[New RPG Jumpstart Release] Legacy of Lies for V20 Dark Ages

V20 Dark Ages | Jumpstart | Legacy of Lies

Two Princes. Bitter Rivals. And a Coterie Caught Between Them.

Marcus Verus, the vampiric Prince of Chester, secretly prepares to go into torpor. Should his plans be made public, the Prince knows the wolves — both real and imagined — would launch an attack, threatening all within his domain.

That’s where you come in.

Legacy of Lies is a jumpstart for the Vampire The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Dark Ages Edition corebook. This standalone jumpstart is a taste to whet your vampiric appetite. It includes:

• Basic rules for players and Storytellers
• Introduction to the V20: Dark Ages setting
• Introductory adventure
• Characters for players and Storytellers

About Legacy of Lies

Marcus Verus, Prince of Chester, is secretly preparing to go into torpor, and wants to ensure his house is in order. Verus does not wish to make his plans public, because he knows the minute he announces his desire to rest, the wolves will be at his door, and all would be threatened within his domain which was entrusted to him by his sire, Mithras, the King of the British Isles. Instead, Verus is assessing who will be worthy to take the reins of leadership once he leaves Chester by appointing a council of peers to rule in his stead. Of course, such a position carries a price: Whomever sits as the Baron of Chester will have to answer to Mithras, himself.

First, however, Marcus Verus needs to convince a group of vampires (the characters) to carry out a secret mission on his behalf. Verus, a seasoned warlord, is not a vampire of many words; he will test the characters by asking them to question an informant hiding in Rouen and take further actions if necessary. What the characters do not know, is that Verus is already aware of the secrets the informant possesses. He’s more curious to know what they’ll do next.

What secrets will your characters unravel? What dark decisions must they make? Whose favor will they win? Find out in Legacy of Lies!

Announcing a Serial Fiction Release: Diary of an Aspiring Alchemist

Diary of an Aspiring Alchemist
Cover Art by Meredith Gerber

Though I write a lot, I don’t always take time for myself. My stories. The ones I have to write, but don’t know if they’ll sell or not. This year, I made a pledge: I was going to write those stories, because while I don’t know if anyone will read them I also don’t want to wait. I can’t afford to. Not now, not anymore. Not even with insane (and I do have them!) deadlines and responsibilities.

Back in July, I started a journey to tell the story of William Sand. William is a key figure in my modern fantasy novel; he’s a supporting character whose motivation is caused by preceding events. This journal is the story of how William Sand was saved, stumbled, and then fell. This background is hinted at in the novel; his story and connection to the other characters isn’t crucial to the plot, however. I felt it’d be better to separate that narrative out, rather than bog down the novel with these details.

Here’s the rub: Diary of an Aspiring Alchemist is also my first, untouched draft, written in dribs and drabs, and posted for you to read.

I know this story. It’s a tale that I don’t want to write, but it’s been driving me mad. Don’t write it, the story matters only to me, causing me no shortage of frustration. Do write it? See what happens. I also know this is a difficult and challenging story to sell or be marketable, because William Sand is not a hero. Or, at least, I don’t see him that way.

Diary of an Aspiring Alchemist is written as an epistolary, and the entries take place in real time. They were either written shortly before posting or the night before; I made one edit to fix a placeholder for a character’s name. Other than that, this is all William. Raw. Alone. Found. Then very, very lost.

I hope you enjoy Diary of an Aspiring Alchemist. It is the kernel, the seed of what’s to come in a world I’ve wandered in for some time.

[New Release] Make Art Not War Challenge eBook

Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge Participant Badge

Hello everyone! I am pleased to announce the release of Make Art Not War Challenge: Rules, Essays, and 31 Creative Prompts. This eBook is available in multiple file formats through DriveThruFiction.com in Nook (ePub), Kindle (Mobi), and PDF formats.

Here’s more information about this eBook:

Make Art Not War Challenge eBookWhen times are tough, the feeling that artists are not necessary tends to permeate. Art is viewed as frivolous or a luxury since we don’t produce food, clothing, or housing. The exact opposite is true, however, because in charged political climates artists document and represent our humanity and all our struggles be they violent or peaceful for present day and future generations. Often, propaganda posters, victory songs, and other forms of art are specifically commissioned as well. Art is omnipresent, it is always political, and the choices we make affect our audiences and everyone around us.

For some artists, making art is an act of resistance; for others, making art is a way of life and a career. Even if your goal is to avoid politics altogether, remember that people turn to stories, games, and comics to find hope, to be inspired, to reach inside themselves and discover their own courage. Those emotions, even if they provide a temporary reprieve from whatever they’re facing, are powerful motivators to live and fight another day.

This eBook includes:

* Customizable Make Art Not War Challenge Rules
* Essays to help empower artists and deal with blockages
* 31 Creative Prompts to unlock an artist’s creativity

Remember, one story can change someone’s life. The problem is, we have no idea which story that will be, when it will be told, or in what medium. It’s up to us to find it — by making art! The eBook includes essays and material that debuted on my blog, but it also includes new material, too.

If you’re a fan of Amazon.com, the Make Art Not War Challenge eBook can also be picked up at the Kindle store along with The Cainite Conspiracies, which I edited for the 20th Anniversary Edition of Vampire: The Masquerade Dark Ages, and two collections that include my stories. The first is Endless Ages, and the second is Tales of the Dark Eras.

More stores will be added pending review. I hope you enjoy this eBook and, more importantly, keep making art! Enjoy!

[New Release] Dagger of Spiragos for 5E and Pathfinder

Dagger of Spiragos

Dagger of Spiragos is now available! Artifacts from the fallen titan Spiragos have been recovered, and forces are at work that would see them used for ill. The Dagger of Spiragos and the Ring of Spiragos are now in the player characters’ hands — and they must do what they can to rid Scarn of the foul relics of the titans, whatever the cost!

I developed and added additional enhancements to this adventure for Scarred Lands with Scott Holden as acting line developer. This adventure is now available in PDF for two rule sets: Dagger of Spiragos (5E) and Dagger of Spiragos (Pathfinder). Enjoy!

Dagger of Spiragos is a sequel to the free 2014 Gen Con Scarred Lands Special Preview adventure, the Gauntlet of Spiragos (5E) and (Pathfinder) editions. In Gauntlet of Spiragos, the PCs traveled to the legendary Chasm of Flies, where they discovered a tribe of spider-eye goblins who possessed relics of their fallen master, Spiragos. Now, with those items in hand, the PCs travel to the city of Fangsfall, where they must seek aid in destroying the foul objects.

But others wish to possess these items, too…

[New Release] Cabal RPG

Cabal RPG

You have an agenda.

Together, you control a powerful organisation; it might be a company, a conspiracy, cult or corporation. You control vast resources over a global powerbase. You employ teams of specialists with very particular skill-sets to protect your secrets.

Your agenda might be anything, world domination, the defence of the planet, vast wealth or just unlimited rice pudding.

What you are willing to do to achieve those ends, well, that’s up to you…

Cabal is a stand alone RPG, designed by Andrew Peregrine, where the players control a single character together,and set out to advance its goals and power. Funded by Kickstarter, the Cabal RPG is now available on DriveThruRPG.com. This collaborative project includes art and factions by several designers, including myself. Hope you enjoy the conspiracy!

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