As much as I hate to say it, I will be dropping out of the Simian Circle Design Contest this year. While I do have some ideas for a new game inspired by the contest rules, I will not be able to have things ready by the deadline, which is in just a few days. There were a few reasons for this, only some of which was Oz related. Most of it was work/scheduling related. I'm hoping that will improve soon, because it has also prevented me from starting on Beyond the Deadly Desert, the setting supplement for AiO.
Remember, the coupon code FLOWERS, which gets you 10% off your purchase of Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road at Lulu.com, expires at midnight on May 31st.
Also, check out the free downloadable map available on Lulu.com and on my website if you have any problems reading the map in your book. I'm working on getting that printing glitch fixed ASAP.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
This Really Bugs Me!
I buy the Oz books as Christmas gifts for my niece, so it's not surprising when Amazon sends me one of those "You bought X, so you might like Y" emails. The irritating part is seeing someone putting up their own editions of the books (incredibly easy in the POD era) and not really caring. Not even trying to pretend that they didn't just download them from Project Gutenberg and put them up somewhere else.
Look at this. Or this. Neither of these offers are going to get my dollar. I'd rather spend money on something that is really well put together, like this.
One of the reasons that AiO has been delayed as long as it has (remember when I wanted to get it out on August 21st, 2009?) is that I wanted to produce a quality product. There has to be art And it has to be good art. I've been very lucky that a number of artists have been able to produce some really top-notch stuff without breaking the bank. And my layout person, Jess McDevitt, has done a topflight job of making the whole thing look really good, too. Check this out:
(And an extra bit of news: After several attempts, I have been unable to get CreateSpace to accept my files. This is mostly due to the charming border design you see on the sample page. Since it adds so much to the book, I'm not in favor of changing or removing it. So no CreateSpace.)
Look at this. Or this. Neither of these offers are going to get my dollar. I'd rather spend money on something that is really well put together, like this.
One of the reasons that AiO has been delayed as long as it has (remember when I wanted to get it out on August 21st, 2009?) is that I wanted to produce a quality product. There has to be art And it has to be good art. I've been very lucky that a number of artists have been able to produce some really top-notch stuff without breaking the bank. And my layout person, Jess McDevitt, has done a topflight job of making the whole thing look really good, too. Check this out:
(And an extra bit of news: After several attempts, I have been unable to get CreateSpace to accept my files. This is mostly due to the charming border design you see on the sample page. Since it adds so much to the book, I'm not in favor of changing or removing it. So no CreateSpace.)
Friday, May 14, 2010
Adventures in Oz Now Available!
When I was a kid, every New Year's Eve my dad would let us stay up until midnight. Midnight in New York, anyway. Over here in California, that translates to about 9 o'clock. It was later than we usually got to stay up (bedtime was at 8 in those days), but us kids still felt cheated.
But the good news is that I know 9PM California time is midnight in Chittenango, New York, L. Frank Baum's birthplace. And since we don't know what time he was born, midnight on May 15th is good enough for me.
Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road is on sale now! And until May 31, you can use the coupon code FLOWERS to save 10% at checkout!
But the good news is that I know 9PM California time is midnight in Chittenango, New York, L. Frank Baum's birthplace. And since we don't know what time he was born, midnight on May 15th is good enough for me.
Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road is on sale now! And until May 31, you can use the coupon code FLOWERS to save 10% at checkout!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Here are pictures!
Finally got the camera working, so now you can take a look at the new book for yourself!
It is mine and it is glorious!
I have in my hands right now (you know what I mean) my proof copy from Lulu of my game, Adventures in Oz. I wanted to to a big unveiling, but my camera died on me. No photos, no video at the moment, but I swear to you, the book exists.
The cover image is a little offset, with a strip of green across the top, but no missing details. I opted not to put my name on the cover, since my name is not the one that's going to sell this book. It's L. Frank Baum's name that is going to sell this book and that is definitely there.
I was a bit worried that I would mis-judge the thickness of the book, making the spine look poorly done, but it actually looks fine. "Adventures in Oz" it reads, along with the product code "FDW1000". I included that as a reminder that I'm not done with Oz yet. And there may be other game lines to follow, as well. I also put the price on the back cover, so I don't forget. $14.99
The interior is very nice as well. My layout person cooked up a really neat border design, though it does come rather close to the edges at times. The pages are not perfectly centered, but again, there are no missing details, so it's not a problem.
The layout looks even better than it did browsing it on my screen, though this may just be the excitement of knowing that it's an actual product now.
Watch this space May 15th for info on how you can own this wonderful game as well!
The cover image is a little offset, with a strip of green across the top, but no missing details. I opted not to put my name on the cover, since my name is not the one that's going to sell this book. It's L. Frank Baum's name that is going to sell this book and that is definitely there.
I was a bit worried that I would mis-judge the thickness of the book, making the spine look poorly done, but it actually looks fine. "Adventures in Oz" it reads, along with the product code "FDW1000". I included that as a reminder that I'm not done with Oz yet. And there may be other game lines to follow, as well. I also put the price on the back cover, so I don't forget. $14.99
The interior is very nice as well. My layout person cooked up a really neat border design, though it does come rather close to the edges at times. The pages are not perfectly centered, but again, there are no missing details, so it's not a problem.
The layout looks even better than it did browsing it on my screen, though this may just be the excitement of knowing that it's an actual product now.
Watch this space May 15th for info on how you can own this wonderful game as well!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Oz Character of the Month: Trot
First, a bit of news: I had planned to release the PDF version of AiO first (mainly because it wouldn't require ordering proof copies which cost money, which is in short supply for me), but the print version is currently closest to completion. Considering all of the other release dates I've set and missed, I am currently doing everything I can to get the print version ready to go.
Name: Mayre "Trot" Griffiths
First Appearance: The Sea Fairies
Template: Child in Oz
Size: 2
Athletics: 3
Awareness: 3
Brains: 1 (Sea stories)
Sneaking: 2
Presence: 3
Wits: 5
Traits: None
Friends List
Queen Aquareine, Queen of the Sea Fairies
With her father at sea most of the time, Trot spent much of her life in the care of Cap'n Bill. Fascinated by the legends of the sea, she finally got to experience them when she was invited on an adventure with mermaids. Her presence was instrumental in the defeat of Zog the Terrible. After further adventures, she found herself in the Land of Oz.
Name: Mayre "Trot" GriffithsFirst Appearance: The Sea Fairies
Template: Child in Oz
Size: 2
Athletics: 3
Awareness: 3
Brains: 1 (Sea stories)
Sneaking: 2
Presence: 3
Wits: 5
Traits: None
Friends List
Queen Aquareine, Queen of the Sea Fairies
With her father at sea most of the time, Trot spent much of her life in the care of Cap'n Bill. Fascinated by the legends of the sea, she finally got to experience them when she was invited on an adventure with mermaids. Her presence was instrumental in the defeat of Zog the Terrible. After further adventures, she found herself in the Land of Oz.
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