Ars Magica Open Call for Writers
David Chart just posted an open call for writers for the Vis Sources sourcebook for Ars Magica 5th Edition. If you have some experience with the system, download the open call information and send in our release form with your submission. You'll find that info at www.atlas-games.com/information_writer.html
Off I Go to GenCon SoCal
I'm going to be out of the office after today until December 7th ... I'll be at GenCon SoCal, working for the convention since we decided not to have a booth this year. If you're thinking about contacting me for any reason, be aware that I likely won't be able to deal with much of anything until the later part of next week. Also, since John will be in the office all by his lonesome, if you talk to him be sure to remind him how much he misses me and how the office is obviously falling apart without me. ;)
By Popular Demand ...
Because you asked so nicely, I just put up the Ars Magica 5th Edition character sheet and the formulae review from the book. You can find those PDFs at www.atlas-games.com/arm5
Gloomy Update
It's a bit of an understatement to say that we're anxious to see Gloom arrive here at Atlas Games. On Friday we finally received the bill of lading from the manufacturer in India. A search of the internet to find the schedule of the ship that the game is apparently on (called the Indamex Mumbai) has turned up some results.
If I am reading the shipping schedules correctly, then Gloom did not leave India until November 9th, when the container ship left the super-modern container port of Nhava Sheva (near Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay). Apparently our goods arrived at Nhava Sheva just in time for a strike at the port, the first one in four years, so they'd spent some time waiting to get loaded on a ship. On Friday, November 19th, the Indamex Mumbai was scheduled to pass through the Suez Canal. Now it is crossing the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, and it's due to arrive in New York City on November 30th. From there it must be unloaded and transported to Minneapolis to clear customs and get local delivery to our warehouse.
All of this means that we will probably be shipping the game, at long last, sometime in the week of December 6th. (Needless to say, I'll be trying to ship it out ASAP, as soon as it arrives, so that we can miss as few selling days before Christmas as possible.)
I suppose, given the game's subject matter, all these mishaps are only appropriate. Plus Michelle's tea is cold (but that's because she always gets distracted and forgets that it's sitting in the microwave), and the sky is gray (but then, this is Minnesota in November).
If I am reading the shipping schedules correctly, then Gloom did not leave India until November 9th, when the container ship left the super-modern container port of Nhava Sheva (near Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay). Apparently our goods arrived at Nhava Sheva just in time for a strike at the port, the first one in four years, so they'd spent some time waiting to get loaded on a ship. On Friday, November 19th, the Indamex Mumbai was scheduled to pass through the Suez Canal. Now it is crossing the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, and it's due to arrive in New York City on November 30th. From there it must be unloaded and transported to Minneapolis to clear customs and get local delivery to our warehouse.
All of this means that we will probably be shipping the game, at long last, sometime in the week of December 6th. (Needless to say, I'll be trying to ship it out ASAP, as soon as it arrives, so that we can miss as few selling days before Christmas as possible.)
I suppose, given the game's subject matter, all these mishaps are only appropriate. Plus Michelle's tea is cold (but that's because she always gets distracted and forgets that it's sitting in the microwave), and the sky is gray (but then, this is Minnesota in November).
One Last Unveiling
While you're waiting impatiently for your friendly local games store to get their copies of Ars Magica 5th Edtion, here's one last set of teasers for you to enjoy. Tillitus is the last of our mage characters to be revealed, and David Chart's final designer notes installation talks about changes to the spells for the new edition. Don't miss it all at www.atlas-games.com/arm5 !
O frabjous day!
Ars Magica 5th Edition has just arrived at the warehouse.
I've got a lot of packing to do and orders to ship, but I imagine a bunch of people wanted to hear the word!
I've got a lot of packing to do and orders to ship, but I imagine a bunch of people wanted to hear the word!
Call for Cartographers
With the recent departure of our staff artist, we are turning back to freelancers. We've got a filing cabinet full of illustrators' portfolios, but one area where we specifically need to build a stable of talent is cartography. We are particularly looking for folks who can draw maps appropriate for Ars Magica. It's important that the maps be done in a manner that is editable -- we need to be able to correct spelling mistakes, change typefaces, etc.; the ideal for us is a layered photoshop file, which allows us to manipulate the text on the map as needed (and even rearrange elements in some cases).
Samples can be sent to me. I need one or more actual maps that you've drawn, and your full contact information (including phone number). It's also helpful if you let me know any RPG products you've worked on in the past, and the rates that you can work for. (Let me be perfectly honest in stating that Ars cartography does not pay especially well; I don't want to waste the time of someone who is well outside of our price range.)
Samples can be sent to me. I need one or more actual maps that you've drawn, and your full contact information (including phone number). It's also helpful if you let me know any RPG products you've worked on in the past, and the rates that you can work for. (Let me be perfectly honest in stating that Ars cartography does not pay especially well; I don't want to waste the time of someone who is well outside of our price range.)
Glimpse of the Abyss: Coming in February
We're officially putting Glimpse of the Abyss on the schedule as a February 2005 release. Details follow:
Glimpse of the Abyss
A Feng Shui RPG Sourcebook
by Chris Dolunt, Will Hindmarch, and John Seavey
Get a Glimpse at Mystical and Mechanical Foes
Creatures are coming from the ancient past and the distant future to destroy us. They are the stuff of myth, the stars of urban legends, the source of strange and frightening tales from as far as China, Nepal, India, Thailand, and beyond. Unless they’re stopped, the world as we know it is doomed. Somebody has to learn about these monsters, go out there, and take them down in mortal combat. That somebody is you.
Get a Glimpse at Monstrous Magic and Martial Arts
In this new sourcebook, you’ll find all manner of horrific, mysterious, intriguing, and downright bizarre monsters for any Feng Shui adventure. Battle kung-fu demons from the hot fires of the Nine Hells. Step up to cyborg gangbangers from the future. Play elemental spirits living on the streets of Hong Kong. Every creature in Glimpse of the Abyss is presented with named and unnamed variations ready for any fight you can imagine, and each creature gives you new schticks and combat rules to use when building your own supernatural creatures whether you’re a player or the GM!
This is the definitive monster guide for Feng Shui: Action Movie Roleplaying. With the tools inside, you can build all the monsters, heroes, and fight scenes you’ll need for the eternal battle to control the powers of feng shui!
Get Glimpse of the Abyss!
Stock Number: AG4014
ISBN 1-58978-073-6
SRP $29.95 (US)
Description: 144 pages, hardcover
Shipping to Distributors in February 2005
Glimpse of the Abyss
A Feng Shui RPG Sourcebook
by Chris Dolunt, Will Hindmarch, and John Seavey
Get a Glimpse at Mystical and Mechanical Foes
Creatures are coming from the ancient past and the distant future to destroy us. They are the stuff of myth, the stars of urban legends, the source of strange and frightening tales from as far as China, Nepal, India, Thailand, and beyond. Unless they’re stopped, the world as we know it is doomed. Somebody has to learn about these monsters, go out there, and take them down in mortal combat. That somebody is you.
Get a Glimpse at Monstrous Magic and Martial Arts
In this new sourcebook, you’ll find all manner of horrific, mysterious, intriguing, and downright bizarre monsters for any Feng Shui adventure. Battle kung-fu demons from the hot fires of the Nine Hells. Step up to cyborg gangbangers from the future. Play elemental spirits living on the streets of Hong Kong. Every creature in Glimpse of the Abyss is presented with named and unnamed variations ready for any fight you can imagine, and each creature gives you new schticks and combat rules to use when building your own supernatural creatures whether you’re a player or the GM!
This is the definitive monster guide for Feng Shui: Action Movie Roleplaying. With the tools inside, you can build all the monsters, heroes, and fight scenes you’ll need for the eternal battle to control the powers of feng shui!
Get Glimpse of the Abyss!
Stock Number: AG4014
ISBN 1-58978-073-6
SRP $29.95 (US)
Description: 144 pages, hardcover
Shipping to Distributors in February 2005
Syndication Back Online
For those of you who know what to do with these things, Atom syndication for our blog is back up and running. This is the feed: http://www.atlas-games.com/atom.xml
(Thanks to Dan, who called our attention to fixing this!)
(Thanks to Dan, who called our attention to fixing this!)
More Preview Goodness for Ars Magica 5th
Neither rain nor sleet nor employees going off to take incredibly good job offers can stop us from our appointed task of bringing you more previews for Ars Magica Fifth Edition. Today I've just put up the stats for another wizard ... Moratamis. Also, check out David Chart's Character Creation design notes. It's all at www.atlas-games.com/arm5
Two Titles Out of Print
Two titles joined the "out of print" list today, as the last copies we had for sale left the warehouse: The Last Dance (a Penumbra/d20 System adventure) and Pact of Pasaquine (an Ars Magica adventure from way back in the days when White Wolf published the game). If you have had a hankering to own either title in its original paper form, now is the time to snag a copy from your local game store.
The Last Dance is available now at RPGNow as a pay-download PDF. We don't have digital files for Pasaquine, so it is not likely to be in PDF format soon.
The Last Dance is available now at RPGNow as a pay-download PDF. We don't have digital files for Pasaquine, so it is not likely to be in PDF format soon.
New on RPGNow: The Last Dance
I've created and uploaded another d20 System PDF to RPGNow: The Last Dance, an adventure for levels 4-6 by Chris Aylott. It's available now for the bargain price of just $5!
I've created and uploaded another d20 System PDF to RPGNow: The Last Dance, an adventure for levels 4-6 by Chris Aylott. It's available now for the bargain price of just $5!
Ars Magica Update
I spoke with the printer of Ars Magica yesterday.
The scheduled delivery date for the book is November 16th. However, the printer says they are actually running ahead of schedule, so we may have copies in hand late next week. I can't wait! The Broken Covenant of Calebais (Revised) is already printed and waiting in the warehouse for its core rulebook.
Warehouse 23 reports that Ars Magica 5th Edition pre-orders are at an unprecedented level. By "unprecedented," I mean that in the 2 1/2 years that Warehouse 23 has done our mail order for us, there is only one roleplaying title -- Unknown Armies 2nd Edition -- that has sold more copies in total than ArM5 now has on pre-order.
If your whole troupe is interested in upgrading right away, you may want to know that Warehouse 23 offers free shipping on orders over $80, to addresses in the US and Canada. Folks with existing orders would like to replace them with larger (shipped free) orders, by adding more copies of ArM5 or Calebais, need only drop a line to orders@warehouse23.com.
Also, we've got some new preview PDFs up today on the Ars Magica 5th Edition site. Go and download two new wizards from Semita Errabunda and look at David Chart's newest Designer's Notes.
I spoke with the printer of Ars Magica yesterday.
The scheduled delivery date for the book is November 16th. However, the printer says they are actually running ahead of schedule, so we may have copies in hand late next week. I can't wait! The Broken Covenant of Calebais (Revised) is already printed and waiting in the warehouse for its core rulebook.
Warehouse 23 reports that Ars Magica 5th Edition pre-orders are at an unprecedented level. By "unprecedented," I mean that in the 2 1/2 years that Warehouse 23 has done our mail order for us, there is only one roleplaying title -- Unknown Armies 2nd Edition -- that has sold more copies in total than ArM5 now has on pre-order.
If your whole troupe is interested in upgrading right away, you may want to know that Warehouse 23 offers free shipping on orders over $80, to addresses in the US and Canada. Folks with existing orders would like to replace them with larger (shipped free) orders, by adding more copies of ArM5 or Calebais, need only drop a line to orders@warehouse23.com.
Also, we've got some new preview PDFs up today on the Ars Magica 5th Edition site. Go and download two new wizards from Semita Errabunda and look at David Chart's newest Designer's Notes.
Election Day
If you're in the USA, you might have heard that there's an election today.
Whatever your political leanings, please make time to go to the polls. If you don't like the two major party candidates, that's no excuse; there are other candidates on the ballot, and other races that need your input. There is a whole subculture of political hacks who revel in low voter turnout and civic apathy -- it rationalizes their contempt for the electorate. For America's sake, stand up and be counted with your fellow citizens.
Finally, please think about how to act positively. After the elections we need, as a nation, to rebuild the edifice of our common values, scarred and undermined by partisanship. Whatever the election results may be, don't let America fall to the political nihilists -- those whose program of inflaming our partisan differences is really aimed at preventing positive action toward the many things on which almost all Americans agree. Demand accountability from the victors, and remind them that their oath will be to represent all of us, not just their own party.
As I swing state voter, I know I'll have something to celebrate tonight, no matter what: the end of political ads!
If you're in the USA, you might have heard that there's an election today.
Whatever your political leanings, please make time to go to the polls. If you don't like the two major party candidates, that's no excuse; there are other candidates on the ballot, and other races that need your input. There is a whole subculture of political hacks who revel in low voter turnout and civic apathy -- it rationalizes their contempt for the electorate. For America's sake, stand up and be counted with your fellow citizens.
Finally, please think about how to act positively. After the elections we need, as a nation, to rebuild the edifice of our common values, scarred and undermined by partisanship. Whatever the election results may be, don't let America fall to the political nihilists -- those whose program of inflaming our partisan differences is really aimed at preventing positive action toward the many things on which almost all Americans agree. Demand accountability from the victors, and remind them that their oath will be to represent all of us, not just their own party.
As I swing state voter, I know I'll have something to celebrate tonight, no matter what: the end of political ads!
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