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Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP

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superbrothers-sword-and-sworcery2We find Swords and Sorcery in unusual places these days. When I was a kid you had to dig around in the 50-cent bin at the used book store until you unearthed a battered Lancer paperback, or a worn copy of Fantastic magazine. Sometimes it would show up at the supermarket in one of those spinning paperback islands, but good luck getting your mother to buy it for you. Too many lurid colors on the cover, too much nudity. Sword and Sorcery was something underground, forbidden, even dangerous, like pornography and posters of Weird Al Yankovic.

Not today. You can’t walk into a movie theater or game store without tripping over Sword and Sorcery. It shows up in Disney movies, in role playing games, and virtually every online multiplayer game ever made. It has permeated our culture, become strangely mainsteam. Just like Weird Al Yankovic. God help us.

But that doesn’t mean that the soul of Sword & Sorcery has been wholly compromised. It just means that if want to find the truly original, the weird and different, you need to wander a little farther afield. Look beyond the big budget titles, to those Indie games that are the modern equivalent of Lancer paperbacks and Fantastic magazine. Games like the amazing Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.

On the surface Sword & Sworcery looks like a point-and-click adventure game, circa 1995. But the artistic design and innovative touches make this unlike any game you’ve ever seen. You play as a warrior woman named Scythian, on a mysterious mission that’s not entirely explained up front. The retro graphics look crude at first, until you notice the incredible details — bushes that shift in the wind, the small forest animals that dart out of your way. Like most point-and-click adventures there’s a lot of text to read, but here the text is charming and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. Early in the game you encounter a girl (named Girl), a woodcutter (Logfella) and their dog Dogfella. Clicking on the dog rewards players with this message:

Logfella knew all about our woeful errand & he agreed to lead us up the old road. Still we definitely got the feeling that he wasn’t super jazzed about this.

No review of Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (what does the EP mean?) would be complete without mentioning the music of Jim Guthrie, a crucial component of the whole experience. The first time you face a monster in combat, you’ll know what I mean.

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery was developed by Capybara Games, and released on April 16, 2012, for both the PC (via Steam) and iOS platforms (Mac, iPhone and iPad) for $4.99. Learn more at their website.

Better Fantasy Gaming Through Traveller

Better Fantasy Gaming Through Traveller

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netherell1Netherell Epic Fantasy
Hal Maclean & Phillip Larwood
Terra/Sol Games (148 pp, $24.99, Softback; $14.99, Download)
Reviewed by Howard Andrew Jones

It’s one of my distinct pleasures as a reviewer to highlight overlooked books. All sorts of RPG books crossed my desk last year, and my fellow game reviewers and I tackled a lot of deserving ones in the last issue of Black Gate, but inevitably some fine ones got overlooked.

I’ve been impressed with the line of products I’ve seen from Terra/Sol Games, starting with their Twilight Sector sourcebook and continuing into their sector companion, Tinker, Spacer, Psion, Spy. I can heartily recommend both for the Traveller fan. But their Netherell supplement, released toward the middle of last year, has even broader appeal. It is an epic fantasy setting implemented with the Traveller rule set. You’d think that it would read like something awkwardly shoehorned into place – like rules for a Star Trek game using the classic D&D experience point system – but it works, and it works well. Any fantasy fan looking for a new way to approach their game play should give it a look.

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Dungeon Crawl Classics – Growing Fresh from Old Roots

Dungeon Crawl Classics – Growing Fresh from Old Roots

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dcc1Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game
Joseph Goodman
Goodman Games (480 pp, $39.99, Hardback; $24.99, Download)
Reviewed by Howard Andrew Jones

I’m afraid that the Dungeon Crawl Classics role-playing game will hit the modern game audience the way a hard rocking band with great guitar hooks hits teenagers who think greatness is held by those auto-tuned voices and dancing lip-syncers. It might be that they’ll have the sense to understand something good, done right, even if it is artistically out of style, but I can’t help thinking they’ll be too hypnotized by flash and swagger to see the beauty.

Well, I use the term beauty loosely, because the plethora of art in DCC is old-school, in your face, evocative, bloody, and dynamic. It has some of the same aesthetics as counter-culture comics from the 60s, but it’s waaay cooler. Where else can you randomly flip through pages and come first to a wizard riding through a harbor on a giant marauding tentacled thing while being assaulted by an elf riding a hawk? Another quick flip takes you to an armored warrior pointing the way to a sinister cavern carved like the open maw of a monster, and a charismatic spell-caster launching a spray of firebolts.

But the book isn’t just the art – though the art sure aids in suggesting the atmosphere of the game itself. This isn’t your brother’s role-playing game. For that matter, it isn’t your dad’s AD&D, either. Primary creator Joseph Goodman is on record as saying that it’s the first game based on a thorough reading of Appendix N from the original Dungeon Master’s Guide. If you’re not in the know, Appendix N was a list of recommended reading featuring the likes of Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Fritz Leiber, and all kinds of other creators of literary fantasy goodies, most of which my local library didn’t have back when I was in junior high, or I would have been swept away into some realms of adventure a lot earlier.

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New Treasures: Dungeons & Dragons Into the Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook

New Treasures: Dungeons & Dragons Into the Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook

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into-the-unknownI don’t get to play D&D as much as I’d like these days. Which means that my enjoyment of the latest supplements chiefly depends on how fun they are to read. By that measure, Into the Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook is one of the best books to come from Wizards of the Coast in a while.

What makes this one stand out? On the surface it’s pretty lightweight, described as

A guide for players and Dungeon Masters who want to play in a Dungeons & Dragons game that explores dungeons and plumbs the blackest reaches of the Underdark… Players will find an assortment of new powers, equipment, feats, character themes, and player races, including the kobold and the goblin. For Dungeon Masters, the book is a trove of dungeon-building advice and details, including lore on classic dungeon monsters, some quirky companions for adventurers, a few timeless treasures, and tips for incorporating players’ character themes into an adventure.

Yeah, we’ve seen this book a few times over the decades. A collection of vague dungeoneering advice, some monsters that didn’t make the cut for other modules, and a few new feats. Reminiscent of the 1986 title that finally convinced me I could ignore future TSR hardcovers, The Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide.

At least, that’s what I thought until I opened it.

My favorite section is a 17-page chunk of Chapter 2 titled “Infamous Dungeons,” which takes a detailed look at some of the most popular publications in D&D history, from Castle Ravenloft to The Temple of Elemental Evil to The Gates of Firestorm Peak. Not half-hearted marketing pieces, but warts-and-all descriptions of classic dungeons alongside pics of the original modules. Here’s a brief excerpt from the assessment of 1980’s The Ghost Tower of Inverness:

That publication was preceded by a tournament version that one could purchase only at WinterCon VIII in 1979 in a zip bag containing 40 loose-leaf pages. But even its more professionally published form, the adventure’s tournament pedigree was on full display. Discussions of scoring the players’ efforts riddle the adventure text, which presents an oftentimes nonsensical dungeon full of desperation-inducing challenges… Since then, the Ghost Tower of Inverness has appeared from time to time in various products. Most recently, it was featured in the D&D Encounters season March of the Phantom Brigade.

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New Treasures: Zombiegeddon

New Treasures: Zombiegeddon

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zombiegeddon2I’m still unpacking from the horrible bout of auction fever I suffered back in March. I uncovered a box of games buried by loot from the April Windy City Pulp and Paper Show in my library on Friday … man, I go to too many auctions.

It’s fun to dig through unexpected boxes of games, though. It’s sort of like archaeology, especially since each item still has the auction tag and price on it. Man, what kind of primitive barbarian would pay 28 bucks for a copy of StarSoldier?? Since it’s in the box … me, apparently.

Still, there’s some intriguing surprises. Like this copy of Reiner Knizia’s Zombiegeddon I found. [Click on the image at right to embiggen.]

I don’t remember buying this game. In truth, twenty minutes ago, I didn’t even know it existed.

But I can imagine what happened. They rattle through items pretty fast at the Games Plus Spring Auction. The auctioneer held it up, I got a quick glimpse of a rare and mysterious gaming artifact with an old lady with spider legs and an undead dog on the cover, I heard the words “mumble mumble ZOMBIE mumble,” and everything went black.  Three months later, I’m holding a copy of Zombiegeddon and someone has fifteen bucks of my money.

Zombiegeddon looks pretty neat, though.  I mean, how could it not? Here’s the text on the back:

Well, it was nice while it lasted! You have gotten word that the end is near, and Armageddon is right around the corner. (Actually, it begins tonight!) Since it may be a while before you can get to the store, today would be a good time to gather as many supplies as possible. After all, tomorrow might be the beginning of a long, cold, (nuclear) winter!

Reiner Knizia’s Zombiegeddon is a fast-paced, perfect-information, strategy game. Each player spends the first half of the game rushing around the board collecting supplies and trying to stop your pesky neighbors from taking stuff that is rightfully yours … The second half of the game is spent trying to survive. Sure their is some good stuff around, but it certainly isn’t plentiful and let’s face it, everyone is still trying to take it before you do! (Whoever has the most stuff at the end of the game wins!)

The board looks pretty pedestrian — essentially just a blank grid — but the components are sturdy, and the rule book is only two pages. Maybe Drew will play this with me, once we finally find that frickin’ holy grail.

Reiner Knizia’s Zombiegeddon is available from Twilight Creations. It was published in March 2009, and retails for $24.99. The complete rulebook in PDF is here.

June Page XX Available — get the latest Pelgrane Press News

June Page XX Available — get the latest Pelgrane Press News

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the-13th-ageSimon Rogers, publisher of Pelgrane Press, tells us a bumper-sized issue of their newsletter Page XX is now available.

I’ve been a huge fan of Pelgrane Press since they published the superb The Dying Earth role playing game nearly a decade ago, and began supporting it with one of the best small press gaming magazines ever published, The Excellent Prismatic Spray, which included articles by Gary Gygax, Robin D. Laws, Phil Masters, Steven Long, and many others.

More recently Pelgrane Press has produced Trail of Cthulhu, Mutant City Blues, Night’s Black Agents, and the highly acclaimed science fiction RPG Ashen Stars.

This latest issue of Page XX is packed with updates on three major new releases and lots of news, including the latest on their new fantasy RPG 13th Age by D&D designers Jonathan Tweet and Rob Heinsoo:

And lots more! Check out the latest issue of Page XX here.

Vintage Treasures: Swordquest, by Task Force Games

Vintage Treasures: Swordquest, by Task Force Games

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swordquest-task-force-games2It’s almost Summer, and my teenage boys will be out of high school in a matter of days. Which means I need to get serious about finding a board game to play with my son Drew.

Recently Drew and I have been playing Grail Quest, a 1980 solitaire RPG from Metagaming. But sooner or later, we’re going to find that grail, damnit, and there’s not much point to replaying those old Fantasy Trip programmed adventures once you’ve solved them.

We’ve also playing the occasional round of RoboRally and of course Barbarian Prince, but to round out his education I need to include an assortment of fantasy board games, and I prefer something we can play in 90 minutes or so. This week, I’m considering Swordquest because I found a dusty copy in the basement that hadn’t been filed away yet.

Swordquest was designed by R. Vance Buck and originally published in 1979 as Task Force Game #7, part of Task Force Games Pocket Games line. Humble in origin and slim in production values (the original price was $3.95), these little zip-locked games proved extremely popular, and many are still fondly remembered three decades later.

Altogether, they published a total of 21 Pocket Games, including some of the most popular titles of the 70s and 80s, such Star Fleet Battles, which launched an entire line of game merchandise, and Starfire, which went through five editions and was the inspiration for the line of SF novels primarily written by Steve White and David Weber. The most popular Pocket Games were re-published in a second edition in more sturdy boxes in the early 80s, including Swordquest.

The inspiration for Swordquest — as with most fantasy boardgames of the era — was clearly J.R.R. Tolkien. The races of the kingdom of Tirrane consist of elves, dwarves, and giants, and there’s also a powerful dragon and winged creatures named wrogs rather obviously inspired by Balrogs.

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The Best of Modern Arabian Fantasy, Part IV: C.A. Suleiman

The Best of Modern Arabian Fantasy, Part IV: C.A. Suleiman

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l_088dd4c6077242c28afe05231683df1d-300x
C.A. Suleiman (center) with his band, Toll Carom

I met C.A. Suleiman online as I was working on this Best of Modern Arabian fantasy series. While Colin is not the only person of Middle Eastern descent I’ve interviewed, he is the first to appear.

A writer, musician, and game designer, Colin has built many worlds and milieus, many of which are inspired and informed by his Middle Eastern heritage. It was fascinating to discuss modern Arabian fantasy with a modern Arab-American.

Read on to hear his thoughts on this increasingly popular subgenre.

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Art of the Genre: Spelljammer Reloaded: AKA Pathjammer!

Art of the Genre: Spelljammer Reloaded: AKA Pathjammer!

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Distant Worlds, or as I like to call it, 'Pathjammer!'
Distant Worlds, or as I like to call it, 'Pathjammer!'

So as you may have seen last week, I was on my annual pilgrimage to Indiana for a full week of hardcore gaming with my boys. The ‘Week 2012’ included several games like AD&D 1E, Deadlands D20, Stars Without Number, and even a go at Pinnacle’s Savage Worlds: Tour of Darkness, which was outstanding.

My responsibility during the week was to DM what is considered our ‘super campaign’ which will take up to five full days of gaming. At a bit over 14 hours a day, that equates to roughly 70 hours behind the DM screens (this week I was enticed to do 6 days and 84 hours). To do this I’ve got to come up with an original idea, typically something that will throw the players for a loop, and certainly hold their attention as we move through an epic tale of adventure.

This year, as I sat staring at my shelves of RPG books, I couldn’t help but keep coming back to the old AD&D 2nd Edition campaign setting, Spelljammer. Now Spelljammer was an interesting and inherently simple idea, take D&D and put it in space. To do this, the development team found a way to make fantasy ships fly through space while they explored worlds around the base worlds TSR had created through the 1980s like Krynn, Greyhawk, and the Forgotten Realms.

Back in the day, I’d played Spelljammer no more than three or four times on mini-adventures with my most famous elven thief, Sefron Silvershoe. Thus, my DM, Mark, dubbed the game ‘Sefron in Space’ to be funny. Because of our devotion to Forgotten Realms and other science fiction games like Paladium’s Robotech, Spelljammer didn’t stick and we quickly went back to other things.

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Gary Gygax’s Hall of Many Panes

Gary Gygax’s Hall of Many Panes

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hall-of-many-panes-gygaxWhew. What a week. I bought a collection of 240 new SF & fantasy paperbacks on Monday, and trying to squeeze them into already-crowded bookshelves in my library is taking some determination. Tomorrow morning I’m throwing some clothes in a bag for a trip to Madison with Patty Templeton and Katie Redding for Wiscon, one of the best conventions in the Midwest.

But tonight, I relaxed and dusted off some of the goodies waiting patiently for my attention. The most intriguing one in the pile is Gary Gygax’s Hall of Many Panes, a boxed mega-adventure from Troll Lord Games, which I purchased on eBay back in March.

Panes was released in 2005, so don’t get too excited if you haven’t heard of it. It’s not a recently-discovered manuscript by the creator of D&D, or anything like that. It was originally written for Gygax’s latter day RPG Lejendary Adventures, but has also been statted for d20 systems, which makes it usable with virtually any of the popular retro-clones on the market like OSRIC or Labyrinth Lord.

Gygax was a master of the mega-adventure, and I’m not sure why he didn’t write more of them, especially at the end of his career when he was experiencing a resurgence.

But then again, I wonder at the fact that the ones he did write — like Necropolis and the massive Castle Zagyg — weren’t more popular, and perhaps that helps explain it.

Anyway, we’re here to talk about Hall of Many Panes. Troll Lord has done a great job assembling a package clearly modeled after the classic TSR boxed sets: inside are three sizable books (76, 96, and 102 pages) and a pamphlet of maps and gaming handouts. The books are a little light on art, but sturdy and highly readable.

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