Archive for the ‘Games’ Category

Posted on July 21, 2009 - by jamie

Interviewed by Ogres

I recently did an interview with Allan “Sven” Sugarbaker of OgreCave.com as part of their “Random Encounter” series. The Ogres were curious about the recent announcements regarding my new game company, Signal Fire Studios, and the first product we announced. I filled them in and talked a little about where things are headed.

Read the whole interview right here!

Posted on July 13, 2009 - by jamie

Interview with Myriad Games

I sat down with Myriad Games when I was at the Origins Game Fair this year. Even though it was the fourth day of the convention and I was bone-tired, the interview came off pretty well and I actually managed to make some sort of sense!

Give it a listen! I talk about the recent releases from Margaret Weis Productions and hint of upcoming material from Signal Fire Studios. I also discuss the game industry in general from the perspective of a small-press publisher and member of the GAMA board of directors.

Listen to the interview now!

Posted on July 11, 2009 - by jamie

Action-Adventure Science Fiction Returns with Metamorphosis Alpha

Signal Fire Studios LLC is proud to announce that 2010 will see the publication of the newest incarnation of the very first science fiction role playing game, Metamorphosis Alpha! Using the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition game rules, players take on the role of mutated humans, plants, and animals and experience sci-fi action-adventure.

“The chance to work on Metamorphosis Alpha is really exciting,” says Jamie Chambers, President of Signal Fire Studios. “It’s a fun mix of nostalgia for those who’ve followed MA over the years, new rules for fans of D&D4e, and a chance to really embrace the ‘dungeon in space’ concept that the original game was created with.” The story of Metamorphosis Alpha centers on the Starship Warden, a massive generation ship stricken by a catastrophe. Its population of humans, plants, and animals are left mutated and unaware that the world they live on is actually a huge vessel traveling among the stars.

The Metamorphosis Alpha Player’s Guide is the first product in the series, and offers many new options for D&D players. It includes new races, from genetically-altered humans to self-aware plants. Four brand-new character classes, one for each of the game’s tactical roles, draw on the Mutant power source. Each is supplemented by paragon paths, epic destinies, and feats. The book also expands upon the skill system, adding the Tech skill and rules for discovering and understanding high-tech items. The book is tentatively set for publication in January 2010.

The Starship Warden sourcebook offers a comprehensive campaign setting for the 4th edition D&D rules. It gives the Dungeon Master an array of mutant creatures, androids, and other threats to challenge the heroes. In addition, this second book includes suggestions for ways to integrate the new rules with other settings or the creation of original campaigns that mix the science fiction and fantasy elements in exciting new ways.

James M. Ward, the creator and author of Metamorphosis Alpha for TSR, Inc. in the 1970s and designer of the classic MA’s own Fourth Edition, looks forward to this newest version of his creation. “D&D 4th Edition is bringing a lot of people back to the exploration, discovery, and tactical fun of the old days of the game,” says Ward. “In the early years of Dragon Magazine I wrote an article about how to combine MA with D&D. These new products will be the first time that idea is fully explored.” Ward is working with the MA design team to offer his insight and vision to the new products.

It’s important to lead designer and writer, Cam Banks, that this iteration of Metamorphosis Alpha offers the best of both worlds. “I want our MA books to be fully compatible and interchangeable with existing D&D4e and GSL products,” says Banks. “If someone wants to play a Mutant Feline Enforcer in a traditional fantasy world, the rules will support that. If a wormhole opens up and drops a Warlock into the middle of the Warden, that won’t be a huge problem, either. There’s a lot of great options, so each gaming group can make use of the new Metamorphosis Alpha products in whatever way they want. It’s fantasy meeting science-fiction head on.”

The Metamorphosis Alpha product line for D&D 4th Edition is being produced under the terms of the Game System License from Wizards of the Coast. Full details and release dates for the first two products, as well as news regarding adventures, sourcebooks, and online support materials will be announced soon.

www.metamorphosisalpha.net
www.signalfirestudios.com

Contact:

Jamie Chambers
jamie@signalfirestudios.com

Artwork by Dan Bryce

Signal Fire Studios and the SF logo are trademarks owned by Signal Fire Studios LLC. All rights reserved. Metamorphosis Alpha and its logo are trademarks owned by James M. Ward. Used with permission. The use of another company’s trademarks is for reference only. No violation of copyright or trademark ownership is intended.

Posted on July 11, 2009 - by jamie

Signal Fire Studios to Light the Way for New Games and Entertainment

A new game publisher is creating a strong lineup of role playing game titles starting in 2010 that include some familiar names, and carries on a legacy for producing quality tabletop games for both dedicated and casual fans. Signal Fire Studios, LLC was founded by the core creative team that has produced games based on properties including Serenity, Battlestar Galactica, and Dragonlance.

Signal Fire Studios is led by Jamie Chambers, award-winning lead writer and designer of the Cortex System role playing game products that have included a mix of licensed and original properties (Serenity, Demon Hunters). The company will use the Cortex System rules, along with other available game systems, including Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition, for its tabletop RPG products depending on the needs of the product.

“Weʼll definitely be using Cortex for story- and character-driven style game products. D&D 4th Edition is also a good choice for action-adventure and exploration-style games,” Chambers reports. “We want to find a good match for the material and the rules involved, but also offer our players the opportunity to use rules they are already having fun playing. But there are new role playing games in the works as well!”

Cam Banks, fantasy novelist and former lead designer of the Dragonlance game line, is an integral part of the Signal Fire Studios team. He will be developing original content and leading teams of freelance writers to produce material for both established game properties and new. Digger Hayes, art director and graphic designer, will continue his work marrying images and text to create game products that are both functional and attractive.

Signal Fire Studios will soon announce a lineup of games starting in early 2010. “Role Playing Games have always been at the heart of our business, and will continue to be with Signal Fire,” says Banks. “Weʼll also be producing self- contained boxed games and really embracing the power of the Internet and digital publishing.” The company will develop an interactive website and online community, will produce regular podcasts, and is looking to develop a retailer-rewards program to offer their customers an incentive for patronizing their local game store.

“Iʼm really excited about the future,” says Hayes. “Weʼve learned a lot over the years-both good and bad-and this is a chance to take these lessons and produce some really great games.”

www.signalfirestudios.com

Contact:

Jamie Chambers
jamie@signalfirestudios.com

Signal Fire Studios and the SF logo are trademarks owned by Signal Fire Studios LLC. All rights reserved. Cortex System is © and ™ 2009 Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. Used with permission. The use of another company’s trademarks is for reference only. No violation of copyright or trademark ownership is intended.

Posted on June 30, 2009 - by jamie

Vegas the Dawg

I’ve long been a fan of the Knights of the Dinner Table comic, ever since the days of the late, lamented Shadis Magazine. For those who don’t know, KoDT shows us a group of roleplaying gamers sitting around the table. It could almost be described as a very geeky-soap opera comic strip, showing us what’s going on in the game and in the lives of the Knights.

One of the strips long ago revealed how Game Master B.A. Felton created his own RPG that was such a colossal failure that it ended up in bargain bins at game stores across Indiana. It was the chance to roleplay the lives of man’s best friend: Dawg: The RPG. The fictional game has come up again over the years, all the way up to more recent stories in which Bob Herzog uses it as a chance to run an RPG for his niece and nephew.

In a recent, kick-ass double magazine celebrating a staggering 150 of the Knights, Kenzer & Co. actually gave us Dawg. And I cannot help but be charmed with a fun little RPG that I’m very tempted to try out in the near future. In Dawg you can play everything from a pure-breed French Poodle all the way to a mongrel junkyard stray. The inspiration for games can come from Lassie to Air Bud to other crazy pooch-centric stories. Just check out this list of dog movies!

Being a dog-lover and dog-owner, I immediately thought about how my best friend, a golden retriever named Vegas, would translate into Dawg: The RPG. I read through the rules and gave it some quick thought, so here we go!

Vegas

Vegas

Breed/Type: Golden Retriever/Hunting Dawg
Lifestyle: Pet
Size: Medium
Traits: Brawn 40%, Hustle 55%, Dodge 50%, Alertness 55%, Human Handling 40%, Animal Magnetism 45%
Tricks: Beg, The Mighty Sniffer
Disadvantages: Canine Compulsion 30%, Happy Tail, Neutered

Vegas is a golden retriever who’s been with his current family for years. Though he’s entering his doggy middle years, he gets as excited as a puppy and still has lots of energy when something interesting is going on. A complete pacifist when it comes to humans, he dislikes arguments and conflict and is known to bark and try to get in-between people who are fighting. Vegas is friendly and agreeable with others dawgs, but will defend himself if pushed too far.

Though content with his family, Vegas is extremely curious and has little caution when it comes to wandering off with other dawgs or to follow the sound of children playing. He loves to play fetch but isn’t always great about actually giving the ball or toy back to the owner once he trots back with it.

Maybe I’ll get together a little one-shot game of Dawg sometime in the future. It would be fun to make my players deal with situations without opposable thumbs to fall back on.

Posted on June 18, 2009 - by jamie

Demon Hunters RPG Video Review

With a few exceptions, I’m proud of all of my work. I enjoy taking films, television shows, and books that I enjoy and translating them into the world of games. But I have to say it was a true pleasure to introduce the world of Demon Hunters from my friends at Dead Gentlemen Productions to a wider audience.

I was thrilled to see the following review show up from The Game Geeks on YouTube.

Posted on May 31, 2009 - by jamie

Customizing Cortex

Lots of role playing games out there have an unwritten statement: Don’t mess with the rules. And some go as far as to actually state it. These games have been built like a well-balanced house of cards. They are things of wonder to behold, but ultimately kind of fragile. An innocent house rule created to handle one game situation can end up “breaking the game.” Sub-systems, extra classes, new skills, or what-have-you seem like a great idea but they create power-creep that ends up screwing things up down the road.

I’ll be the first one to tell you that the Cortex System isn’t perfect or for everyone. I handle the game-balance problem by gleefully ignoring it. There are absolutely no guidelines for how to build a scene (encounter in other games) from a rules perspective. Instead, we put lots of space in all our books about how to build scenes from a story perspective. This puts a bit more pressure on the Game Master to know what the hell he’s doing and have a feel for running games, since you have to trust your gut a lot more using Cortex than other game systems that tell you exactly how to plug challenge ratings or power levels into an encounter of a certain difficulty for characters at a particular power level.

There are no classes and no levels in Cortex. And while characters have a “starting level” to know how many points using to buy Attributes, Traits, and Skills, there is no obvious way at a glance to even know how well one character stacks against another. Skill specialties are subject to wide interpretation and get no further explanation than “Sniper Rifle,” “Kung Fu,” and “Underwater Basketweaving.” In fact, we encourage you to make them up if the list doesn’t have what you want for your expert in Krav Maga and interpretive dance.

The probability curve for Cortex is all over the place. You roll anywhere from one to five dice (more if things are completely high-powered and goofy, but that’s pretty extreme) and you just add up the results. No flat modifiers to add to your baseline unless you pony up some Plot Points. And you can always Botch if everything comes up as ones. (Yes, your Clint Eastwood-style gunslinger could, theoretically, shoot himself in the foot while going for the quick-draw.) This has been known to drive some gamers crazy!

Am I trying to talk you out of checking out the Cortex System? Hell no! I just want you to know what you’re getting yourself into. Once you can get past some of this stuff, you can get to the fun part:

You can customize this game. In fact, we want you to.

I’m not talking about just adding on to the game by throwing in additional gear or writing up a cool way to do magic. I’m talking hard-core monkeying with the basic rules. The kind of stuff that might send the house-of-card type games tumbling down is just a way of customizing your Cortex ride to take you to the kind of game you’re trying to get to in the first place. The only thing that’s really sacred is the core Attribute + Skill + Trait mechanic. (Otherwise you really aren’t playing Cortex anymore anyway and have made up a completely new game.) But anything else is fair game. Here’s a couple of off-the-top-of-my-head examples.

Go ahead and try. Cortex may not be as sophisticated as other games out there, but it’s remarkably hard to break!

Tougher Characters

Some people are put off by how deadly the Cortex System can be. And they’re right. Even with Plot Points, drawing your sword or gun is pretty serious business and if you’re stupid or unlucky you could wind up maimed or dead. The baseline of the game is meant for combat to be a big deal and plenty dangerous. If you want there to be a higher survival rate in your game, you adjust the Life Points in one of a few ways.

Double ‘Em: Yep, just calculate Life Points normally and double them. This means that a tough bruiser could well have Life Points in the 40s. That sounds crazy-high to me, but if you’re talking a high-fantasy game where the barbarian warrior is supposed to survive the fight with the razor-fanged troll than it could work.

Add 10: Lets everyone take one or two extra hits than they would have using the base rules, yet’s a bit more restrained and more equitable across the board than the “double ‘em” variant. (If you double a wimpy character’s 8 Life Points that’s not nearly as helpful as multiplying a tough-guy’s.)

Add More Attributes to Life Point Calculations: Decide to do things a different way. Maybe in your game Willpower isn’t even a factor, and you just add up all the physical Attributes (Agility, Strength, and Vitality). Gives the brawny and quick more of a chance to last against the Rocky Balboa (tough and stubborn) types.

Just keep these changes across the board—for NPCs too—and you should be fine. Just remember that fights last longer when everyone stays on their feet for longer. Plus the willingness to throw down goes up the more Life Points are on the ol’ character sheet.

Flat Modifiers

I don’t use ‘em for my game. I like the wide range of probability. But some folks want the ability to stack the proverbial deck and make things a mite more predictable. That’s okay, ’cause there’s a few easy ways to work it in.

Steps = Mods: This leaves your standard actions alone but when situational modifiers come up you just change Step die modifiers to flat ones. So if the game says +1 Skill Step you’d just throw a +1 onto the base dice. But negative modifiers work the same way, bub.

Traits = Mods: For any trait that would normally give you an additional die to roll, just convert it to a flat modifier equal to half the value of the die. So a +d4 Trait would be a +2 to the die roll, +d10 becomes a +5, etc. This raises your chances of Botching, however, since you’ll be rolling less dice on actions where your Trait applies, so keep that in mind.

Raising the General/Specialty Skill Bar

The basic rules say that you can take a General Skill up to d6 level and then you have to specialize. This seems to work great for many genres and groups with 4-6 players. But suppose you want to do something more “pulpy” where the engineer can build or fix anything or a high-fantasy game in which the warrior is a whiz with all weapons? Raise the General baseline! Make it a d8 or even higher, depending on how far you want it to go.

If you want to make things really basic, you could even just drop Specialty skills altogether. Lots of storytelling schools just let characters be conveniently good at whatever’s needed in their “category.” (When’s the last time you saw Mr. Spock stumped by a science question?) To keep things from getting out of hand you might want to consider making buying skill levels higher than d6 more expensive.

Don’t Just Play the Game, Play With the Game

Just writing this article up has given me new ideas for tinkering with our game. Hopefully it’s inspired you to make some of your own changes! We have some products coming up (to be announced soon!) that will incorporate rules changes and sub-systems into the guidelines that will provide some proof-of-concept examples of just what I’ve been talking about.

Roll up your sleeves and don’t be afraid to get dirty. This game was built for customization! Let us know what you try, and how it worked!

Cortex System is © and ™ 2009 Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. Used with permission.

Posted on May 29, 2009 - by jamie

Cortex Character – Noble Savage

In our quest to give you free content, here is a sample character written up using the Cortex System rules. He may be a bit familiar to fans of pulp literature, comics, and movies!

Illo. by Melanie Hayes

Noble Savage

Descended from British nobility but marooned in equatorial Africa as an infant, he was raised by beasts. In his jungle home he is lord of his clan, feared as a jungle spirit by a tribe of cannibals, and has more than his share of both friends and enemies.

This noble savage has had dozens of adventures and claimed his place, title, and fortune in the world of civilization-yet his heart longs for the jungle and a life free of lies and pointless rules.

He prefers to wear nothing at all, or perhaps a loincloth, and carries little except his father’s hunting knife (d2) and a bit of rope that he uses as a lasso to subdue his enemies.

Agi d10 Str d10 Vit d8 Ale d10 Int d8 Wil d8; LP 18; Init d10+d10+d4
Traits Attuned to Nature d12, Blue Blood (British Lord) d4, Danger Sense d4, Enhanced Movement (Trees) d2, Lightning Reflexes d4; Eerie Presence d2, Honest to a Fault d6, Memorable d6, Out for Blood d4
Skills Athletics d6/Dodge d8, Covert d6/Stealth d10, Discipline d4, Influence d6/Leadership d8, Melee Weapons d6/Knives d10, Perception d6/Hearing d8, Ranged Weapons d6/Lasso d8, Survival d6/Jungle d8/Tracking d8, Unarmed Combat d6/Wrestling d8

Written by Jamie Chambers
Illustration by Melanie Hayes

Cortex System is © and ™ 2009 Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. Used with permission.

Posted on May 28, 2009 - by jamie

New Cortex Traits: Lie Detector & Gifted Liar

My wife and I have become fans of the show Lie to Me, in which Tim Roth plays an expert in reading a person’s body language, vocal pitch, and micro-expressions to determine if someone’s lying. In many cases his character can get a good read the emotional response to certain questions or subjects—anger, contempt, embarrassment, etc. Part of the techniques on the show are based on the real-world Facial Action Coding System which quantifies these universal responses that most people can’t help but give up. These micro-expressions can be understood by someone with the right training or who has a knack for reading people. It would suck to play poker against these folks!

Inspired by these ideas, here is a new Asset for the Cortex System for folks who are good at telling when someone’s telling a fib.

*

Lie Detector (d2+)

You have a talent for reading people’s expressions and body language to tell if they’re telling the truth. You might have studied these techniques, maybe you were born with a gift, or perhaps you’ve spend half your life around the poker table. You can use your ability whenever you’re able to fully observe the person you’re attempting to read.

You may add your Trait die whenever attempting to discern a person’s true reaction or emotional state, which is usually an opposed roll against the other character. Note that the information you get isn’t necessarily solid proof of a person’s truth or deception, but rather a hint at an underlying emotion which might provide additional clues. (“She claims to be grieving over her dead husband, but when she spoke his name she showed signs of anger.”)

d6+: If you have this Trait at d6 or higher, any Plot Points you use on rolls that include this Trait count for more. Increase the bonus die you get from spending Plot Points by a +2 step. This only works on Plot Points spent before the roll, not those you spend after.

*

Of course, where there are people good at reading lies, there are those really good at telling them! I’m also a fan of shows like HU$TLE and Leverage and the Ocean’s Eleven films, in which skilled liars con their way to success! Thus we also have another Asset …

*

Gifted Liar (d2+)

You were born with a serpent’s tongue. Whether you’re a black-hearted con-artist or a grifter with a soft heart, you’re good at making people buy what you’re selling. You may add your Trait die whenever attempting to fool someone through perception and the other character is trying to figure out whether or not you’re telling the truth.

d6+: If you have this Trait at d6 or higher, any Plot Points you use on rolls that include this Trait count for more. Increase the bonus die you get from spending Plot Points by a +2 step. This only works on Plot Points spent before the roll, not those you spend after.

*

These traits could see great use in a game filled with Machiavellian intrigue, a law enforcement campaign (such as TRACE), or a game in which the heroes run heists, hustles, or cons. Enjoy!

Cortex System is © and ™ 2009 Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. Used with permission. The mention of film and television properties are used for non-profit entertainment purposes only. No violation of copyright or trademark ownership is intended.

Posted on May 27, 2009 - by jamie

Lighting the Fire

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally getting the Signal Fire Studios website up and going the way we envisioned it. We want this to be a place to not only give product information and try to sell our stuff, but an interactive community where gamers can give their feedback, wish lists, and more.

We’ve got our initial plans in place for traditional book releases through hobby and book distribution, eBook/PDF products to be sold online, and bonus game content that we’ll put online for free. We’ll be using the Cortex System game rules, D&D 4th Edition, and a intentionally-vague new game system that we’ll be announcing soon.

So come in and make yourself at home. There isn’t much here yet, but soon there will be!