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Friday, February 28, 2003

February 28th, 2003: Allan Sugarbaker says...
New Review: Book of More Flesh

Merwin was so moved by Eden Studios‘ zombie fiction anthology, The Book of More Flesh, that he composed OgreCave’s first song. Yeah, you heard me. Sing along! Just follow the bouncing corpse. Don’t let it bite you, though.

Posted in Reviews, Roleplaying Games | Comments Off

February 28th, 2003: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Check yer d20, Mister?

The folks over at The Game Mechanics have just released a second d20 resource, Staves of Ascendance. Written by Rich Redman (Savage Species, d20 Modern, Monster Manual II), the supplement shows players and GMs how a mystical staff or rod can be the stuff of legends. Twelve powerful tools that slowly reveal their true potential are presented, as well as four prestige classes that grant characters the ability to discern even greater powers within such awe-inspiring staves. The 37-page PDF is available from RPGNow for a paltry $5.

Posted in D20, Dungeons & Dragons, Roleplaying Games | Comments Off

February 28th, 2003: Allan Sugarbaker says...
OgreCave Interview: Silverthorne Games

Joe has needled new d20 company Silverthorne Games with enough questions to form our latest interview. See what the young game company has to say about the industry, PDF publishing, and finding a voice amidst all the other products out there.

Posted in D20, Dungeons & Dragons, Interviews, Roleplaying Games | Comments Off

Thursday, February 27, 2003

February 27th, 2003: Mike Sugarbaker says...
‘Elric Saga’ optioned by Universal

On the other hand, this story serves to remind us that most big-studio options are never produced, and we’ll be seeing a lot of crappy bandwagon-jumping sword-and-sorcery pics soon.

Posted in Roleplaying Games | Comments Off

February 27th, 2003: Mike Sugarbaker says...
MechWarrior soon to be a medium-to-major motion picture?

It’s currently the top item, dated 3-27-03 for some reason, on this news page from one of the producers of last year’s deliberately campy CGI-fest Eight Legged Freaks. “I’m crazy about the material and this is a real passion project for me,” says Dean Devlin in an annoying Flash-text page you can’t copy and paste from. Man, if you thought the netgeeks jumping on Peter Jackson were ferocious, wait until aficionados of the five kajillion years of BattleTech storylines get on this guy’s case. Still, it’s nice to see cheap CG make a thousand flowers bloom, and maybe something good will come of this.

Posted in Miniatures Games | 11 Comments

Tuesday, February 25, 2003

February 25th, 2003: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Preliminary Babylon 5 RPG schedule

Mongoose has decided to further stimulate your salivary glands with a tentative schedule of Babylon 5 RPG releases. At least one release is planned per month, starting the same time as the main rulebook’s release in May. Here’s the quick rundown of anticipated products, and you can click the “Read more” link for the details:

  • Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game Main Rulebook (May)
  • The Fiery Trial (May)
  • The Coming of Shadows (June)
  • The Earth Alliance (July)
  • The Minbari Federation (August)
  • Point of No Return (September)
  • The Centauri Republic (October)
  • The Narn Regime (November)

    Looks like they’ll be keeping my wallet busy this year.
    Read More…

    Posted in D20, Roleplaying Games | 2 Comments

    • February 25th, 2003: Craig Robertson says...
    The Cold War (Still) Isn’t Over…

    Far Future Enterprises has announced that the first volume of their Twilight 2000 reprint series will be shipping to distributors on March 1. It will contain the complete version 1.0 rules, plus four adventures set in Europe: The Free City of Krakow, Pirates of the Vistula, The Ruins of Warsaw, and The Black Madonna. Now if I can only remember where I parked the Bradley…

    We should also see more Classic Traveller reprints with the release of Alien Modules 1-4 earlier this month, and Alien Modules 5-8 by the end of March. With all of these nostalgic reprintings and revisions, I think my old pocket protectors and slide rule might just come back into fashion. Watch out, Ladies, here I come!

    Posted in Roleplaying Games | Comments Off

    Monday, February 24, 2003

    February 24th, 2003: Allan Sugarbaker says...
    New Review: Construct Mechanus

    Frank brings his first contribution to the Cave’s hoard of reviews, as he takes a look at Construct Mechanus from Philip J. Reed. Will the d20 supplement function as a well-oiled machine in his game sessions, or be left to rust on the shelf? Have a look and find out.

    Posted in Reviews | Comments Off

    Sunday, February 23, 2003

    February 23rd, 2003: Mike Sugarbaker says...
    Mongoose releases book of vile secretions

    Mongoose Publishing’s Encyclopaedia Arcane: Nymphology has been released on what it seems to be using as the industry’s equivalent to straight-to-video, RPGNow. Written by the author of the Slayer’s Guide to Rules Lawyers and Female Gamers, this eldritch tome promises rules for prestige classes including “Mystic Pimp, Seduction Mage and, of course, the Peeping Scryer,” plus plenty more tools to go where you would never possibly want to go with your gaming friends. No page count is listed - maybe they come pre-stuck together.

    Posted in D20, Dungeons & Dragons, Industry, Roleplaying Games | Comments Off

    Friday, February 21, 2003

    February 21st, 2003: Allan Sugarbaker says...
    The Last, Best Hope for Roleplaying

    True to its promise, Mongoose Publishing has at last revealed the RPG project hinted at last December: a new Babylon 5 RPG. Having received the roleplaying license from Warner Brothers, the d20 game will be available in May. You can click the “Read more” link below for the full press release and Q&A, but here’s the highlights: the main hardback rulebook will be over 300 pages, with full color throughout and plenty of still shots from the series. An agressive support product schedule is already planned, and if the Judge Dredd line is any indication, Mongoose should have no trouble following through. Bruce Graw, formerly of Agents of Gaming (B5 Wars), will be writing a few supplements for the game. Between the B5 RPG, Lone Wolf RPG, Judge Dredd RPG and the Conan RPG early next year, Mongoose is fast becoming a champion of gamers everywhere. Or those that can tolerate d20, at least.
    Read More…

    Posted in Roleplaying Games | 20 Comments

    Thursday, February 20, 2003

    February 20th, 2003: Mike Sugarbaker says...
    Crimson Skies: rules sold separately

    Here are all four products that’ll street in May, and while it is still not technically collectible, it is shaping up to be rather expensive. Four planes for $16, and you will likely need both of those packs for a game, plus the Aces will double that, and the rules and necessary accessories come in an $8 box? This doesn’t look disastrous yet but it sure is confusing.

    Posted in Miniatures Games | Comments Off

    Wednesday, February 19, 2003

    February 19th, 2003: Mike Sugarbaker says...
    Possible licensed sourcebook for Mutants and Masterminds?

    The Green Ronin superhero RPG may, or may not, be doing a sourcebook-slash-standalone-game based on the intensely Halloweeny pulp-style comic The Nocturnals. That’s what the news right here says, but the source article to which it points looks to have been deleted. We’ll try and follow up on this for you. If true, this could be interesting, seeing as how the Nocturnals characters hew pretty close to White Wolf archetypes.

    Posted in Roleplaying Games | Comments Off

    February 19th, 2003: Mike Sugarbaker says...
    There is no CCG, and I still need a damn spoon

    Although it’s reported here as a card game, it’s not. If you read the article, you can tell that. Thought I’d save you even that much work… although to see what I’m talking about, you’ll have to read the article. Welcome to the desert of the real; have a pina colada. (Enough hints yet?) Update 2/19 11:01 PM: Someone at GamingReport has corrected the headline to remove any reference to a game. All’s well that ends well.

    Posted in Card Games | Comments Off

    Monday, February 17, 2003

    February 17th, 2003: Mike Sugarbaker says...
    2nd MechWarrior expansion coming in like a minute and a half

    Less than three months after the release of Fire For Effect will come Death From Above, a MechWarrior: Dark Age expansion featuring, for the first time in MW, helicopters and air combat. All we’ve seen so far is the flyer linked to above, but damn… saturating the market much?

    Posted in Miniatures Games | Comments Off

    February 17th, 2003: Mike Sugarbaker says...
    Shadowrun: Duels officially announced at Toy Fair

    Yup, WizKids is doing a Shadowrun game with six-inch figures. Here’s the official release. This doesn’t strike me as a great idea, but it doesn’t strike me as a bomb either. We’ll see. Is it still a miniatures game? Apparently, figure articulation will figure (urk) into the rules somehow, making this “World’s first Action Figure Game” even more similar to Z-G. There’s also now an official WizKids press release for Creepy Freaks if you’re into that. A DVD will be going into every Creepy Freaks starter, which is a nice way to kill both the CD-ROM tutorial and the lack-of-a-TV-show with one stone.

    Posted in Miniatures Games | Comments Off

    Sunday, February 16, 2003

    February 16th, 2003: Greg Kessler says...
    Rocketmen Fly Again

    Big time miniature sculptor Bob Murch (Wizards of the Coast, AEG, etc) has posted a preview of his upcoming figures he creates for his own specialty company, Pulp Figures. If you have not checked out their page before, their figures are for pulp era games like Call of Cthulhu and yes the ever cool, Space 1889. The new previews are of the tried and true U.S. Rocket Corp. They are slated for release around April of this year. If you have not seen this guy’s work, check it out.

    Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

    February 16th, 2003: Mike Sugarbaker says...
    Steve Jackson Doesn’t Acquire Issaries

    No, he never announced he was acquiring Issaries; we heard it that way first, then we actually checked, and, well, here: so yesterday, we heard here at the con that Greg Stafford had left the country. Or, actually, he hasn’t left yet, but it’s funnier that way. He’s preparing to spend a year or so teaching English abroad, possibly in Mexico. Today, we learned that he has handed off marketing and distribution details to Steve Jackson Games, who will distribute existing Hero Wars books effective immediately, and put their logo alongside Issaries’ on future Hero Wars and HeroQuest books. 24 hours ago, it maybe wasn’t looking so good for HeroQuest making it out there in the near future, but this move makes sense - I’m surprised we don’t see more deals in paper gaming that are this similar to the kind of developer-and-publisher arrangements you see in video gaming. What do you think: triumphant return, or first step on the road to GURPS Glorantha?

    Posted in Roleplaying Games | 3 Comments

    February 16th, 2003: Greg Kessler says...
    You People Gossip Worse than a Bunch of Old Ladies

    For the last few months there have been announcements and rumors about a new license at WizKids. Well the rumormongers over at Gamingreport.com have offered up what they say is the definitive last and final truth. The story at Gamingreport is that the new license is nothing less than a new Shadowrun click game. The new figures are supposed to be typical action figure size. You can read the whole story here. If the story is true the whole thing has been sort of a con. WizKids might as well own Shadowrun, seeing as how the founder of WizKids, Jordan Weisman, helped design the game and his old company (FASA) published it. Regardless, I am looking forward to the whole thing.

    Posted in Miniatures Games | Comments Off

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