Hopeful Plans for the Holiday

NOTE: It has just be brought to my attention the links in the earlier versions of this blog have been corrupted. I've updated the links, so all are working. I am so sorry for those of you who have tried to access the links. If ever there are errors in this forum, please notify me in the comments below.

As a teacher, the holidays are a mixed bag. We have two full weeks off. In the south, most of my family works offshore, so our family Christmas is earlier than most. My sons are older and undoubtedly have their own plans. The people I would normally game with will be out of town or meeting with their own families.

This leaves me with a lot of time and not many people to make plans with. What is a game designer to do?

Write and edit of course! Yep, I get to spend two fun-filled weeks in the cold and dreary plains area of Louisiana creating. It isn't really all that bad, actually. The weather should be miserable enough to discourage outdoor adventures and the house empty enough to grant me the solitude to create to my heart's content. Even better, the worlds I'm venturing in can be summer. Best vacation ever!

Honestly, my son is supposed to drop in and give me a tutorial on either Fantasy Grounds or Roll 20. The intent is to begin hosting online sessions in preparation for a podcast version of Tortured Earth. I'm not sure if it'll be a popular event but on my end, it will be entertaining. I'm actually looking forward to chumming around with some friends rolling dice - even if it is in a virtual environment.

Of course, I'll also be editing. As mentioned in a previous blog, my true goal is to get back into story building. I'm hoping the break will grant me enough time to work on fleshing out one of my many outlines. During the creature revision and expansion, some of the creatures in the Fires of Apison were detailed and will be released with the upcoming edition. Now, I simply need to polish the Fires of Apison.

During our last editing session, I found myself realizing how much I really like the update to Tortured Earth. I know this seems a little out of context but you need to understand why Tortured Earth was created. I wanted a mechanic system I could use to create the stories I wanted to write. No tweaking of rules. No modifications of existing systems. No liberal interpretations of questionable mechanics. I wanted a system to create as I wanted to create.

In the end, I assume it is the same with all game designers. We build the system to tell our stories. We want players to see the worlds as we see them. Speaking from personal experience, there is a lot of chaos rattling around in this head. Creating a scenario which allows someone else to see it, to experience some aspect of it, is a thrill in-and-of itself. 

So spending a couple of weeks, delving into the madness of my mind, doesn't seem like too bad an investment of my time. Can't wait to see what stories emerge!

Thanks for reading! 

K. B. Kidder

 

If you are checking out this blog for the first time, you may access our website by clicking here: Tortured Earth

Character Species released for review: Allorn, Dwarf, Elf, Eoceph, and Goblin.

Combat Creatures released for review: Braunach, Faeda, Fetid Hound, Minotaur, and Wolf.

If you are interested in the creature development process, you may submit your own creatures by filling out the following form. We will review the forms before publishing the creatures to the website. Creature Creation Form

If you would like to see what Tortured Earth looks like, the GM portion of the rule book is available as a free download on the Tortured Earth Home Page. Tortured Earth Beta GM Guide  

And finally, I have created a Tavern Generator and Loot Generator. Both are free downloads and can be adapted to a wide range of story settings. Both are written in Excel. If you are using a tablet, you can download a free version of Excel and operate it live at the game table.

 

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