Dead City Blues: A Potential Second Season For "Windy City Shadows"

Every month the Azukail Games YouTube channel gets a little bit closer to that monetization goal. Though we recently debuted the new show Tabletop Mercenary (which is also available on my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary, in case you haven't followed me there), and we are still about 1,000 hours off from crossing that initial finish line, I'm still tinkering with the idea of the interconnected Chronicles of Darkness podcast Windy City Shadows as a way to celebrate that achievement by doing something bigger and more involved than what our audience has seen in the past.

While I talked about what I'd like to do for season 1 in Windy City Shadows: A Chronicles of Darkness Podcast Proposal back in July, I've also had an idea for a season 2 rolling around in my noggin... and for the time being, I'm calling it Dead City Blues.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Dead City Blues, Johnny Hammer, and The Six Gun Saint

While I've made a lot of little audio dramas over the years, perhaps the most cohesive series outside of the shorts for Changeling: The Lost has been the saga of Johnny Hammer and The Six Gun Saint. They first appeared in the intro text for my supplement 50 Geists for Geist: The Sin Eaters. In Russian Roulette, former Chicago hitman Johnny Hammer gets gunned down in a back alley outside of the bar he was working in under an assumed name in Philadelphia. He manages to kill the assassins who came for him, but he's dying when the black-cloaked shade of the Six Gun Saint comes for him, and offers him a deal... Johnny will get to keep living, but he's gonna have to do some killing on the Saint's behalf.

The follow-up to this initial tale was not found in another Geist supplement... rather, it was in my first Mage: The Awakening splat book. In the introduction to 100 Shadow Names (And Their Meanings), Calling Up Bones, we learn that Tony Gracchus, the mafioso who'd taken over as the head of the Chicago family Johnny used to work for, has awakened as the Mage known as Cyprian. He sent the hit squad to tie off Johnny's "loose end," and though he killed all the hitters, their ghosts report back to the necromancer. Tony learns that not only did the operation go wrong... but that Johnny is now a much greater threat than he was before. A skilled gunman is bad enough... one with the backing of a creature as dangerous as the Six Gun Saint might be a threat even to a mage.

The third installment of this cross-over story is taken out of the supplement 100 Mediums, which is meant to be used as a general NPC list for various World/Chronicles of Darkness games. In Under The Hammer we see that Johnny has come back to Chicago, and he's visiting the home of another retired hitman. Alonzo Delamorte threw himself on top of the old head of the family, saving him from a bomb blast, and losing his sight for his trouble. Something happened, though, and now Alonzo can see the world of the dead, which is just the sort of help Johnny needs. He knows that Tony is stealing souls, and recruiting an army of the dead to protect him... and Johnny plans to fight fire with fire. Chicago is a haunted city, and if he can convince enough of the unquiet dead to help him and the Saint in their cause, then they may just be able to do the impossible, and take down the necromancer.

So Where Would The Story Go From Here?

My original intention was to keep the back-and-forth between Mage and Geist supplements going, and to keep playing out a little more story each time until we'd reached a full conclusion of this story. However, as I mentioned in Why I Will Have Fewer Community Created TTRPG Products Coming Out, it has become financially unfeasible for me to keep writing supplements for this setting (short version, my publisher gave me a raise in pay, but that raise doesn't apply to community-created supplements, and I can't afford to take the pay cut). Initially, this looked like it was just going to leave the story hanging with a completed prologue, but nothing else to show for it.

But with the stage set, Dead City Blues would be able to pay off on all this lead up!

The early parts of this season would focus on Johnny attempting to locate allies in this fight. That will likely mean reaching out to other mediums, and putting the word on the street to any Krewes of Sin Eaters who might want to help him. He'd have to contend with the various orders of Mages in the city, as well as their politics. Tony has made his share of enemies with the way he uses his power, after all, but he may also have allies willing to protect him. Powerful ghosts might be persuaded to weigh in as well, creating a powder keg that's ready to blow... and the Six Gun Saint is holding a lighter.

Why is the Saint so hellbent on Tony Gracchus's death? Is the young Mage responsible for killing the Saint's previous Bound host, leaving it adrift in the world? Did the Saint make Tony an offer that he refused? Or has the necromancer meddled with powers he doesn't yet understand, earning himself the enmity of the violent geist?

I know the answers to some of these questions. But if you want to go on that journey with me, I need you to help me make this show a reality!

What You Can Do

First and foremost, subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and watch our videos. YouTube requires 500 subscribers, which we have, and 3,000 hours of watched content... which we don't. What we need most are eyes on our content in order to help us cross that threshold so that the videos I make generate income for the publisher, making it more likely for them to greenlight (and then help fund) something bigger and more expansive like Windy City Shadows.

On that note, likes, comments, and shares on social media are also appreciated to help us overcome the inertia of the algorithm so we can find a larger audience.

Additionally, there are currently 37 videos on the Audio Drama Playlist, so if you enjoy my little stories and want to see them expanded, go give that list a listen! Additionally, if you particularly like a story, check out the supplement it comes from, and consider getting yourself a copy. They're all listed in the video descriptions, and every sale shows that these products (and their tie-ins) have an audience who wants us to keep going.

What's Next on Table Talk?

That's it for this installment of Table Talk! What would you like to see next? I'm listening for your comments and votes!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel for Azukail Games. Or, to check out books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, or my recent short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.

"Tabletop Mercenary," The New Show About The Business Side of TTRPGs, Is Here!

A few weeks ago I let people know that I was putting together a new show titled Tabletop Mercenary, which is going to be me (and possibly an occasional guest) trying to pull back the curtain, and to show people how the sausage gets made in the tiny niche of the publishing industry that is tabletop RPGs. Well, the first episode dropped this past Friday, and as I've said with my previous endeavors, if you want to help shape the content going forward, now is the time to make your voices heard!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

What The Show's About (And What I Need From You)

Just to re-iterate what I said above for those who skimmed to this point, Tabletop Mercenary is a show all about the business side of TTRPGs. I want to dispel the mystery behind being a creator, answer questions about what it is that goes on behind the scenes, and give what advice I can for those who are hoping to make gaming a side hustle, or perhaps their entire career. In addition to being featured on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, episodes of this show will also appear on my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary, alongside various audio dramas and other, long-form creative projects I've worked on previously.

And for those who have expressed curiosity as to why this show is appearing in two different places, it's at least partially as a dry-run for bigger, more involved content that would need to be able to both reach a bigger audience, and to have multiple income streams in order to keep it going. Especially since the Azukail Games YouTube channel is not yet monetized (we still need at least another 1,000 hours of watched content to make that happen), and I've got to do what I can to keep the lights on while I'm making things.

For those wondering what those "other" shows I'm talking about are, I mentioned this a while back on Discussions of Darkness.

But, back to Tabletop Mercenary and how you can help me going forward.

First and foremost, if you've ever had questions about how games go from ideas to products, or about how creators actually get paid, please go to the first episode of the show, and leave your question in the comments on the video! Additionally, it would mean a lot if you could share the video around on your own social media channels to help me reach a larger audience, and get more eyes on this show while it's in its larval stages so we can build up the momentum to keep going.

As to which link you should share, that will depend on how you want to help. If you share the episode on YouTube, that will bring more attention to the Azukail Games channel, and help get it monetized, while also growing the subscriber base. If you share the episode on Rumble, that will help me get noticed on that much smaller platform, but it will also help me build up the earnings from the video, since Rumble doesn't have a 500 subscribers and 3,000 watch hour requirement for creators... they just pay you straight from the get-go based on your traffic.

I would also appreciate it if folks could tell me what I could offer as a creator to get your support for this show via my Patreon page. Would you want early access to new episodes? Shout-outs in the outro for your support? The ability to request specific topics, rather than merely lobbing a suggestion at me and hoping I take it? These are all on the table at present, but if you have other thoughts that would get you to throw money at the operating budget, I'm all ears!

Speaking of funding...

On that note, if you want to help me keep this show going through the early stages (as well as support me keeping this blog and my sister blog The Literary Mercenary running), then please consider putting some money in my tip jar on Ko-Fi, or becoming my Patreon patron. It takes a lot to keep the content flowing, and the more fuel my readers help put in the tank, the more stuff I'll be able to make going forward.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Myrrorside- A Horror Experience You Should Definitely Check Out

While the Halloween season is officially over, there is one, last item on my to-do list that I've been meaning to cross off. And since I don't want to be haunted by a review I didn't get around to, I figured there's no time like the present. So if your need for a horror game hasn't left you quite yet, and you still haven't tried anything that's really scratched that itch, let me invite you to take a walk with me.

... a walk to the Myrrorside.

It's wild out there, trust me.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

So Just What IS Myrrorside?

The world around us seems solid enough, at a glance. And in the light of day, all the myths and whispers about people who've disappeared, or monsters crawling out of the shadows, seem ridiculous. There are some places, though, where the boundaries wear thin, and where one might find themselves falling through a hole in the world. A hole that tumbles them into a place where everything is upside down, and where the normal rules of reality don't make sense. A place filled with the hostile, and the alien, where the comforts of logic and science crack apart, and where dark magics and terrible legends reign supreme. It is a place where nightmares stalk, where the currency is screams, and where terror is the only feeling that can survive.

A dark reflection of the world we know, this place is the Myrrorside.

It is a grim world full of horror and dread.

As a setting, Myrrorside puts me most in mind of Changeling: The Lost, though with heavier doses of Beksinki in its makeup. Not only that, but characters are even more at risk, since they are assumed to be normal mortals who have stumbled through the darkened mirror, and found themselves on the other side of reality. A place where monsters dwell, and where true horror stalk their steps. If they survive long enough they might grow wise to the ways of this place, and perhaps even learn some of the tricks known to the creatures who reside here. Of course, those who remain too long may find themselves unable to return back to the mortal world, finding that in their attempts to merely survive they've grown too adapted to the Myrrorside to ever leave.

Adding into the horror, the Myrrorside is accessed through places that have endured great tragedies, and suffering. Sites of mass violence, torture, senseless crimes, and other places that usually end up with the label of haunted are often the thin places in reality where one might step through into this dark and dreadful realm. Or, almost as bad, these are places where residents of the Myrrorside might emerge, hungry, and looking for prey... or just to lay hands on a piece of the mortal world before their time runs out, and they must return to the terrible place they call home.

Maybe your players fell through a hole in the world, and they're trying to get out again. Maybe a monster is stalking their home, or their neighborhood, and they have to figure out how to send it back. Perhaps they wind up in a psych ward where no one believes the patients' panicked screams about the things living in the walls. There's all sorts of ways this game could go, depending on how creative you want to get.

How Does It Play?

Regular readers know that, generally speaking, I'm not a fan of rules-lite games. With that said, Myrrorside bears a strong resemblance to Savage Worlds, which is about as rules-lite as I'm willing to go when it comes to sitting down and rolling the dice at my own table.

Like most RPGs, Myrrorside gives you a list of Attributes, and a list of Skills, and like Savage Worlds each one of them has a die type ranging from 1d4 to 1d12. When you roll a check, you roll both applicable dice (Attribute and Skill), and take the better result before adding any appropriate modifiers. 0 is considered a Pyrrhic victory, where you do what you wanted, but there's complications. A -1 is just barely failing to do what you wanted. +10 is considered a monumental success. -10 is considered a colossal failure. If you come into a situation where you don't have a particular skill then you can often roll just your Attribute die, and hope for the best. Additionally, you may have situations where you gain Advantage and Disadvantage, and it works the same way as in DND 5E; except in this game you might be rolling 4 dice and choosing the best of your results.

The last thing that makes it really similar to Savage Worlds, to me, is that there's no hit points. I know the SWADE system isn't the only one that does that, but it sort of goes with the comparison. Where Myrrorside innovates is that you can go down levels physically, psychologically, and socially, meaning that you can injure your body, your mind, and your reputation, which can make for interesting challenges as the tale unfolds. And of course your body heals faster than your mind, which heals faster than your social standing... particularly among those who call the Myrrorside home.

Consider Giving It a Try!

The usual warning for content here, Myrrorside is not a game for the faint-hearted. It really embraces the horror aspect, and from the eldritch to the splatter there's some stuff in here that might be disturbing for some gamers. So before you crack these covers, take a deep breath, and make sure you're in the headspace for a game that can get bleak if the dice aren't with you.

If that sounds like your cup of bloody tea, though, then grab a copy of Myrrorside, as well as The White House, an adventure that will really grab you, and suck you into the setting for your first time!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

What's The Most Popular Piece of Sundara So Far? (And Where Will I Go From Here?)

For folks who didn't see it, earlier last week my supplement Cities of Sundara: Archbliss was the deal of the day on Drive Thru RPG! This sale was for the DND 5E edition of the supplement, which takes folks through the floating city of the sorcerers, providing insight to one of the stranger parts of my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age fantasy RPG setting.

That sale moved 34 copies for this piece during that 24 hours (not exactly gangbusters, but for a setting guide that's a big number), and it actually got me thinking... what is the most popular part of Sundara that's been released thus far? Not only that, but what do those numbers seem to say about this setting, the audience, and where I should go from here?

And if you missed your chance, go get a copy today!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

So, What Do The Numbers Say?

Before we delve too deeply, I want to catch folks up on what Sundara is. In short, Sundara: Dawn of a New Age is a setting I wrote for Pathfinder's first edition, and which has also been offered for Dungeons and Dragons 5E. A setting filled with wild magic, impossible monsters, and a thousand competing factions, Sundara is notable for its strangeness, the sheer variety of creatures, and its ground-level approach (as there aren't traditional countries, but rather a world made up of constantly shifting alliances, principalities, organizations, city states, and more whose alliances may shift and change as events unfold).

And, for those who don't know, the metal award levels used for TTRPGs on Drive Thru RPG indicate how many copies have been sold. While there's some argument as to the specific numbers, what we know is that if a supplement sells 50 copies, it goes Copper. If it sells 100, it goes Silver. After that is Electrum, but unfortunately that isn't going to be a part of the discussion surrounding Sundara as a setting... yet, at least.

With that said, looking at the numbers, the initial 5 releases (the Cities of Sundara supplements) are definitely the most popular ones that have been released so far. While most versions of these cities have achieved at least Copper status, 3 of the 5 of them for DND 5E have gone Silver (Ironfire, The City of Steel, Moüd, City of Bones, and of course the recently on-sale Archbliss: City of The Sorcerers). When we compare that with the Pathfinder Classic supplements, 3 of them have made it to Copper status, one hasn't received a single metal yet, and only Ironfire, The City of Steel has gone Silver.

Which makes sense... after all, it's a cool place to have in your game, if I do say so myself.

While I had a slew of other releases after those initial 5 supplements, including the second phase that was Species of Sundara, none of those supplements proved as popular as the cities, regardless of the edition they were published in. The faction books that are making up phase three have largely gone unnoticed, as well, though the 5E versions still sell better than the Pathfinder versions, with Sellswords of Sundara's DND 5E version going at least Copper.

Though it could be argued that the cities have done better because they've been around longer, and they were the first part of a new setting, and they've all had their own sales to boost their numbers, it's also worth noting that the edition-neutral Towns of Sundara (which was released between the second and third phases of supplements) has also gone Silver, making it one of the most popular titles released thus far.

What Conclusions Can We Draw From This Data?

While there are always factors that I cannot control for (which supplements other people share links to, which cover art draws more eyes, things of that nature), there are a few things that seem quite clear from this review. First and foremost, of the types of supplements that have been introduced so far, locations are far and away the most popular. And even though I designed this setting intending for it to be primarily a Pathfinder Classic setting, it has caught on far more with the Dungeons and Dragons 5E audience than it has with the old edition Pathfinder crowd.

So, at this point, I'd like to revisit some of the things I said recently when I talked about my plans for Phase 4 for this setting, and what might have to change.

As a for-instance, of the two games this setting is currently made for, DND 5E is clearly making more sales. However, conversions for Pathfinder's second edition have been mentioned, as have conversions to Savage Worlds, or other systems. Could this unseat DND 5E is that most popular system? Maybe yes, maybe no, but it seems that if we're going to start those conversions, they should definitely start with the city books first.

Second, we see that locations are more popular than both species books and faction books. That's not entirely unexpected, since the locations offer a wider spread of material for Game Masters to use, where species are more for players, and the factions are much more narrowly focused. However, it might be a good idea to release at least 1 module set in Sundara to provide an adventure for players, and to hedge that bet, to tie it to the previously-established locations. This could allow Game Masters to really put the city splats to use, bringing in the extra material to flesh out the adventure, and it could lead to future modules being released if the first adventure goes well (possible giving each city its own adventure).

Or perhaps Phase 4 should return to the well and provide more unique locations in the setting? Whether it be underground cities, mountaintop strongholds, underwater settlements, etc., as a spiritual sequel to the original run of Cities of Sundara, these supplements should push the envelope to be bigger, bolder, and weirder than what's already been established.

At the end of the day, though, it's going to depend on what you, the audience, want to see.

How You Can Make Your Voices Heard

If you're a fan of Sundara, whether you're been following it since I started releasing the supplements, or you just picked some up recently due to the sale, I want to hear from you regarding what should be included in the setting going forward. What do you want to see, and what would peak your interest?

And if you want to make sure I hear you, here's some stuff you can do (in order of impact):

- Buy Copies: As you can see, this is one of the major metrics used to determine what gets made going forward. So the more copies something sells, the more attention that kind of supplement gets.

- Leave Reviews: Reviews boost the signal, so if you've gotten copies of any of my Sundara supplements, please leave a rating and review so that more people see them, and check out the setting.

- Share Links: If you have a supplement from the setting you enjoyed, boost the signal by sharing it on your social media platform of choice, and tell folks why they should check it out.

- Subscribe to The Azukail Games YouTube Channel: This is more of a side project, but the show Speaking of Sundara, as well as the audio dramas from the setting, are on that channel. The more views, comments, shares, etc., those episodes get, the more likely I am to expand the setting going forward.

- Leave Comments on This Blog, The YouTube Channel, etc.: Comments are a great way to tell me directly what you like, and what you want to see more of. This is best used in conjunction with the above steps.

Azukail Games is a small games publisher, and while a lot of folks know me, I'm not a major player in the industry. I need every sale, every review, and every signal boost I can get in order to keep Sundara going and expanding, and if that's something you want to see, then please consider helping make it happen.

Thank you.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

"Tabletop Mercenary," A New Show in The Making For Azukail Games

Regular readers around these parts are likely aware that in addition to running two blogs, putting out articles, and constantly jamming away on TTRPG supplements, I also make a variety of content over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel. It started out with the show Speaking of Sundara, where I talked about the various releases and developments in my fantasy TTRPG setting "Sundara: Dawn of a New Age," and to go along with that series I started dramatizing the introductory fiction for various supplements to give listeners a little glimpse into the kinds of stories you could tell with those supplements. Then, most recently, I started a show called Discussions of Darkness, where I talk about various aspects of the World/Chronicles of Darkness, and how to get the most out of it while avoiding problematic pitfalls.

And with all of that going on, I thought it was time to put one more ball in the air... a little show I'm calling Tabletop Mercenary!

Keep your eyes out for this logo going forward!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Getting Into The Trenches

To catch everyone up, I've been helping out by expanding the content on the Azukail Games channel for a while now, and we've been slowly chugging our way toward getting the channel monetized (according to my last check-in, we were rounding 1,600 of the 3,000 hours we need). Since we're a little over the halfway point (and I wanted to start putting out more staggered Speaking of Sundara episodes, since the setting isn't expanding as rapidly as it was in the past), I wanted to give our viewers out there something new to check out.

While I mentioned several options in An Update on Our Progress Toward Monetization, the one that the numbers looked strongest for was Tabletop Mercenary.

So what is this show going to be about? Well, in the broad sense, I want to talk about what it takes to be a TTRPG professional, the pitfalls you're likely to contend with, and what you should actually expect if you want to get into this niche of the publishing industry. For specifics, though, I wanted to ask all my readers out there what topics you would like to see covered!

For some context, I've been a professional writer for going on a decade, and for a lot of that time I've also been putting out TTRPG content in some way, shape or form. I've worked as a freelancer for big names and small, I've written a variety of supplements, I've slogged through contracts, and I've watched the landscape change bit by bit as titans of the industry fell by the wayside, and new ideas, methods, and games rose to prominence. A lot of the knowledge and expertise I have has been learned through trial and error, and I'd like to save all the folks watching as much of that experience as possible.

That's why I wanted to ask my readers out there... what questions would you like to see answered on this show?

There's all sorts of directions we could go, after all.

Some of the topics that have been proposed include:

- How Did I Get Into This Field?

- How Much Can TTRPG Designers Expect To Make?

- What Are The Advantages and Disadvantages of Community Creation Platforms?

- What Products Sell Well, and What Products Never Sell At All?

These are just a few, general topics to sort of prime the pump, and get us going, but I want to hear from you all what topics you're curious about. What have you always been curious about? Or, if you're thinking about throwing your hat into the arena to design games, what's a practical thing that you don't know that I might be able to answer for you?

Toss your comments below, or if you found this on social media, feel free to leave your ideas there as well. The first episode should be recorded in the very near future, so please, don't be shy with your queries!

Lastly, in addition to episodes showing up on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, they will also be found on my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary. So if you haven't followed both of those channels yet, please consider doing so to be sure you don't miss an episode going forward!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

My Cyberpunk Audio Drama Trilogy is Complete!

As my regular readers know, I've been working on stringing together the opening vignettes in a lot of my TTRPG supplements to create longer-running stories for folks who pick up all my gaming guides. And since folks enjoyed the last time I finished up a trilogy, back in My Sci-Fi Audio Drama Trilogy is Now Complete!, I figured that this week I'd share the most recent wrap-up for the ongoing cyberpunk narrative I've been working on for the past several months.

Because it seems that you all enjoy them, judging from the numbers.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Capitalism, Corporations, and Consequences

The tale starts off with the introductory fiction from 100 Sci Fi Guilds. There's a lockdown at the star port, since the dockers there are attempting to form a union, and corporate isn't having it. When the station's security proves unable to browbeat the dockers into compliance, the company calls in the Harriers, a guild made up entirely of specialized mercenary companies. Of course, corporate realizes too late that they didn't read the contract closely enough in Fine Print.

After corporate realizes that it's bitten off more than it can chew (and that it's facing a real body count along with lost revenue), the dockers get their union. In 100 Body Mods and Augmentations For Your Sci Fi Game, we cut into the celebration that's raging throughout the red light district. Particularly since the dockers got all their back pay from the corporation, and as far as they're concerned, the Harriers all drink free, since without the aid of the mercs there's no way they would have been victorious. Of course, corporate isn't going to take this laying down, but the gun lugger Hadrian along with a docker named Torg, get in the way of the company's revenge in Paying Your Dues.

Our final installment (for now, at least) comes in the supplement 100 Sci Fi Bands. After all the shots have been fired, and the adrenaline shakes wear off, Hadrian and Torg share a nightcap in a busted down, out-of-the-way auto jack. The after effects of combat are well-known to Hadrian, but this is Torg's first time being this up-close and personal with it. As such, it's important to find some quiet, and to put on some tunes that will relax his jangled nerves in Soothe The Savage Beasts.

Where Should I Go From Here?

While I've currently got 2 complete trilogies of sci-fi audio dramas on the Azukail Games YouTube channel (which you should go subscribe to, if you haven't done so yet), and I've started something fresh with the intro tale Ordered Arms found in 100 Secret Societies For a Sci Fi Setting, I'd love to hear your thoughts as my readers. Should I pen crossovers in future stories? Should Hadrian and his unit end up getting reinforced by the Titansworn Knights in their colossal war machines? Should the Knights of The Void end up joining Gabriel in his attempts to take down the syndicates that have eaten into the lower hab blocks like cancer?

I'm open to ideas, and since several of these audio dramas are my most listened-to ones on the channel, I figured this might be something folks might want to weigh in on!

What's Next on Table Talk?

That's it for this installment of Table Talk! What would you like to see next? I'm listening for your comments and votes!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archives, as well as the YouTube channel for Azukail Games. Or, to check out books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, or my recent short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, as well as on Pinterest where I'm building all sorts of boards dedicated to my books, RPG supplements, and greatest hits. Lastly, to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little donation can have a big impact.

One of My TTRPG Supplements Has Gone Platinum (And a Few Others Are Close Behind)!

The past few weeks have been... an ordeal over on Drive Thru RPG. The site has been working on a huge overhaul for a long time, and it's finally removed the option for all of us to go back to the legacy version of the site. This has thrown a real spanner into the works for those of us who are writing supplements, since the new versions of the various pages aren't showing previews, and are causing headaches all around while we try to get eyes on our projects.

With all of this chaos happening, I needed a bit of good news... and I got some! Because my supplement 100 NPCs You Might Meet at The Tavern has just gone platinum!

And hopefully it's got some gas left in the tank, as well!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Going Beyond Gold

In addition to this latest accomplishment (which I didn't see coming, honestly), I've got several supplements that have reached Gold status that are still clawing their way up the metal categories on DTRPG. For example, the follow-up to this platinum seller was my Starfinder supplement 100 Characters You Might Meet in a Star Port Bar, and it broke the Gold limit a couple months back. It is one of two sci-fi supplements of mine that's made it into this category, the other being 100 Space Bars.

So check it out, if you haven't yet!

The other entries of mine that have made it into the Gold category are fantasy supplements. Leading the pack is 100 Random Taverns, which is one of the earliest pieces I wrote for Azukail Games. In addition to the tavern collection, though, there's also my supplement 100 Merchants to Encounter which, if I'm honest, is far more popular than I ever expected it to be!

Bundles, Deals, and Progress

There's no guaranteed formula when it comes to getting a TTRPG up to a bestseller spot... because if there was I would have a lot more of my entries up in the Platinum category. However, one thing that has helped almost all of these supplements is their inclusion in some long-running, pretty popular bundle deals. Which is why I wanted to call them out, and provide folks links in the event you haven't gotten your copies yet!

Those bundles are:

- Inn and Tavern Bundle (Fantasy)

- Sci Fi Bar Bundle (Sci Fi)

Numbers Set The Agenda

While this entry is largely taking a moment to pat myself on the back, and to let my regular readers know about a little milestone I recently passed, I also wanted to remind folks of something that we can sometimes forget; publishers make their decisions based on the numbers.

Love of the game is measured in dollar signs.

So if there's a particular supplement of mine (or anyone's really) that caught your eye, keep in mind that how many copies it moves (and how quickly) is one of the primary statistic that publishers will use to give readers more projects just like it. So grab a copy of the game books you like, leave a review, and share the link to boost the signal... because it's a lot easier for writers to get our proposals approved if we move a couple hundred (or a couple thousand) copies of the last installment!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!