Back From Indy

8.31.04
Well...about that "very big news" I mentioned?

How do you like them apples? Looks like I'm going to be a dad. I never thought it would happen to me, but now that it's here, I don't so much mind. It's definitely changed my perspective on a lot of things.

Now, for the old news...

8.29.04
I'm baaaaack!

It's not exactly news. I figured I'd give a brief update tonight before going to bed. With luck, it will actually be brief, instead of turning into a small novel before I'm through with it.

GenCon was a good time. I didn't sleep much, but that's hardly a surprise. I don't think I know anyone who went to the con who slept particularly well. It's something in the air, I suppose. I met several people that I'd only ever spoken to in email or on the telephone. Amongst these was my friend JD, who is a damn fine human being and one of the funniest people I know. Also included is Iain Brogan, the bloke responsible for the modern day British material in Fireborn, as well as one of the key designers in FFG's Midnight product line.

I also saw a couple of friends I hadn't seen in some time, including Tom Lommel. Tom used to be a Cyberpunk player and/or ref, and we met at GenCon '97 after swapping a lot of email back and forth. He spends a lot of his time at GenCon running events for NASCRAG. It was real good to catch up with him after nearly seven years.

The Fireborn Player's Guide was released on Friday, right on schedule. The stack of books was somewhat smaller by the end of the weekend, so I'm hoping sales were good. Much of the material I worked on will be in the forthcoming GM's Guide, which should be out in September (knock on wood).

Insofar as my writing is concerned: Green Ronin Publishing has posted a product page for the print version of Artifacts of the Ages: Rings. Check it out and preorder a copy!

My writing schedule is getting to be full up for the remainder of the year. It looks like a minimum of three projects right now, and I'll let you guys know the specifics just as soon as I know them myself. On the personal front, I'm enjoying my new position at work. I get to buy stuff all day long! I've also got some very big news to post about in the near future, but for the time being I'll keep that quiet.

I hope to have some photos from GenCon up in the next week or so. I don't think I'll have a pictorial diary (like I did with SoCal), but you never can tell.

Cheers!
Gary on 08.29.04 @ 10:06 PM PST [link]

Gone To Indy

I'm heading to Indy tomorrow. Yessir, I'll be gettin' on a plane and flyin' across the country to meet and hang out with some of the finest gamer folk in the industry. My plans are pretty fluid right now. Sure, there are some things I'd like to do, and then again, there are some things I'd like to be surprised by. I figure there will be a bit of both.

I'll be up well before the chickens tomorrow morning, my eyes puffy and filled with sand. I'll likely mix up the shampoo and conditioner while I'm in the shower. Coffee is set to brew at 2:50am, so I have that to look forward to. That, and frequent trips to the bathroom on the airplane if I drink too much of it.

Where can you find me? Well, I'll definitely be at the Fantasy Flight Games booth on Friday, sometime around noon, for the debut of the Fireborn Player's Guide. I'll be running a couple of Midnight games for FFG, namely a scenario called "Scavenger Hunt" that I wrote for Indy. It's not your normal Midnight adventure, in that the PCs aren't the good guys. I'm slated to run games on both Friday and Saturday, but I'm not entirely sure of the time yet. Drop in and ask, if you're interested in signing up.

You can also find me at the Green Ronin booth, where I'll be visiting with my friends from The Game Mechanics, and getting the word out on Artifacts of the Ages: Rings.

I'll be back on Sunday, and heading into the office on Monday morning for my first day at my new job. It's definitely going to be an interesting couple of weeks, and it all starts tomorrow.

Update: 8.23.04
Just so everyone knows, I made it home safely. Not much time for a full update right this instant, but expect a news brief within the next day or so.

Bests,
Gary on 08.18.04 @ 08:46 PM PST [link]

Artifacts of the Ages: Rings released!

Artifacts of the Ages: Rings has been released, and is available for sale on RPG Now. Rings, which was written by JD Wiker and myself, weighs in at a hefty 80 pages, and details nearly thirty unique magical artifacts, such as rings, gems, necklaces, and the like. You can download a sample item, "Zehir, the Poison Ring," by following this link.

GenCon is less than a week away. Who would've thought it would get here so fast? There doesn't seem to be enough time to get everything done, but I'll need to put my nose to the grindstone in order to see it all through.

The Fireborn Player's Guide is being released a week from today, Friday the 20th. Take a chance and flip through it if you happen to see it at a local game or comic shop. In addition, Sean K. Reynolds has posted a preview of Hungry Little Monsters on his web site. The preview includes two nasty critters, the Keening Maw and the Harrowing Elder. Check 'em out!

On a personal note, I've received a promotion of sorts at work. This means a somewhat bigger paycheck and more agreeable hours. I'm looking forward to the change, as well as the opportunities that are sure to come my way in the future.

So, for now, thank you for dropping by, and I wish you all the best.
Gary on 08.13.04 @ 11:26 PM PST [link]

GenCon Indy Approaches...Fast

A quick update, and then I've got to write a bit before I hit the sack.

GenCon Indy is fast approaching. I'll be in Indianapolis two weeks from tomorrow, barring acts of God or any other unforseen eventualities. Am I ready for it? Not really, but what can I do? I haven't scheduled much of anything, and it looks, for good or ill, like I'll be playing things by ear. Seeing and meeting a lot of old friends is probably the highest thing on my list of priorities, though.

I should be running a couple of "Midnight" scenarios for Fantasy Flight Games, and the tentative scheduling for these events is Friday and Saturday, both around noon. Sign-ups will be on-site, so if you're interested in playing in one of these games, drop in and inquire.

My writing currently involves some additional content for Fireborn. This is gonna be a great game, folks. I might be a bit biased, considering I worked on it, but I've seen the Player's Guide, and it's slick. Don't miss out on it!

Hungry Little Monsters has been updated with additional art, including the final version of the product's cover. It looks like HLM will be going on sale on August 15th. Sean is also selling HLM t-shirts on Cafe Press. The profits from the t-shirts, like those from HLM itself, will be donated to FoodForAll.org, and anyone buying a shirt will get a $2 discount when they buy Hungry Little Monsters.

So, like I said, "a quick update." I'll try and check in once more before GenCon, but I can't promise anything.

News 8.7.04
The Game Mechanics have revealed the cover of Artifacts of the Ages: Rings. The cover art was done by Clarence Harrison, and it is quite nice.

Bests,
Gary on 08.04.04 @ 08:12 PM PST [link]