Throughout December I have been delving back into the software development arena in order to create the AAW Games Interactive Catalog web application. This new dynamic, searchable, and sort-able catalog will conveniently locate links to all distribution channels for AAW Games / Adventureaweek.com products in one location.
This includes every available format: 5th Edition & Pathfinder, VTT (Fantasy Grounds), Print, and PDF via Adventureaweek.com, DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, Paizo Publishing, and the AAW Store. It also provides links for Adventureaweek.com subscribers to access web adventures, flipbooks, or obtain products via their free monthly downloads quota.
Adventures can be filtered by party size or level, series, category, type, and searched for important keywords.
The catalog application development is complete and is currently in the testing and debugging phase, but the massive product database is still being built. With the sheer number of products and different distribution channels (which have never been grouped into a single data source before), I have found that creating the database has proven to be the major time investment. My hopes are to have this completely built by the end of December and we are targetting making the application available to the general public in January 2017.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Mini-Dungeon Map-A-Day December MADness!
For the month of December 2016, I decided to commit to creating one full-color Mini-Dungeon map each day of the month.
To lead into this, I wrapped up the month of November with a dozen extra new Mini-Dungeon maps. On Christmas day, I completed the entire run, having produced 31 maps for December (and a total of 43 maps in less than 30-days).
These maps, coupled with the very large batch I completed in September will provide cartography for at least one AAW Games / Adventureaweek.com Mini-Dungeon a week for the entire year of 2017. Now, that's what I call getting a head start!
To lead into this, I wrapped up the month of November with a dozen extra new Mini-Dungeon maps. On Christmas day, I completed the entire run, having produced 31 maps for December (and a total of 43 maps in less than 30-days).
These maps, coupled with the very large batch I completed in September will provide cartography for at least one AAW Games / Adventureaweek.com Mini-Dungeon a week for the entire year of 2017. Now, that's what I call getting a head start!
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Covers for Upcoming Mini-Dungeon Bundles!
This past week I put together the eight different product covers for the upcoming AAW Games / Adventureaweek.com Mini-Dungeon series.
Having released over 50 of these adventures, two bundles are being put together by AAW Games for every version of the adventures offered (Pathfinder RPG, 5th Edition, and Fantasy Grounds VTT for both platforms).
Since I opted to utilize the actual covers for the individual Mini-Dungeon products as elements on the bundle covers, each bundle cover required additional Mini-Dungeon cover products be created (for those products that have not yet been released).
In all it ended up being a massive workload, but I'm very pleased with the results. I was amused to realize that I have created over 200 different cover variants for the Mini-Dungeon series to date.
The Pathfinder RPG Mini-Dungeon Bundle #1 (Print / PDF) is already available, and the AAW Games conversion team is hard at work on prepping the others. The remaining bundles should be released sometime in the first quarter of 2017.
Having released over 50 of these adventures, two bundles are being put together by AAW Games for every version of the adventures offered (Pathfinder RPG, 5th Edition, and Fantasy Grounds VTT for both platforms).
Since I opted to utilize the actual covers for the individual Mini-Dungeon products as elements on the bundle covers, each bundle cover required additional Mini-Dungeon cover products be created (for those products that have not yet been released).
In all it ended up being a massive workload, but I'm very pleased with the results. I was amused to realize that I have created over 200 different cover variants for the Mini-Dungeon series to date.
The Pathfinder RPG Mini-Dungeon Bundle #1 (Print / PDF) is already available, and the AAW Games conversion team is hard at work on prepping the others. The remaining bundles should be released sometime in the first quarter of 2017.
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Northern Fury Council Limited Edition Poster Prints
While awaiting the final editing/layout touches for "Wrath of the Jotunn" to be completed, I went ahead and prepped one of the last pending unique backer perks for the Into the Wintery Gale Kickstarter. Those who backed at the Northern Fury Council level had non-player characters based on their likeness worked into the adventure series, and each character was beautifully depicted by fantasy artist, Mates Laurentiu. They were also promised poster prints of that artwork.
The character art was done without any background since they were intended to be worked into the layout with wrap-around text, I was left with a couple options for the design of the posters.
I wasn't a fan of just using a white background, nor did I like having the IWG logo slapped on the front. While I love the branding (I did design it after all), I felt it distracted focus of the subjects. A solid white background I felt like just kind of over simplified the theme.
What I ended up working up for these 18" x 24" posters was a backdrop of wind-swept tundra (utilized from the adventure book's back cover), and an abstract "snowy" background overlay to tie the theme back into the wintery gale. The artwork is bordered by a wide white margin, with some branding information done in simple black Norse runic font at the bottom.
Also, limited edition might be an understatement in this case as these were designed with the intent of only sending each "NFC" backer the one poster depicting the character artwork based on their own likeness -- another reason I wanted to make sure the composition of each made a unique piece.
I'm rather pleased with how these turned out, and am excited for backers to get their posters. I hope they like them when they are received.
The character art was done without any background since they were intended to be worked into the layout with wrap-around text, I was left with a couple options for the design of the posters.
I wasn't a fan of just using a white background, nor did I like having the IWG logo slapped on the front. While I love the branding (I did design it after all), I felt it distracted focus of the subjects. A solid white background I felt like just kind of over simplified the theme.
What I ended up working up for these 18" x 24" posters was a backdrop of wind-swept tundra (utilized from the adventure book's back cover), and an abstract "snowy" background overlay to tie the theme back into the wintery gale. The artwork is bordered by a wide white margin, with some branding information done in simple black Norse runic font at the bottom.
Also, limited edition might be an understatement in this case as these were designed with the intent of only sending each "NFC" backer the one poster depicting the character artwork based on their own likeness -- another reason I wanted to make sure the composition of each made a unique piece.
I'm rather pleased with how these turned out, and am excited for backers to get their posters. I hope they like them when they are received.
Print Proof of one of the Northern Fury Council Posters. |
Sunday, December 18, 2016
New Mini-Dungeon Ad Series
This week I designed a new series of banner and block ads for the AAW Games / Adventureaweek.com Mini-Dungeon Series. The focus was on the 5th Edition conversions of the adventures that are available. In addition I did a DTRPG general banner for the Mini-Dungeon series focusing on the 99-cent PDF price-point.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
The Mini-Dungeon Creation Guide
I have written, designed, and laid-out a complete Mini-Dungeon Creation Guide for AAW Games staff and other freelance authors who work on the Mini-Dungeon series.
The book contains comprehensive information covering every step of the process in which the adventures are created, flow chart diagrams, step-by-step instructions for authors and cartographers, as well as installation instructions for special software packages which I developed specifically for maintaining Mini-Dungeons.
This guide is not available to the general public, but has been (and will continue to be) provided to those working on the Mini-Dungeon series. It is my hope that this document will answer any questions contributors may have.
The 15-page guide is available for download via the private Mini-Dungeon Author's Group on Facebook. If you are a tabletop RPG author who would like to get involved with writing Mini-Dungeons for AAW Games, please contact Jonathan G. Nelson.
Monday, December 5, 2016
5-Star Review for "Mysteries of the Endless Maze"!
I'm very excited to have received a 5-star review from Endzeitgeist on this AAW Games / Adventureaweek.com Mini-Dungeon adventure title.
"Justin Andrew Mason’s Mysteries of the Endless Maze is an amazing little puzzle-dungeon... All in all, a well-crafted mini-dungeon worth of a final verdict of 5 stars." -- EZG
You can check out the full review on Nerdtrek.com:
This adventure can be purchased via Adventureaweek.com, DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and Paizo.
"Justin Andrew Mason’s Mysteries of the Endless Maze is an amazing little puzzle-dungeon... All in all, a well-crafted mini-dungeon worth of a final verdict of 5 stars." -- EZG
You can check out the full review on Nerdtrek.com:
This adventure can be purchased via Adventureaweek.com, DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and Paizo.
Labels:
AAW Games,
Mini-Dungeon,
Review
Location:
Hopkinsville, KY 42241, USA
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Just for Fun -- Optional Rules: Lesser Magic Item Creation
Lesser magic items are the bridge between mundane items and magic items. They are affordable enough for a commoner to obtain yet useful enough for an adventurer of any rapport. The magic used when creating lesser magic items is relatively weak, and for any item to be imbued with lesser magic it must be a mundane item and have a base value of no more than 50 gp.
For magical detection purposes lesser magic items have dim auras that are notably weaker than the faint aura of minor magic items.
Table: Lesser Magic Item Effects
Calculating Creation Cost
To calculate the cost of lesser magic items sum the all of the associated item cost multipliers for imbued effects and then multiply the base price (market value) of the mundane item by that number. For instance, a 1 lb. basket (which has a market value of 4 sp) that has the self-mending effect and the lightweight effect would become a 0.5 lb. lesser magic basket of self-mending with a market value of 1 gp, 8 sp (18 sp).
Note that adding multiple lesser magic item effects to the same mundane item can potentially increase the cost of creation more than either of those same effects would if used individually.
For instance, if imbuing a trinket (with a market value of 8 gp) with only one charge of the lucky effect would result in a total cost multiplier of 1.25, making its lesser magic item creation cost 10 gp. However, if that same trinket is also being imbued with the durable effect (which itself has a cost modifier of 1.25), the item’s total cost multiplier (calculated as the sum of all the cost multiplies applied to the item) now becomes 2.5, making the creation cost 25gp.
The market value for lesser magic items is typically one and a half times the cost to create them.
Creating a Lesser Magic Item
Any trained spell caster with access to the relevant school of magic may create a lesser magic item from a mundane item. Creating a lesser magic item does not require any magic item creation feats. The creator must be able to succeed a Spellcraft check with a DC equal to 10 + the sum of cost multiplies applied to the mundane item. Failure of this craft check destroys the mundane item.
The maximum total cost modifier for effects that can be imbued into a lesser magic item is equal to the caster level of the item creator. It requires one hour for every half point (0.5) of a lesser magic item’s total cost modifiers to create the item, and since the energy used for to imbue lesser magic is frail, the item must be created in a single uninterrupted time frame.
For magical detection purposes lesser magic items have dim auras that are notably weaker than the faint aura of minor magic items.
Table: Lesser Magic Item Effects
Effect | Description | Multiplier | School |
Aesthetic * | item appears to be of masterwork quality, but remains mundane | 1.25 | illusion |
Attuned * | lesser magic item’s effects work only for its creator | 1.25 | divination |
Durable | +2d4 item hp (to a maximum bonus of +10) | 1.25/instance | transmutation |
Effective | +1 bonus to specific Craft skill to relevant crafting tool | 2 / instance | enchantment |
Filling * | double consumable effectiveness for sustenance (food & drink) | 1.5 | transmutation |
Fortified * | +1d6 item hardness | 1.25 | transmutation |
Lightweight * | - 1/4 item weight | 1.50 | transmutation |
Lucky | +1 to specific saving throw (expends charge w/ next relevant save) | 1.25/charge | enchantment |
Self-mending* | item repairs itself to standard hp 1/day (unless destroyed) | 3 | transmutation |
Specialized | +1 bonus to specific Profession skill on relevant kit, outfit or tool | 2 / instance | enchantment |
Calculating Creation Cost
To calculate the cost of lesser magic items sum the all of the associated item cost multipliers for imbued effects and then multiply the base price (market value) of the mundane item by that number. For instance, a 1 lb. basket (which has a market value of 4 sp) that has the self-mending effect and the lightweight effect would become a 0.5 lb. lesser magic basket of self-mending with a market value of 1 gp, 8 sp (18 sp).
Note that adding multiple lesser magic item effects to the same mundane item can potentially increase the cost of creation more than either of those same effects would if used individually.
For instance, if imbuing a trinket (with a market value of 8 gp) with only one charge of the lucky effect would result in a total cost multiplier of 1.25, making its lesser magic item creation cost 10 gp. However, if that same trinket is also being imbued with the durable effect (which itself has a cost modifier of 1.25), the item’s total cost multiplier (calculated as the sum of all the cost multiplies applied to the item) now becomes 2.5, making the creation cost 25gp.
The market value for lesser magic items is typically one and a half times the cost to create them.
Creating a Lesser Magic Item
Any trained spell caster with access to the relevant school of magic may create a lesser magic item from a mundane item. Creating a lesser magic item does not require any magic item creation feats. The creator must be able to succeed a Spellcraft check with a DC equal to 10 + the sum of cost multiplies applied to the mundane item. Failure of this craft check destroys the mundane item.
The maximum total cost modifier for effects that can be imbued into a lesser magic item is equal to the caster level of the item creator. It requires one hour for every half point (0.5) of a lesser magic item’s total cost modifiers to create the item, and since the energy used for to imbue lesser magic is frail, the item must be created in a single uninterrupted time frame.
Monday, November 14, 2016
AetherCon V (2016) -- The Online RPG Convention
After three hectic days (and a year of preparations) AetherCon V is a wrap! I’m still exhausted, but did take Monday off to recuperate.
By just about every measure, the convention was a resounding success. Attendance to AetherCon doubled this year, and we had so much traffic that our web-server was nearly crashed during several peak hours. We’re already discussing plans to get the convention website on a hosting plan that can handle higher traffic for next year.
I am amazed every year when this convention comes together. It’s entirely non-profit, has zero budget, and depends entirely on a staff of dedicated volunteers and participating vendors – yet all the events manage to come together for a weekend of fun and gaming with a surprising level of organization.
This year there were more game tables, more guests, more vendors, and more booths! Pathfinder Society and Adventurers League had a major presences at the game tables as well. In every measurable way the convention grew by leaps and bounds, and though we still had some hiccups (mostly schedule related), there were far fewer technical issues despite the dramatic crowd increase.
The new event system I created for the convention was fully utilized, and performed splendidly. Feedback about it has been overwhelmingly positive even if there are a few additional new features that need to be worked into the web application before it is used again next year.
16-20 hour shifts for three days in a row have worn me out, but I had a blast. I was once again too busy this year maintaining the system, setting up events, and assisting attendees to grab a seat at a game table myself, but I did manage to dive into the bazaar in the early morning hours to do some shopping through the booths. I scored several great convention deals on RPG books and fantasy miniatures.
The two professional panels I was invited to speak on were a blast, and I made many great new connections in the gaming industry, and even got to hear from a few fans of my work; which is always a very neat experience.
Here’s to hoping for continued success for the convention at AetherCon VI (2017)!
Friday, November 11, 2016
Teach Your Kids to Game Week
It's "Teach Your Kids to Game Week" and over at DriveThruRPG.com you can snag some fantastic deals (half-off!) on kid-friendly adventures. I'm proud to have a title in this line-up, with more educational adventures to be available in the near future.
Be sure to check out Playground Adventures selection and build a collection of modules designed specifically for kids!
In addition, AAW Games / Adventureaweek.com was featured in an article by Geek & Sundry titled, "Teach Your Kids To Roleplay With These $3-ish Games".
Location:
Hopkinsville, KY 42241, USA
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Stowaway on the Singing Sea
Another Mini-Dungeon adventure that I authored is now available for purchase. Stowaway on the Singing Sea (published by AAW Games / Adventureaweek.com) is an adventure for 3-4 PCs of Levles 5-8.
The adventurers have been hired by local authorities to sneak aboard the merchant ship, The Last Song. The vessel is owned by the Elloise Drake (suspected of also being the nefarious pirate, Lady Wavedancer). Law enforcement at the port city of Tangran’s Landing have managed to arrange for a “special piece of cargo” to be loaded upon the vessel for its upcoming voyage. Rather than the fine silks said to be in the shipment, the adventurers are smuggled aboard hidden inside.
Their mission is to await for the sounds of the Last Song boarding another ship at sea, and then to exit their hideaway to investigate. If they discover the crew committing an act of piracy they are to present their documentation, arrest Elloise, and commandeer the ship.
This adventure is available for purchase via Adventureaweek.com, DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and Paizo.
The adventurers have been hired by local authorities to sneak aboard the merchant ship, The Last Song. The vessel is owned by the Elloise Drake (suspected of also being the nefarious pirate, Lady Wavedancer). Law enforcement at the port city of Tangran’s Landing have managed to arrange for a “special piece of cargo” to be loaded upon the vessel for its upcoming voyage. Rather than the fine silks said to be in the shipment, the adventurers are smuggled aboard hidden inside.
Their mission is to await for the sounds of the Last Song boarding another ship at sea, and then to exit their hideaway to investigate. If they discover the crew committing an act of piracy they are to present their documentation, arrest Elloise, and commandeer the ship.
This adventure is available for purchase via Adventureaweek.com, DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and Paizo.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Kickstarter: Demon Cults & Secret Societies (for PFRPG & 5E) by Kobold Press
I designed the graphic layout for the Demon Cults & Secret Societies (by Kobold Press) Kickstarter campaign, which I am happy to announce has fully funded with $50,461 and 1,310 backers! It was fun to be a part of another successful project with the Kobold Press crew, and watch yet another Kickstarter campaign that I designed become a success.
Link to the Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/350683997/demon-cults-and-secret-societies-5th-edition-and-p/description
Link to the Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/350683997/demon-cults-and-secret-societies-5th-edition-and-p/description
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
The Ascent of Tempest Tower
Another Mini-Dungeon that I wrote is now available for purchase. The Ascent of Tempest Tower (published by AAW Games / Adventureaweek.com) is an adventure for 3-4 PCs of 20th Level.
Tempest Tower is a spire that reaches skyward from an expanse of open plains. The stone monument rises nearly 100-feet above mostly-featureless terrain. At its apex swirls a maelstrom of storm clouds that extend half-a-mile from the center. The landscape directly below is speckled with small craters and charred vegetation from frequent lightning strikes. The sound of rolling thunder is near constant and can be heard for miles in every direction.
The tower was constructed eons past to bind a powerful monstrosity from the elemental plain of air nown as the Storm Song which once roamed across these lands, consuming the greenery and the earth in which it was rooted – creating the vast, featureless plains that now exists.
This adventure is available for purchase via Adventureaweek.com, DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and Paizo.
Tempest Tower is a spire that reaches skyward from an expanse of open plains. The stone monument rises nearly 100-feet above mostly-featureless terrain. At its apex swirls a maelstrom of storm clouds that extend half-a-mile from the center. The landscape directly below is speckled with small craters and charred vegetation from frequent lightning strikes. The sound of rolling thunder is near constant and can be heard for miles in every direction.
The tower was constructed eons past to bind a powerful monstrosity from the elemental plain of air nown as the Storm Song which once roamed across these lands, consuming the greenery and the earth in which it was rooted – creating the vast, featureless plains that now exists.
This adventure is available for purchase via Adventureaweek.com, DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and Paizo.
AetherCon V Panel: Propping It Up -- How To Create Ambience at Your Table
It was just announced that I was invited to speak at AetherCon V on a panel about ambience at the game table. The panel will be held in "The Philosopher's Conundrum" tavern and broadcast live on YouTube on Saturday, November 12, 2016 at 6:00 PM EST.
Guests on this panel include: Bill Web (Frog God Games), Justin Andrew Mason (Paths to Adventure), Brian Fitzpatrick (Moebius Adventures). The panel will be moderated by Devon Kelly (Sharkbone Podcast).
Article Update (11/12/2016): I had a fantastic time speaking on the panel. It was probably one of the most fun panels I've ever been a part of. Bill Web couldn't make it due to convention conflicts and we were joined instead by Matt Finch (Frog God Games). If you missed the live broadcast, the video will be released by AetherCon in January 2017, and I'll post a video link to this article at that time.
Guests on this panel include: Bill Web (Frog God Games), Justin Andrew Mason (Paths to Adventure), Brian Fitzpatrick (Moebius Adventures). The panel will be moderated by Devon Kelly (Sharkbone Podcast).
Article Update (11/12/2016): I had a fantastic time speaking on the panel. It was probably one of the most fun panels I've ever been a part of. Bill Web couldn't make it due to convention conflicts and we were joined instead by Matt Finch (Frog God Games). If you missed the live broadcast, the video will be released by AetherCon in January 2017, and I'll post a video link to this article at that time.
Monday, October 24, 2016
Peril at the Lamiak Bridge
Another Mini-Dungeon that I wrote is now available for purchase. Peril at the Lamiak Bridge (published by AAW Games / Adventureaweek.com) is an adventure for 4-5 PCs of 3-5th Levels.
Leuna and Ederra, a pair of lamiak twin sisters, have built a bridge over the rushing waters of Amorrura River. The stone bridge provides safe access across the river for the villagers of the nearby settlement of Urakurba into the hunting grounds of the nearby forest. In return for this gift, the villagers leave gifts to the sisters of ale and fresh fruit each night at a shrine near the river’s edge.
The rare stone that the bridge is crafted from cannot be found nearby, and is only sourced from high in the peaks of the nearby Harrizko Mountains. The material is exceptionally strong and is the coveted treasure of the mairuak who mine the stone from quarries high upon the mountain peaks. The reclusive giants selfishly hoard the special stone and do not share it with others. The mairuak utilize it only to build their sacred mountain monoliths and dolmen.
Ederra, with intent of building a bridge that would assuredly withstand the raging waters of the violent river, snuck into one of the mountain quarries and took just enough of the stone to build the bridge. The mairuak have more than ample supply of the material, and she was convinced that the minuscule amount needed to construct the bridge wouldn’t be missed – she was wrong.
The adventurers come upon the stone bridge spanning Amorrura River. On the scene is an encounter between Leuna and Ederra and a hulking mairu named Peril. The giant is demanding in return for stealing his tribe’s stone that one of the sisters elect to be subjugated into servitude and use her magical abilities to assist the mairuak in building their massive dolmens.
Neither of the sisters is interested in spending the rest of her life in service to the giants, and have told him as much. Angered both by the lamiaks’ theft as well as their refusal to provide restitution, Peril is loudly threatening to destroy the bridge and bring wrath and sorrow down upon the denizens of Urakurba for whom it was built.
This adventure is available for purchase via Adventureaweek.com, DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and Paizo.
Leuna and Ederra, a pair of lamiak twin sisters, have built a bridge over the rushing waters of Amorrura River. The stone bridge provides safe access across the river for the villagers of the nearby settlement of Urakurba into the hunting grounds of the nearby forest. In return for this gift, the villagers leave gifts to the sisters of ale and fresh fruit each night at a shrine near the river’s edge.
The rare stone that the bridge is crafted from cannot be found nearby, and is only sourced from high in the peaks of the nearby Harrizko Mountains. The material is exceptionally strong and is the coveted treasure of the mairuak who mine the stone from quarries high upon the mountain peaks. The reclusive giants selfishly hoard the special stone and do not share it with others. The mairuak utilize it only to build their sacred mountain monoliths and dolmen.
Ederra, with intent of building a bridge that would assuredly withstand the raging waters of the violent river, snuck into one of the mountain quarries and took just enough of the stone to build the bridge. The mairuak have more than ample supply of the material, and she was convinced that the minuscule amount needed to construct the bridge wouldn’t be missed – she was wrong.
The adventurers come upon the stone bridge spanning Amorrura River. On the scene is an encounter between Leuna and Ederra and a hulking mairu named Peril. The giant is demanding in return for stealing his tribe’s stone that one of the sisters elect to be subjugated into servitude and use her magical abilities to assist the mairuak in building their massive dolmens.
Neither of the sisters is interested in spending the rest of her life in service to the giants, and have told him as much. Angered both by the lamiaks’ theft as well as their refusal to provide restitution, Peril is loudly threatening to destroy the bridge and bring wrath and sorrow down upon the denizens of Urakurba for whom it was built.
This adventure is available for purchase via Adventureaweek.com, DriveThruRPG, RPGNow, and Paizo.
AetherCon V Panel: In The Margins -- The Mysteries of Graphic Design
It was just announced that I was invited to speak at AetherCon V on a panel about graphic design as it's related to the gaming industry. The panel will be held in "The Philosopher's Conundrum" tavern and broadcast live on YouTube on Friday, November 11, 2016 at 1:30 PM EST.
Guest on this panel include: Rachel Meyers (Drop Dead Studios), Justin Andrew Mason (Paths to Adventure), and Emily Mottesheard (Mottfolio Design). The panel will be moderated by Rich Howard of Tribality.
Article update (11/11/2016): I had great fun speaking on the panel, which was moderated instead by Travis Gasque when Rich Howard was unavailable due to a family emergency. If you missed the live broadcast, the video will be released by AetherCon in January 2017, and I'll post a video link to this article at that time.
Guest on this panel include: Rachel Meyers (Drop Dead Studios), Justin Andrew Mason (Paths to Adventure), and Emily Mottesheard (Mottfolio Design). The panel will be moderated by Rich Howard of Tribality.
Article update (11/11/2016): I had great fun speaking on the panel, which was moderated instead by Travis Gasque when Rich Howard was unavailable due to a family emergency. If you missed the live broadcast, the video will be released by AetherCon in January 2017, and I'll post a video link to this article at that time.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
AAW Mini-Dungeon Video
Pondering ways to promote the latest Mini-Dungeons from AAW Games/Adventureaweek.com, I decided to put together a short video that shows me flipping through the entire available collection in print.
Need an affordable solution to one-shot games or campaign side-quests? Adventureaweek.com Mini-Dungeons are single page, double sided adventures which are setting agnostic. Available for 5th Edition, Pathfinder RPG, and Fantasy Grounds virtual tabletop. Adventures are available for characters of any level. Each Mini-Dungeon includes one unique adventure map, an exciting adventure, and is beautifully illustrated. #tabletop #rpg #gaming #dungeon #quest #adventure 5th Edition: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/4409/AAW-Games/subcategory/8538_26567/5E-MiniDungeons Pathfinder RPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/4409/AAW-Games/subcategory/8538_23785/PF-MiniDungeons Fantasy Grounds VTT: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?keywords=Mini-Dungeon+Fantasy+Grounds&manufacturers_id=4409&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=
Posted by Justin Andrew Mason on Sunday, October 16, 2016
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Commissioned Cartography: From Start to Finish
From client sketch to finished map, I have created a step-by-step album of photos on my Facebook account which contains progress shots of an actual map I was recently commissioned to create for a private client (used with permission). The gallery should give a good idea of how the cartography commission design process goes.
Like what you see? Remember, I'm always available for cartography commissions -- dungeon maps, encounter maps, as well as world/setting maps!
Like what you see? Remember, I'm always available for cartography commissions -- dungeon maps, encounter maps, as well as world/setting maps!
Friday, October 7, 2016
Gamer Bling: Mythical Coins for your RPG Campaigns
Gamer Bling is a series of posts where I share and review amazing products, services, and accessories for tabletop role-playing games that really take gaming to the next level. In this article, I will actually be covering products from three different companies: coins by Campaign Coins, coins by Fantasy Coin LLC, and coins by Rare Elements Foundry.
Campaign Coins
Photo of Campaign Coins from the official website gallery. |
Campaign Coins are made from zinc alloy and have an average price point of $0.89 US - $1.25 US (depending on coin size). They also offer trade bars and accessories.
One neat feature of Campaign Coins is that in addition to the beautiful fantasy-themed 3D artwork depicted on each denomination, the coins are actually enumerated to a specific value: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000; which makes them very easy to use for fantasy commerce. They also come in four different finishes: copper, silver, gold, and gleaming platinum.
Image of the gold d20 coin from the Campaign Coins website store. |
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the awesome d20 "Crits or Fails" coins (copper, silver, and gold) -- I managed to snag all three from GenCon 2014 when they were first released, and they make a fantastic d2 to any dice collection.
Campaign Coins is operated by King of the Castle Games (Andre Bishop [founder], Mark Morrison, Lee Smith, and other team members) from Melbourne, Australia. They have been making fantasy coins since 2007. You can find out more about Campaign Coins via their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr.
Fantasy Coin LLC
Photograph of some of the various coin themes from my own collection of Fantasy Coins by Fantasy Coin LLC. |
Fantasy Coins available themes include: elementals (fire, earth, air, water and magic), fantasy cultures (dwarf, elf, goblin, dragon, and fantasy kingdom), historical cultures (feudal Japan, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, barbarian, and valkyrie), and over a dozen other themes including steampunk, science fiction, pirate, and even Cthulhu.
Yellow Hex Gem photo from the Fantasy Coin LLC web store. |
I first became introduced to Fantasy Coins via their primary Kickstarter campaign in April 2014 where I picked up over 300 coins and several of the bars for around $120. In all honesty, at first I thought them to be the same company who had manufactured Campaign Coins when I backed, but was pleasantly surprised to discover they were an entirely new company broadening the market for fantasy-themed coinage. I mention this to point out that coins from both companies mingle well in the same collection. I have since invested in several of their other Kickstarter campaigns, including snagging one of these limited custom fantasy treasure chests with locks and keys.
Fantasy Coins are struck from quality zinc and then electroplated with colored nickel. Each coin is is antiquated with a finish that simulates actual aging, which lends the entire series of coins a very authentic appearance for any fantasy setting. Fantasy Coins have an average price point of $0.57 US per coin, making them the most affordable option of the three companies reviewed in this article.
Fantasy Coin LLC is operates out of Woodbridge, Virgina and was founded in 2012 by the company CEO, Tim West. You can find out more about the company and Fantasy Coins via their website, Facebook, or Twitter.
Rare Elements Foundry
A photograph of my coins from Rare Elements Foundry which I obtained as a backer of their Kickstarter Project. |
Rare Elements Foundry coins are actually minted using the same materials and process as US currency via Osborne Coinage who are America's oldest private mint and have been minting coins since 1835.
While all the coins I've reviewed here have the real heft to them that coins should provide, only Rare Elements Foundry coins offer that true *ring* when the coins clink together. The minting process used also offers a very fine detail to the artwork displayed on each coin that all the other mythological coins fail to achieve. It's a notable difference that can be seen, felt and heard when using the coins.
Photo of the "Fire Dragon" 100 Denomination coins from the Rare Elements Foundry website store. |
I discovered Rare Elements Foundry via their 2014 Kickstarter campaign where I scored a set of 60 coins and one solid .999 Fine Silver 39mm coin (about an ounce of silver) for $120. I've been a huge fan ever since.
While Fantasy Coins maybe my favorite to use at the game table, Rare Elements Foundry coins are my favorite overall. I adore these coins -- so much so that I shy way from exposing them to wear at the game table. These are even nice enough that I included coins in all of my "Gruss vom Krampus!" cards that I sent to friends and family last year.
Rare Elements Foundry also offers very nice character token sets as well as "Re' of Light" which is a D20 OGL adventure setting that makes use of their coins as a part of the storytelling mechanic.
Rare Elements Foundry is run by Miya Sohoza and operates out of Cincinnati, Ohio. You can find out more about Rare Elements Foundry via their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Pros -
Using coins as an interactive prop for tabletop RPGs can add a level of immersion to any fantasy setting, and there's just something about grabbing a fist-full of hefty metal coins and hearing your wealth clink about that surpasses simply jotting down a number on a character record sheet.
The Cons -
Budget. In most cases using coins for your game is going to be entirely fluff, and though the average price points vary, none of them are especially inexpensive. They don't really add anything new to the mechanics or procedure, and at higher levels characters can amass enough wealth that it becomes difficult to use coins to assume a placeholder for treasure.
Product Ratings -
In conclusion, I rate all three company's coins as 4.5 / 5 Bling! products, but for very different reasons detailed below:
Campaign Coins -- Perfect for players who want to track their wealth with a physical representation. The enumerated denominations on these coins literally add some weight to the decisions of how to spend a character's wealth. However, at higher levels it can be difficult to maintain enough coinage to account for everyone's money.
Fantasy Coin LLC -- Perfect for players on a budget, you get the most bang for your buck here, though the lack of any denomination can render them less than useful as a wealth-tracking utility, as tokens or icons they are ideal (I hand them out as rewards to players who use them as hero/luck points).
Rare Elements Foundry -- If you are a collector of things shiny and beautiful, these coins are absolutely perfect for you. These are truly keepsake quality. If budget isn't a concern and nothing but the best will do for your players, then these are the coins for your game. Or, do as I've done: just get some for yourself and hoard them like a greedy gamer troll.
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