Tortured Earth

With the publication of Tortured Earth 2.0, production of minimodules, and the dreadful editing of our upcoming modules, Mountains of Mists and Mystery is now available as a download to fill the span between releases. For those wishing to launch into a post-apocalyptic campaign, please enjoy the story. As always, Tortured Earth is looking for module writers willing to contribute to the mad multiverse we propose. The current phase has Kevin and I converting the game demos into minimodules for our Game Night in a Box line. We are also writing and editing our own projects. We are also gearing up for a busy convention cycle, having been admitted into Origins in Columbus, OH and PAX - Unplugged in Philadelphia, PA. It's difficult to contain the excitement of being able to present at such large conventions.  After speaking with our caster, we are told the first line of miniatures is still a few weeks away. The ultimate goal is to have modules, books, and minis ready for Origins and pres

Two of our March conventions were canceled. The COVID restrictions are causing delays and cancellations in a lot of cities. At the earliest, we are looking at April (realistically, May) before the convention circuits begin to open again. Fortunately, our time has not been idled away. We have been creating and refining since the closures began. The game guide is edited and printed for the graphic design phase. Next on the menu is the editing of the creatures. The creature manuals will be a little different from most other creature manuals. They are shaping up to become more or less expansion material. There are certain spells and abilities that did not fit in the main guide because they referred to creatures. This has been pulled and placed in the appropriate creature manual.   To add interest to the main guide, I've embedded a story in the form of journal entries throughout the document. Does anyone have thoughts or comments on this concept? The game guide is a technical manual and

Image by   veeterzy Tonight, I enjoyed a pleasant phone conversation with an old convention friend. Robert Stikmanz has always held a special place with Tortured Earth. He is the creator of the D'Varsh language, writer of Nod's Way, and a novelist to boot! Since we've met, he's proven to be possibly one of the most creative people I've known. As old friends, we're pretty much open with one another regarding our businesses, promotional strategies, and general operating practices. We are also very open with one another regarding the issues and hurdles we face. Robert mentioned a friend who has basically called him out for wasting his time on his labor of love. From the conversation, I had the feeling his intention was to shame Robert into giving up his project and pursue more profitable ventures. For those of you reading these blogs and never having attempted to create anything, please pay attention. A creator pours their heart and soul into their projects. When y

Last night was spent refining the Magic section, ensuring the abilities align with the new rules, and correcting grammar. A large part of the editing process is making sure that official terms are capitalized while the usage of the same word as a description is lower case. It. Is. Maddening! I managed to squeeze in a little time working on the setting for the podcast. I'm not sure if it is the prospect of working on something that is not editing or the opportunity to write creatively again, but I find the work gratifying and refreshing. After editing, I did take some time to record the intro segment for the podcast. A few minutes ago, I let a colleague listen to it. He was impressed. Despite editing dragging on for what seems ages, I still feel confident the final product will be available in March. The podcast is scheduled to begin recording on February 6th, with releases beginning two weeks later. For those interested in the intro to Tortured Earth Presents , please click on the

By definition, apocalyptic refers to a sudden and abrupt end. The mechanism from which the event emerges becomes part of surviving lore of the world while the survivors are left struggling with the remnants of the old way of life.  As a writer, this simple description provides a tremendous amount of material to craft a story. With the placement of a specific moment of the apocalypse, three-time frames emerge: Before, During, and After the apocalypse. Each time frame creates a powerful setting from which character development may be facilitated.  Before. In the events before the apocalypse, the world operates pretty much as normal. Animals are tended, fields plowed, people go to work, and all the things we attribute with normalcy predictably occur. With the simple introduction of unusual or out-of-place elements, tension can build. Depending on the writer's intent, this segment may last a moment or for several series. In terms of story building for a roleplaying game, this time fram