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Chroniclers Companion


tooley1chris

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You know what's harder than waiting for a book to be published?

 

Waiting for a book to be published when you've got a chapter in it. Especially when you're paid after publication.

 

I'm really eager to see what people do with Expanded Allegiance, and it's been over 2 years since I wrote it. I think I've reached new levels of ancitpation.

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You know what's harder than waiting for a book to be published?

 

Waiting for a book to be published when you've got a chapter in it. Especially when you're paid after publication.

 

I'm really eager to see what people do with Expanded Allegiance, and it's been over 2 years since I wrote it. I think I've reached new levels of ancitpation.

 

Try waiting 10 years... After a while, you just give up and move on. Then suddenly, "BAM!" a book and money show up.

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You know what's harder than waiting for a book to be published?

 

Waiting for a book to be published when you've got a chapter in it. Especially when you're paid after publication.

 

I'm really eager to see what people do with Expanded Allegiance, and it's been over 2 years since I wrote it. I think I've reached new levels of ancitpation.

Expanded Allegiance is one of the things I'm dying to see! Oh the possibilities!

I really wish there was enuff interest in MW to really pump out the materials!

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Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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You know what's harder than waiting for a book to be published?

 

Waiting for a book to be published when you've got a chapter in it. Especially when you're paid after publication.

 

I'm really eager to see what people do with Expanded Allegiance, and it's been over 2 years since I wrote it. I think I've reached new levels of ancitpation.

 

You and me both...

Please don't contact me with Chaosium questions. I'm no longer associated with the company, and have no idea what the new management is doing.

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Hear-hear, Nakana! I second that opinion.

 

Sigh.

 

It's such a lousy situation. Because Chaosium is a small company, and hardly run along traditional lines, they throw the majority of their limited energy at their biggest bread winner CoC, then BRP and finally MW in that order. Considering financial circumstances that's understandable, but as a result MW seems to be getting short-shrift in basic areas. I mean really, a Chronicler's Companion? Not a scenario supplement or a sandbox or a setting (Lord, Can you imagine what it would be like to get one of those published!?), but a basic GM help takes how long to publish? I'll bet Ben and crew had that bad boy written and laid out last year. Can you imagine being the editor/authors...waiting...and waiting...and waiting...and waiting? "Oh, yes! I want to write and submit material for MW and wait years before its published" said no game designer ever! But I guess that's the nature of the beast...shrug.

 

Realistically, as Chaosium's November Newsletter hardly mentions MW,  I cannot imagine seeing the ChCom before next year; I wonder if by that time there will be any enthusiasm left for the game :-T. "We had to discontinue MW line due to a lack of interest." Such a Catch-22 :-( .

 

Sorry guys, I didn't mean to beat a dead horse or be a Daisy-downer, but we had such a good MW game last night, and it's still rather fresh. I wish, I wish, I wish...aw, nuts. Just disregard the raving lunatic in the corner.

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Present home-port: home-brew BRP/OQ SRD variant; past ports-of-call: SB '81, RQIII '84, BGB '08, RQIV(Mythras) '12,  MW '15, and OQ '17

BGB BRP: 0 edition: 20/420; .pdf edition: 06/11/08; 1st edition: 06/13/08

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I had two additional gamers at my group last weekend playing MW and while the adventure didnt go as planned (it rarely does ) we had a great session!

I've been working to bring more players into the MW fold through PbP as well and have written a bundle of free materials hoping to produce more interest. But you're right. Just the nature of the beast.

Not just Chaosium, but for awhile a few of us have tried to get WhiteWolf put more material for BRP in HeroLabs but their emphasis is now Path Finder. Again...gotta follow the money. Understandable. But maybe for us who purchase these materials with the hopes of seeing more....they could put out 1 update per 5 for other systems? 10? LOL.

Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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Hear-hear, Nakana! I second that opinion.

 

Sigh.

 

It's such a lousy situation. Because Chaosium is a small company, and hardly run along traditional lines, they throw the majority of their limited energy at their biggest bread winner CoC, then BRP and finally MW in that order. Considering financial circumstances that's understandable, but as a result MW seems to be getting short-shrift in basic areas. I mean really, a Chronicler's Companion? Not a scenario supplement or a sandbox or a setting (Lord, Can you imagine what it would be like to get one of those published!?), but a basic GM help takes how long to publish? I'll bet Ben and crew had that bad boy written and laid out last year. Can you imagine being the editor/authors...waiting...and waiting...and waiting...and waiting? "Oh, yes! I want to write and submit material for MW and wait years before its published" said no game designer ever! But I guess that's the nature of the beast...shrug.

 

Realistically, as Chaosium's November Newsletter hardly mentions MW,  I cannot imagine seeing the ChCom before next year; I wonder if by that time there will be any enthusiasm left for the game :-T. "We had to discontinue MW line due to a lack of interest." Such a Catch-22 :-( .

 

Sorry guys, I didn't mean to beat a dead horse or be a Daisy-downer, but we had such a good MW game last night, and it's still rather fresh. I wish, I wish, I wish...aw, nuts. Just disregard the raving lunatic in the corner.

 

I'm going to be bad here for a moment... Because I just drank a -big- beer...

 

Here's what I'm aware of that's in the hopper for MW:

 

Chronicler's Companion

Chronicler's Screen (with a booklet of forms and play aids)

All the Worlds' Monsters Vol. 1 (big book of monsters for MW)

Horsechester (details on a small town in the Southern Reaches, and some adventures)

Shillingshead (details on a larger town in the Southern Reaches, plus adventures)

 

At this point -all- of those are written, and through editorial. Though ATWM ended up getting a bunch of extra content, so needs another pass at editing.

 

After that, there's another few books in various stages of development. None of which I really want to talk about yet, as I'm not really involved with them. But, they sound -really- cool.

 

Someone up above hit the nail on the head, though. Chaosium is a small shop, and they have to follow the path to the most money. So, this means that Cthulhu gets the most effort, then BRP, then MW. That being said, I know from talking to the Chaosium Guys that they're committed to MW, and want to keep putting out books for it. The more popular in becomes, the more they'll be able to focus resources on it.

 

So, that being said, what can be done to make it more popular? Talk about it. A lot! Tell people at your FLGS about it. Run demo games at game stores and conventions. Talk it up on other RPG forums (RPG.net, therpgsite.com, etc.).

 

I know I'm biased, but it's a -great- game. I have yet to meet anyone who's played it and not loved it. The problem, as always, is being in the shadow of the 800 lb. gorilla: D&D. And yet, whenever I run MW/BRP games for D&D fans, they rave about it. It just needs more people talking about it.

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Please don't contact me with Chaosium questions. I'm no longer associated with the company, and have no idea what the new management is doing.

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No offense to Ben, but I wish it wasn't an official Chaosium product... (at least that way it could have been released already)

 

You have no idea how much I wished Cubicle-7 would have jumped in and started doing MW books...

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Please don't contact me with Chaosium questions. I'm no longer associated with the company, and have no idea what the new management is doing.

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Here's what I'm aware of that's in the hopper for MW:

 

Chronicler's Companion

Chronicler's Screen (with a booklet of forms and play aids)

All the Worlds' Monsters Vol. 1 (big book of monsters for MW)

Horsechester (details on a small town in the Southern Reaches, and some adventures)

Shillingshead (details on a larger town in the Southern Reaches, plus adventures)

 

images-1_zpsi7ww1ht1.jpeg
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Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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Chronicler's Companion

Chronicler's Screen (with a booklet of forms and play aids)

All the Worlds' Monsters Vol. 1 (big book of monsters for MW)

Horsechester (details on a small town in the Southern Reaches, and some adventures)

Shillingshead (details on a larger town in the Southern Reaches, plus adventures)

 

...After that, there's another few books in various stages of development...

 

Awwwwww, yeeeeeaaaaaah!

Thanks for sharin' Ben! Next time Dave heads your way; I'll see if I can have him bring you an even bigger beer!

Present home-port: home-brew BRP/OQ SRD variant; past ports-of-call: SB '81, RQIII '84, BGB '08, RQIV(Mythras) '12,  MW '15, and OQ '17

BGB BRP: 0 edition: 20/420; .pdf edition: 06/11/08; 1st edition: 06/13/08

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  • 4 weeks later...

OK....I've just joined the small-but-fierce cadre of MW fans...

 Dude, high-five  :tu:

Present home-port: home-brew BRP/OQ SRD variant; past ports-of-call: SB '81, RQIII '84, BGB '08, RQIV(Mythras) '12,  MW '15, and OQ '17

BGB BRP: 0 edition: 20/420; .pdf edition: 06/11/08; 1st edition: 06/13/08

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  • 2 weeks later...

I know I'm biased, but it's a -great- game. I have yet to meet anyone who's played it and not loved it. The problem, as always, is being in the shadow of the 800 lb. gorilla: D&D. And yet, whenever I run MW/BRP games for D&D fans, they rave about it. It just needs more people talking about it.

 

Yes, it certainly does,  but it also needs something else - more eye-candy.

 

Okay, its a fact that word of mouth is what really got this hobby started in the campuses back in the '70s. It still works around the conventions and fanzine hobby shops of today, and perhaps moreso through the marvels of the internet with sites like this or RPGNet etc

 

However, more is needed if something is to stand out of the crowd. A product needs to look great, and in this day and age, a physical copy of a book needs to be something to behold.

 

Look at the amazing goodies on offer from Wizards Of The Coast, Pasio, White Wolf, Games Workshop, Catalyst, Fantasy Flight Games, Pelgrane Press Ltd, etc.

They all have big glossy hardcovers with great artwork. It is hard not to like them.  

IMO they may not have as intuitive game mechanics as BRP does, yet the appeal of these beautiful & evocative products to new punters is quite obvious.

 

I am well aware that this is a funding issue. I normally would not bring it up, as it's an age-old issue, however there may be solutions on the horizon.

 

Chaosium  is currently producing premium quality products through crowd-funding platforms. From what I have seen of  the Kickstarter projects, Call of Cthulhu 7E and Horror On The Orient Express are definitely going to be amazing products and will have that 'wow' factor that the major companies produce with their flagship games.

 

I wonder if MagicWorld was given the same treatment then perhaps it could hold its own against the likes of D&D and such? Perhaps a Kickstarter for a MagicWorld hardcover edition (with full-colour artwork for chapter headers) could be looked at?

 

Stranger things have happened...

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" Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!"

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I wonder if MagicWorld was given the same treatment then perhaps it could hold its own against the likes of D&D and such? Perhaps a Kickstarter for a MagicWorld hardcover edition (with full-colour artwork for chapter headers) could be looked at?

 

Numenera and 13th Age did very well off the back of shiny production values and slick marketing in the right places. A hard cover MagicWorld kickstarter with stretch goals,  bookmarks and errata (sorry) sounds like it could be a hit.

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That would be a fairly large project, and Sorry to help Derail the thread but...(wait...I started the thread so I guess it's okay.??LOL)

A kick start like this would have to include more than the already published MW to be viable.(IMO)

Perhaps adding a fully fledged out campaign guide to Southern Reaches and a book (THICK book) of creatures.

All with beautiful art, a layout pleasing to the eye. Dead tree copies, PDF. AND something unique. Perhaps a poster map of Southern Reaches or MW software for character/encounter generation, Chronicler Tools, ect...

Then, of course, us flaming loyal fans to spread the word on Every single RPG site and gaming store.

I'd throw money at something like that. I've seen a lot of sillier Kickstarters make a bundle of money on less.

The problem is always going to come down to popularity. MW just doesn't currently have the fan base to support such a project. It probably never will without such a project. It's a problem. Someone would have to take a risk that the pretty lights will draw a crowd.

TSR flooded the market with D&D in the 80's/90's. Hell. I remember seeing D&D Basic Set in Venture and Target stores.(today's equivalent to Walmart)

Maybe TSR didn't start out making a lot of $ in the beginning. I don't know the economics. But look at D&D now.

This is a risk I don't think Chaosium is willing to take so it's up to us, the flaming fans, to spread the word. Get players playing. Turn Dungeon Masters into Chroniclers. Flood the RPG sites with the good word.

I've played RPGs since the early 80's and NEVER heard of BRP until a couple of years ago. I continued playing AD&D in ignorance, always wishing for something better.

How many more potential fans are just waiting for a better system that already exists in MW?

The more people find this product and purchase it, the more interest the distributor will take.

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Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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