The basic character for 2nd Edition DS

Part of what Sue needs to be able to write the new rules is to have the new Basic/Demo character completed. I have it in close to prepared. The new Basic character will have 27 total cards in it. This will give the character enough cards to create variety and to be able to grow the character.

Once Sue has the rules well on their way I will need to go back through these cards to make sure they match the rules. I doubt that will require much change, but there will be some.

The basic character will be the Human Dragon. The game is called Dragon Storm, so it makes sense to start with a Dragon. Many of the players in the game will be humans, so we will start with the human. Classic Characters will slide into the new edition perfectly, so older personalized character cards all will work just fine.

We will also be creating a series of other Dragon Characters that can be switched into the starter set by adding a new character race. Over time there will be Tigrean, Das Karr, Dwarf, Farilan Elf, Ebony Elf, Vermite, Vorn, Foxwings and Canine Dragon characters available. Yes, that is a nine card set.

Backgrounds are getting a full make over. One of the things we want to do is to increase the text size on all of the cards. Backgrounds have a lot of text. To get the larger text size we are dropping the art from the background cards.

This card also has the new "Enhance" label in the card type line. Enhance is both new and old. Enhance cards are added to whatever is appropriate. They have a "0" timing and therefore do not count as a "thing" to activate them. The reason I say this is old is because cards like Dragon Claws exhibit the same functions. What we are doing is labeling this category of cards so we can explain it. It will be very easy for GM's and Players to figure out which Classic cards are Enhances and use them. If any questions come up, your GM will use rule 3.4 to decide.

One other note that I should mention is the new card numbering system. Characters are Characters. You get one. Backgrounds are Backgrounds. You get one.

That is it for your morning card update. Enjoy.

The Gamemaster Terrain gets new flexibility

Everything is connected. For Sue to create the GM section on the rules she need the cards to do it with. DS is built on the idea of combining building monsters with a base card and then adding all sorts of wicked extras to them as features. The Classic terrain cards are an exception to that style. In the Second edition we are going to expand the possibilities for the GM.

1. The first GM set will include six basic types of terrain. One of these is the Broken Lands.

Notice that we have increased the Experience points for terrain. Traveling should be a learning experience.

2. The GM can add features to this land, just as they would for the cast members. The first fun addition is warping the area. This one will also be in the initial basic GM set.

We can see that the experience has risen to a total of 16, so far. By combining these we have also changed the rates at which cards recharge.

We are, as usual, expecting the GM to use rule 3.4 to vary everything to suit their campaign needs, nobody in DS slavishly follows the rules, or, at least, they shouldn't.

3. In the past we have made clothing and items which protect from cold and hot, but we never really gave the GM good tools to work with. So, we made them a feature the GM can add. Frozen will be in the second GM set.

The experience just keeps climbing. 24 total experience so far.

4. Now that we have a Broken, Warped, Frozen area we can continue, if we so desire. I think I am going to add a Dense Fog to this place. Oh what fun to be a GM.

Gee, visibility dropped. Experience grew.

5. Flexibility can go even further. What if an area is extremely warped? Give it two Warp features and the Warp damage climbs to 2d6+4. Not something you would do to young characters, but experienced characters need a challenge as well. We may add some of these "Greater" danger cards as downloadable PDF's in the distant future.

6. Classic Terrain card notes. You have them, use them as they are and add the new features. Just make it fun.

Normally I will be posting just a card or two as we go along. Today I wanted to add enough of this set to give everyone a feel for the expanded terrain options in second edition.

First step done. The Wolves of Susan on Flickr

I have finished a wolf gallery of Susan's wolves on Flickr. You can check out the images here.

The next step will be to get all the different size prints up and available in the Etsy shop.

-- Posted From My iPad

Life at the Secret Clanhold

Hello out there!

After three weeks of conventions the work is stacking up like the snow outside. So far, not too bad. We got about 6 inches of snow last night and it seems to have the necro's at bay.

Sometimes I think we cover too many territories, or maybe not enough, oh well, at least I am having a good time meeting old friends and new friends.

I spent yesterday getting Susan's Dog Art caught up. This is the link to Susan's Dog Art Flickr gallery on my Flickr account.

All of the Dog Art is now available on Etsy in three sizes each. ACEO, 5x7, and 8x10. Go yourself, send your friends, enjoy the pics.

Ok, I need to get to editing the Werewolf cards Sue went through yesterday. Touch up the cards and see where we are on those. The starter Dragon, GM, Universal and Item sets are getting very close to being finished.

Good Night and Good Gaming!

-- Post From My iPad

Just a quick update

We are prepping for Confusion in Troy. It is about an hour drive from home so we are taking it slow.

I posted about the new Grandilar podcast in several places, but did not post it here. The Libsyn Feed is here. You can also subscribe in ITunes and get them as they come out.

I really have continued to get the Familiar Place web comic up on Monday's. The latest installment is here.

Now, I am going to get some of the gear packed in the car. We only have one table, so we will be light on displays.


-- Post From My iPad

Convention Streak Begins

Sue has arrived in San Jose for Confusion. It is furry show. Outside I have snow here in Flint and Sue sent me a picture of the wonderful weather she is being "forced" to endure. *sigh* She should have a good, and busy, time out there.

Next week (21st to 23rd) we will be at Confusion in Troy. This one is a science fiction convention. Not only will both Sue and I be at the con, but they have a large gaming area. There is no posted gaming schedule on their site, but there should be DS games going on.

On the 28th to 30th we will be in Columbus for OhayoCon. It is an Anime Con. Held in the same place as Marcon and Origins it is an excellent art convention. I will be doing some scouting to look into getting some DS started there.

After the three weeks of cons we will be taking a week off to celebrate my very own birthday on feb. 3rd. I am going to party all week long.

In other side notes, Sue is working on writing the full rough draft of the DS 2.0 rules, in her extra time, so it is going slowly. This time we are going to put it in a book. She is keeping the format from the original rules and adding the 1.1 additions to the rules. That means that the GM 3.4 rule stays right where it is and it will be referred to regularly in the rules. The sequence of authority will be #1 GM, #2 Rules, #3 Guidelines, #4 Cards.

I have been going over our 1,000 plus cards one at a time and organizing them in 9 card sets. Many cards will not be reproduced for 2.0, but they will be legal. Part of what we have to do is to prepare for the day when we have no classic cards to sell. That means the new cards have to be playable as a game by those with no access to the classic cards. It means there will be some oddities when combining Classic and 2.0 cards. We will be making some Classic notes in the card set Guidelines to help the GM's apply 3.4 and play the game.

The third leg of the DS work is to create a set of "Boot Camp" adventures, guides and campaign to help people learn the rules, world and to be able to create their own campaigns and learn the game. We are working on them even now.

We are also starting to work on DS comics, stories and podcasts to reach out beyond the hard core gamers and bring in more people to Susan's fantasy world. These are in an early stage. We have started with the Familiar Place web comic to learn more about web publishing that we can later apply to the DS comics.

I believe this whole process will take us about two years to complete, by which time we will run out of Classic cards to sell. We know this process will be just as difficult for our loyal players as it is for us. Change is never easy, even when it leads to something better. The support we are getting has been wonderful and we appreciate it.

-- Post From My iPad

A New Year arrives at the Secret Clanhold

May Elethay bless this coming year.

-- Post From My iPad