One milestone within sight.

Source: Dakota Naramore, Abandoned Louisiana

Today, we reviewed the first 13 chapters of the GM Guide. The goal was to make sure each was grammatically correct and mechanically sound. Although we covered 13 chapters, it does say something to the refinement of this review. It is nearing the final stages.
 
The process is actually sped along by various types of editing software, our ability to align the items we've written with those we are currently checking, and the nearly wrote familiarity with the document. Finding repeated information and previous references is far quicker than it was at the start of the process.

Barring any unforeseen disasters, I'm hopeful we will wrap up the GM and Player's guides by the beginning of the new year. This leaves January and February to complete the Creature Portfolios and launch a Kickstarter. The ultimate goal is to have the source material ready by the opening of Convention Season and promote the new version of the game heavily over the next couple of years. As mentioned before, I am ready to return to module and narrative writing.

I must admit, my gaming experiences have dropped to only a couple a year. This limited game time is largely due to a heavy convention circuit. With the help of a few friends and my sons, I plan on launching a podcast specific to Tortured Earth. The goal is multifaceted. I really want people to see the diversity our game offers while promoting it to a larger audience. 

I've been in this business long enough to know there are no guarantees with any action I take. Fortunately, I can honestly say I want to do this because it seems like it can be a lot of fun. The podcast team will ultimately be my playtest group and serve as a development team refining the story and its various elements. I've talked it over with a few friends and strongly believe I can write fast enough to release the podcast segments along with a pdf of the adventure it represents. I may have to pull in a few artists' favors to make it all work, but it is an attainable goal. I will have to become versed in using services like Patreon to pull it all together, but again, an attainable goal.

Unfortunately, the current COVID situation doesn't seem like it will lessen. News of a new strain in Europe has already triggered some conventions to either close or simply not take applications. The need to circulate information about Tortured Earth is ever-pressing, but traditional methods - like conventions and online advertising - are becoming less and less a reality. I'm afraid it will be good ole' fashioned grassroots movements and showing people we can have a good time to draw positive attention to ourselves.

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 rule book's GM portion 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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