From: "John or Christine Thompson" To: Subject: Chaosium Digest v33.3 Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 11:46 PM Chaosium Digest Volume 33, Number 3 Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 Number: 1 of 2 Contents: * Above and Beyond (CTHULHU) by Matt Sanborn Editor's Note: The winner of the last Chaosium Contest of 2000 is The Broken Seal by Michael Blenkarn which appeared in issue 32.5. I'm also pleased to announce that Chaosium will continue to offer a quarterly contest for those Chaosium Digest submissions dealing with Call of Cthulhu, Nephilim, Elric! and/or the new Dragonlords of Melnibone material. To qualify, the submission must be received before the end of the quarter, March 31, 2001 in this case, and be picked for publication in the Digest. Submissions should be kept to 50 KB or less in size for ease of distribution. Send submissions to Digest Editor John W. Thompson (gobackstage@prodigy.net) with a note in the subject that the email is a submission. Note that even though they do not qualify for the Chaosium sponsored contest, I also accept submissions dealing with Glorantha, Pendragon, Delta Green, Cthulhu Live and related material. This issue presents a great introductory CoC adventure by Matt Sanborn, which also includes some ideas on 1920s Piloting that can be of use to Keepers. Enjoy this issue and keep those submissions coming! ANNOUNCEMENTS * TENTACLES NEWS POST Volume 2, Nummer 1, 1. January 2001 ~~ S L U R P A g a i n F o l k s ! ~~ The Countdown is running for Tentacles 2001 - the international Hero Wars and Call of Cthulhu Fest! The event will take place at Castle Stahleck in Germany from the 1st - 4th June 2001. Visit: www.tentacles-convention.de for information about this wonderful (in)famous convention. You can register yourself online! I fear we will be booked out soon... Fabian -- ~Tentacles Convention~ www.Tentacles-Convention.de ~ Tentacles 2001 ~ The Hero Wars and Call of Cthulhu Fest 1st - 4th June 2001 Castle Stahleck, Germany * Issaries, Inc. Press Release Oakland, CA January 22, 2001 Issaries Inc. Signs Robin D. Laws to Write Novel Issaries, Inc., is proud to announce that it has signed up world famous author and game designer Robin D. Laws to write a novel for the Hero Wars Fiction line. Robin is known for his excellent fiction works, including the novels Pierced Heart and The Rough and the Smooth. Robin is also the designer of the popular role-playing games Feng Shui and Hero Wars, among many others. A Promise of Thunder is a full length novel about young Tarkalor, the forgotten son of the royal family of the Kingdom of Sartar. The young prince struggles with the burden of royal blood and divine descent during Sartar's war against the Lunar Empire. Robin comments, "I've always wanted to write fiction set in Glorantha. My Tarkalor novel deals with the nature of heroism, the clash of ideologies, and passionate family conflict; all perfect for good fiction. Not just good gaming fiction, but good fiction, period." A Promise of Thunder is scheduled to be released in August 2001. It will be the second fiction book released by Issaries, Inc., this year, after The Complete Griselda. A Promise of Thunder ISS 4503 February 2, 2001 Issaries, Inc. is very excited to announce that the first Player's Book for Hero Wars, Thunder Rebels (ISS 1302), was auto-shipped to distributors Wednesday, January 31st. It should be in stores by the middle of next week. For more information, go to www.HeroWars.com/products/1301.html. The book looks fantastic. We are confident that it is worth the long wait, and hope that everyone is as excited about this development as we are. Storm Tribe (ISS 1310) is currently in the editing process, and we are confident that we can meet our current March release date. Sartar Rising! (ISS 1401) is also proceeding well. 2001 is shaping up to be a great year for Hero Wars. February 8, 2001 Pavis and Big Rubble Detailed in French Hero Wars Supplements Multisim, the renowned French game publisher, has just released its first Hero Wars supplements in the French language. The two books are titled Pavis/Hero Wars and Pavis/Glorantha. Each is a 160-page book with maps, charts, and illustrations. Content of these books is primarily taken from books of the same title that were previously published as part of the now out-of-print RuneQuest game system. The statistics were updated to conform to the Hero Wars game system, which is the modern Glorantha role-playing game. Thus far, these are only available in French. When asked if they would be available in English, Greg Stafford (president of Issaries, Inc.) replied. "Yes, Issaries, Inc. plans to publish these books as official Hero Wars supplements in English. They are approved for the French, but the job was rushed and we plan to make changes to our own edition." Multisim plans to release editions of these books soon for its German edition of Hero Wars, and future licensees will likely publish them as well. When asked why this material was published in French and not English, Stafford explained. "The background text for the setting and adventures is available in English now through Moon Design Publications. We don't want to step on our licensor's sales. We plan to put much of the Hero Wars information on-line soon. "More importantly, however, this is old stuff for us. We wanted to produce new material for Hero Wars first. The real action starts in Dragon Pass, where the new books are set, rather than the fascinating but much-detailed backwater of Pavis." Pavis/Hero Wars and Pavis/Glorantha Available from Multisim 13 passage du Clos Bruneau 75005 Paris France They can be contacted by email at info@multisim.com, and their web site has recently gone on-line at www.multisim.com. February 8, 2001 Issaries, Inc. Announces Hero's Book, Playing in the Hero Wars This April, Issaries, Inc. will release the non-Deluxe version of Hero Wars. It is titled Hero's Book, and is authored by Mark Galeotti. "Hero's Book is the handbook for role-playing in Glorantha," says Greg Stafford, president of Issaries, Inc. "It is all you need to play Hero Wars. Anything else is optional." Hero's Book, Playing in the Hero Wars is a 64 page book, half rules and half background. "It's not even really 32 pages of rules," says Stafford. "Much of this text consists of examples that show how to master the game with its own tricks." The background is divided between barbarian Sartarites and Imperial adventurers, both sections are profusely illustrated and with enough information to let newcomers play with confidence. Hero's Book, Playing in the Hero Wars (ISS 1002) By Mark Galeotti 64 pages, illustrated, 8.5"x11" full size format. Stephen Martin Issaries, Inc. 900 Murmansk St., Suite 5; Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: (510) 452 1648 Fax: (510) 302 0385 Publisher of Hero Wars, Role-playing in Glorantha See our site at: www.HeroWars.com * NEWS FROM CRAWLING CHAOS PICTURES "H. P. Lovecraft's Nyarlathotep" is finally done! My short film is now available on VHS for $7 dollars plus $3.50 s/h (if you live in Southern Maine, copies will also be available at Videoport in Portland). The film is just under 15 minutes long, and is in black and white. I hope to show it this summer at the NecronomiCON convention in Providence RI and at the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland OR in the Fall. If you would like a copy please send a check or money order (in U.S. funds) to: Christian Matzke 84 Carleton St. #13 Portland, ME 04102 Thank you for your interest! Christian Matzke crispen@hotmail.com http://www.nyarlathotep.8m.com * February 11, 2001 Sci Fi Channel Says The Hills Rise Wild! The Sci Fi Channel gave an "A" rating to Pagan Publishing's fast-play miniatures game, The Hills Rise Wild!, this week at SciFi.com. According to reviewer Ken Newquist: "This is a great game to play when you want to break from the ordinary and veer into the downright weird." THRW! debuted at GenCon in August of 2000, and Gamers.com promptly gave it the Weirdest Game of GenCon Award. This fixation on the game's stranger elements is shared by other reviewers as well, including John Kovalic, creator of Dork Tower: "The Hills Rise Wild is a frantic, easy, fast-playing game of horrible mayhem and hideous blood-lust." and rpg.net columnist Mike Mearls: "After playing The Hills Rise Wild! I can honestly say that it's impossible to imagine how empty my life was before I was introduced to the joys of hillbilly miniatures combat." At conventions, living rooms, and candlelit cultist temples around the world, gamers are discovering the most fun you can have on three legs: THE HILLS RISE WILD! Backed by an extensive web site with a thorough FAQ, downloadable unit sheets, variants, optional rules, and much more, this is a miniatures game that's light on the rules and heavy on the ghouls. If you haven't taken a look at the world of monstrous inbred hillbilly miniatures gaming, why not start now? THRW! is available in gaming stores everywhere for just $34.95 (US). Relevant URLs: Home Page: http://www.tccorp.com/pagan/thehillsrisewild/ Sci Fi Channel review: http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue198/games.html * From Chaosium Our Call of Cthulhu rulebook has been reprinted, and after several delays, is on it's way to our warehouse. We'll be very happy to have our big seller back in print and on retailer shelves again. Please let your local shop know Call of Cthulhu is coming back. Meanwhile, we're finishing off World of the Eternal Champions: Dragon Lords of Melnibone. We'll be sending this our first D20 release off to the printer soon. Then we'll let Charlie Krank out of his cage long enough to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his better half, Tree Mclean. Dragon Lords is expected to show up in early March. Charlie is expected back considerably sooner. The first Dragon Lords D20 adventure, Slaves of Fate is now in the capable hands of Jason Durall. Jason was a contributor to our Elric! RPG and it's great to be working with him again. SOF is expected to release in April. With the re-release of our Call of Cthulhu rulebook, the debut of Dragon Lords, and the January release of Unseen Masters, we're kicking 2001 off pretty well. All three books will go a long way towards stabilizing our otherwise slippery release schedule. A big Chaosium "Thankee" to all of you who continue to be so supportive. We're printing books as fast as we can! Here's our current release schedule through April. Cheers! Dustin Wright Leng Embassy Late February Release CALL OF CTHULHU RULEBOOK CHA 2386 $37.95 ISBN 1-56882-148-4 Hard Cover The Great Old Ones ruled the Earth aeons before the incidental rise of man. They came from the gulfs of space, waged war upon one another, and then were cast down by even greater beings. Remains of their cyclopean cities and forbidden knowledge can still be found in the remote extremes of our planet. Upon uncharted islands, within dark ocean depths, under burning desert sands, locked within polar ice, miles below the Earth's crust, they lay imprisoned. But when the Stars are right they will awaken and walk this earth once more. Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium's classic role-playing game of Lovecraftian horror in which ordinary people are confronted by the terrifying and alien forces of the Cthulhu Mythos. A bestseller with over 300,000 copies sold world-wide. Call of Cthulhu has won dozens of game awards. In 1996 Call of Cthulhu was elected to the Academy of Adventure Game Designer's Hall of Fame. in 2001 Call of Cthulhu celebrates it's 20th anniversary. Call of Cthulhu is well supported by an ever growing line of high quality game supplements. No Gaming library is complete without a copy of this book! This new hardback edition is completely compatible with all our previous 5th edition supplements for Call of Cthulhu. Some sections of the book have been revised and clarified, and the book includes some new interior art. This book is a complete role-playing game in one volume. All you need to Play Call of Cthulhu is this book, some dice, imagination, and your friends. Can your investigators handle the truth? Worlds of the Eternal Champion: Dragon Lords of Melnibone A New World for the d20 System CHA #2017 $23.95 ISBN 1-56882-150-6 196 pages, illustrated. For ten thousand years the bright empire of Melnibone ruled the world. Her soldiers were ruthless, unspeakably cruel, and well-skilled at arms. Powerful sorcerers, magic comes easily to them, as easy as breathing. They forged eternal bonds with the aloof gods of Law and Chaos, with the hideous demons from other planes, with elemental lords that are of the world itself, and with the ancient dragons that Melnibone used to enforce her might. But wealth and age has dulled the Bright Empire, tarnished it beauty, and weakened its people. The empire rots from within. And outside, young kingdoms arise on the lands Melnibone's sons and daughters carved from the stuff of chaos that lies at the edge of the world. They are petty, and envious of the ancient wealth of their former masters. A pirate navy is forming, to sail against the Dreaming City of Imrryr. Its captains hope to recapture stolen riches and to bring a hated overlord to ruin. DRAGON LORDS OF MELNIBONE provides a heroic setting for your d20 System game in a complete and detailed role-playing world developed by Chaosium Inc. and based upon the fabulous stories written by Michael Moorcock. The island of Melnibone and the world of the Young Kingdoms wage their eternal battle in a fully developed and extensive storyline. Ancient magic abounds. Sorcerous swords whisper of forgotten treasure. Spirits and demons plague the living. . . . . and a new albino emperor has taken the Ruby Throne, promising to restore the terrible heritage of Melnibone and bring the young upstarts to heel. MARCH 2001 THE THREE IMPOSTORS & OTHER STORIES The Best Weird Tales of Arthur Machen vol. 1 CHA 6030 $13.95 ISBN 1-56882-132-8 pp. 320 Some of the finest horror stories ever written. Arthur Machen had a profound impact upon H.P. Lovecraft and the group of stories that would later become known as the Cthulhu Mythos. This first volume of Chaosium's Arthur Machen collection begins with the chilling "The Three Impostors" in its complete form, including the rarely seen sections "The Decorative Imagination" and "The Novel of the Iron Maid." Rounding out the first volume are "The Great God Pan," "The Inmost Light," and "The Shining Pyramid," all are excellent tales. Introduction by S.T. Joshi. Shipping April SLAVES OF FATE A Dragon Lords of Melnibone(r) D20 adventure CHA 2018 $8.95 32 pages Written by Jason Durall ISBN 1-56882-152-9 Far out to sea, captive on a Vilmirian slave ship, the adventurers' troubles are just beginning. If judged worthy they are destined for the slave markets of corrupt and terrifying Pan Tang, If not, they will be callously slaughtered at sea, their souls left for the dread undead galleys of the god Pyaray, Tentacled Whisperer of Impossible Secrets. While struggling to escape before matters get any worse, the Chaos goddess Eequor, Blue Lady of Dismay, takes an interest in the adventurers' plight. Their fates are forever changed. A D20 adventure for character for levels 1-3. --------------------------- Above and Beyond A Call of Cthulhu Adventure by Matt Sanborn (continued) -- To unsubscribe from the chaos-digest ML, send an "unsubscribe" command to chaos-digest-request@chaosium.com. Chaosium Inc., Call of Cthulhu, and Nephilim are Registered Trademarks of Chaosium Inc. Elric! and Pendragon are Trademarks of Chaosium Inc. All articles remain copyright their original authors unless otherwise noted.