vacation, so there you be. And, to top it all off? I’ve been obsessed with the concept of resilience as of late, and how important that is for writers.

Let me rewind that last statement, because it’s something I want to reinforce. Writing is a hard job, because when the words don’t flow? Yeah, we only have ourselves to blame. No amount of [insert real life b.s. here] can excuse a lack of writing, because we can do that anytime, anywhere–even if it’s for half an hour. Fifteen minutes. Something. Resilience, though, isn’t about writing. It’s about the lifestyle and all the other peripherals that come with it. The contracts that fall through. The projects that we don’t get credited for or we’re forced to take to pay the bills. The good reviews, the bad, and the ugly. The pressure we receive from friends, family, fans. Etc. Etc. Etc. And then depression starting with isolation, then an over-reliance on the Internet, then a loss of perspective…until? The things we say online don’t seem to have an impact in real life, because we’re not grounded in real life enough to know that words can hurt other people.

Anyway, deep thoughts ahead of squees. There was a point where I got discouraged, since there’s so much going on right now, so many real world issues…but now that I’m back from a wonderful vacation? I feel like these squees really are another way to hold back to the darkness, another method to be resilient in addition to be grounded in real life.

On to the 25 squees! This’ll bring me up-to-date through Tuesday, December 16th.

1.) The Star Wars trailer was released! No, I haven’t seen it. I’m very excited for the new films, but want to enjoy the movies when they debut in theatres. I’m a little old school that way I suppose, and don’t want to let the dissection of every nuance ruin the experience. Star Wars is, and has been, a huge part of my life and I couldn’t be happier that the property is in great hands.

2.) This design. Because it’s true and awesome. Don’t Read the Comments by miski

3.) I’m done with holiday shopping. WOO. Not done with cards or shipping, but soon. SOON!

4.) Throwing a party. Excited!

5.) My trip out to the Bay Area could easily take up the rest of these squees. Plus, we took a trip out to the Redwoods and up the coast to Eureka.

6.) Science is awesome. Congrats to the space team that landed on an asteroid, then got this data! Rosetta Instrument Reignites Debate on Earth’s Oceans

7.) I’m a guest at Mo*Con X. Pretty cool!

8.) A time capsule in Boston has been found, buried by Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. SO FREAKING COOL!

9.) Finished another Firefly RPG supplement. Announcement to come VERY soon!

10.) Christmas cookies. Mixing, baking, eating. Need I say more?

11.) Blue Man Group is coming to a theatre near me in February. WOO!

12.) Time for the annual MDK (Murder Death Kill) holiday photo. Let the shenanigans commence!

Christmas Rimmon and Zak

13.) I don’t put up loads of decorations, but this 8-Bit Wreath is one of my favorites!

14.) I never get sick of watching The Avengers. So impressed with the connected plots that weave in and out of the movies and the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show.

15.) Put in an order from JetPens.com for this calligraphy pen. Here’s the awesome part about this pen: the colors BLEND.

16.) Managed to clean our place before we left for California, so came back to a fresh pad. After one load of laundry, I’m totally caught up on maintenance-type crap. Woo!

17.) Starting to get some reviews for my latest project. Geist: Ready Made Characters. Glad fans are digging them!

18.) Two unannounced projects are moving forward, I’m getting caught up on other projects, and I’m making progress on my own stuff, too.

19.) Combat boots have been acquired. I’ve been looking for over a year, ever since my old ones got irreparably damaged on a trip. Opted to go with a convertible pair of Doc Marten’s and I’m really anxious to break them in.

20.) I mentioned earlier that I was starting to Couch to 5K program. Due to the pressure on my joints, I wasn’t ready for the speeds I was aiming for. I’ve since modified the program, but I’m keeping up with it. Really anxious to build some endurance and continue on the health train. It feels great to get my heart pumping again!

21.) A squee for Phil Reed and Sam Mitschke from Steve Jackson Games. They’ve been promoted!!! YAY!!! Well-deserved.

22.) Another squee for discovering Joseph Bruchac, a Native American author. Really powerful stuff.

23.) Happy that Constantine is getting some rave reviews. It’s a GREAT show and I’m thrilled for the cast and the team that put this together.

24.) Heading to a holiday party tonight to see some friends I haven’t seen for a while. Pretty excited about that!

25.) Last but not least, I’ve already made my New Year’s Resolutions and am diving into the pile. So grateful for my co-writers and editors to be able to do what I do. Thanks for seeing 2014 through and cheers for a BIG 2015!

106/365

    Mood: Go, Go Gadget
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Managed. (Sort of). I had 3.
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: 30 on the elliptical
    In My Ears: Computer fan. (It’s loud!)
    Game Last Played: Mah Jong
    Book Last Read: An encyclopedia about demons and fairies pulling from global folklore.
    Movie Last Viewed: The Avengers
    Latest Artistic Project: Beading!
    Latest Fiction/Comic Release: Last Man Zombie Standing.
    Latest Game Release: Things Don’t Go Smooth
    What I’m Working On: Primarily tie-in games work, original comics, and novels.


December 12, 2014
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Announcement: Guest of Honor at Mo*Con 2015

“Brought to you by Indiana Horror Writers, Evoke: Arts + Media, and Second Story, Mo*Con is a convention focused on conversations revolving around genre literature and social justice. If you enjoy writing, conversations, and food, you’ll find plenty to enjoy at Mo*Con (basically, imagine a room party held in a con suite).” — SOURCE: Mo*Con 2015 Announcement

Did someone say… Food? Conversations? Writing? I’m there! (And will, no doubt, be cooking once or twice as well.) If you haven’t been to Mo*Con, it is a place to just be. I went last year and had a wonderful time. Thanks to Maurice Broaddus for inviting me, and to his staff for putting on a great show.

What’s in store for 2015? Join the esteemed Ann VanderMeer, Lucy Synder, Jody Lynne, Nye, K. Tempest Bradford, Mary SanGiovanni and myself at Mo*Con 2015 in a lovely part of Indianapolis. Register for Mo*Con 2015 to get an early rate!

December 10, 2014
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