As regular readers know, my first RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic was released earlier this year after a successful Kickstarter campaign. In this game players take on the role of a squad of soldiers fighting for one of the nations of the Plastos Federation as they attempt to defend their home from the incursions of the vespoids; gigantic, insectile creatures that have placed all the resinous persons under serious threat. In addition to that very hot war there are also Cold War tensions between many of the nations, there are terrorist organizations and criminal syndicates to deal with, as well as pieces of strange, alien technology that may be more than they seem at first glance, as well as plastic dinosaurs roaming the wilderness beyond the Federation's borders.
What I'd like to ask folks this week, since we're in our Crunch update, is what sort of mechanical supplements you'd like to see for this game in the coming months?
What do you need for resupply?
As always, 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!
Exploits, Gear, And Creatures To Fear
Since Army Men initially dropped, three separate supplements have been released. The first, Army Men: Threat Assessments, is a collection of extra threats, creatures, and things that your troopers are going to have to deal with in the field. The second, Army Men: Medals of Honor, introduced the medals system as a way for you to recognize your troopers' accomplishments while on campaign, and to give your players things to strive for. And the most recent supplement, Ungentlemanly Warfare: A Baker's Dozen of Booby Traps, is full of deadly traps for Game Masters to put into the field for their troopers (or their enemies) to deal with. And if you keep your eyes peeled, the first of the Army Men missions should be coming out soon, with a short adventure set in United Polymeria!
However, because I wanted to focus this game on strategy, equipment, and abilities, I wanted to take a moment to ask folks in the audience... what would you actually like to see more of?
There's several options on the board!
So, I've had a lot of ideas for some things I'd like to expand for the mechanical side of Army Men for folks who want to see even more resources for the game. At the moment, though, the things I'm currently looking at are:
- Additional Missions: Though A Night At Breckon's Beacon isn't out at time of writing, my plan was to get at least 4 more mission guides written and going through editorial in the near future. However, if there's more demand for missions than there is for other options, they're going to get bumped to the top of the list!
- Army Men: Weapons Locker: While not a finalized title, the basic idea behind this series would be, as the title suggests, to be to put more weapons, armor, and general equipment into the hands of your troopers. There might even be some items with the Experimental tag attached to them, in the event folks want a little more of the sci-fi nonsense I've hinted at with this game.
- Army Men: Enhanced Exploits: The exploits system is the main way players pick up and add abilities to their troopers. While there's a variety of them in the base book, this supplement would give you new trees to draw from, and provide additional paths you could use to develop your character in your coming campaign.
- Army Men: Soldiers of Fortune: While originally the title I was going to use for a larger softcover release (which this might still be, if there's enough enthusiasm), the idea behind this supplement was to add something of an A-Team vibe to the game by including the option to play as mercenaries. This would provide players with new classes to choose from, new exploits, fresh backgrounds, as well as a slew of additional items, and likely a Reputation system for acquiring new gear in the field, or before a mission (since mercenaries may not have access to the armories of a nation's standing army).
These aren't the only ideas I've had for supplements to expand the game world, but at time of writing these are the four directions I've narrowed likely expansion to. So if you're a fan of Army Men, then make sure you make your voice heard so I know what sort of content you'd like to see from me going forward!
And if you'd like to know more about the game and setting, make sure to check out the new series Tactical Plastic Report over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel. I just got it off the ground, so now is the perfect time to make your voice heard on what subjects you'd like to see covered!
Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!
That's all for this week's Crunch post! To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the 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!
For the past year and a half or so, one of our own has been engaged in a struggle with the Hateful Flesh. Though it tried its best to drag him down, as of the last news I received, Owen K.C. Stephens is currently cancer free!
This is, indeed, a moment to celebrate. However, as they often say, even when the battle is won the war is ongoing. And though Owen's recovering physically, he still has another foe to fight... the American healthcare system. Because beating cancer is a bastard and a half, but even more importantly, it's not cheap. Which is why he's still trying to make sure all the bills get paid so that he can go back to doing what he does best.
And that's why I wanted to let folks know about the new bundle going around to help the cause, along with other ways you can assist.
As always, 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!
A New Bundle, Solid Supplements, And Other Funding Options!
The newest funding option that's been given for folks looking to help Owen pay his bills is The Beacons Are Lit! bundle. This bundle, which is jammed with supplements for Pathfinder, DND 5E, Icons, and a bunch of other systems, gives you a ton of fresh stuff to use at your tables. It's only been up for a little while, but this deal isn't going to last forever, so I'd recommend getting yourself a copy before it's gone!
In addition to The Beacons Are Lit!, I'd recommend folks also check out Like A Boss, which has a slew of boss battles and creatures for both editions of Pathfinder, along with a lot of other systems they've been converted to. And for those who are looking to get some direct thoughts from a veteran of the craft, I'd highly recommend grabbing copies of Essays on Freelance Tabletop RPG Writing and Publishing, as well as its sister piece Essays On Surviving An Indpendent Tabletop RPG Career. While these have been up for a while, they're important for anyone out there who intends to make a living in this profession.
If you're not in the market for new TTRPG supplements (which is a heresy we'll let slide, as that's not the focus for the day), there are other things you can do to help Owen come out on top in this second fight! So take a moment to:
- Follow Owen on Twitter (yeah, it's falling apart, but a replacement has yet to take its place)
We've had a victory in this fight, but we haven't claimed the hill yet! So if you can help, please do. And spread the word even if you've just got a couple of dimes in your own account, and you can't afford to pitch them in right now. Every little bit helps, whatever form it takes!
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!
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!
As regular readers know, I make a lot of videos over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel. While I have shows like Speaking of Sundara (where I talk about my fantasy setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age), Discussions of Darkness (where I discuss the World and Chronicles of Darkness setting), and Tabletop Mercenary (which covers the ins and outs of the job of creating tabletop RPGs), I also have a lot of audio dramas on the channel.
These are, honestly, some of my favorite projects to work on. It's hard to get ears on them, though, so I wanted to take this week to talk about some of my recent pieces, and what I'm hoping to do in the near future regarding this art form.
I've got plans... come along on this journey with me?
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!
Dark Dramas, Noir Mysteries, and One Comedic Sequel
For folks who aren't familiar with my audio drama projects on the channel, each of these little vignettes is a dramatized version of the introductory stories from my TTRPG supplements. So while they tend to jump around between genre and setting, they're meant to give folks a glimpse into the kind of game these splat books are here to help you run.
While most of the following audio dramas are unconnected from the existing series on the channel, consider giving them a watch. And, if you enjoy them, like the video and subscribe over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel.
#1: Dark Destinies of a Dying Day
The introductory short story for my first Mork Borg supplement 100 Prophecies and Proverbs of The Black Basilisk, this tale deals with a hermit trying to live out the rest of his days in a world on the verge of death. When a slayer with venomous eyes invades his sanctum in search of a dark prophecy, cold sweat runs down the hermit's spine... can this man prevent the end of the world? Or will he merely drive his blade into its heart that much sooner?
#2: Drinks With The Devils
The second half of a story I began a while back, this story starts off World's Oldest Profession: 100 Courtesans and Concubines. This tale picks up with our party cleric down in the infernal-themed brothel known as The Pit, when the rest of his companions kick down the door. And now he has to defuse the situation before they start lashing out, thinking this is a dark and corrupt cult, rather than a mere house of pleasure.
#3: Cloak and Dagger
The first tale set in the world of Army Men, this story kicked off Army Men: Medals of Honor. Set in the alleys of one of the biggest cities in United Polymeria, the section chief of naval intelligence goes to meet with a contact. Of course, as with any intelligence operation, there's a chance something goes wrong when you stick your hand into the shadows.
#4: Secrets of The Shadowed Heart
A grim tale taken from the supplement 100 Dark Secrets, this tale takes us inside the mind of a man who used to be a monster. A brutal enforcer for a regime of blood and terror, he has tried to leave that life behind him... but he cannot hide from his deeds in his dreams. A place where a mirror is held up to his memories, and he is forced to see them again, and again, and again.
#5: Born in The Boneyard
The story taken from 100 Effects of a Primquake, takes place in my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age fantasy setting. It deals with an expectant mother willing to do anything she can to ensure her son makes it into the world... but she hasn't asked what the consequences might be of the decision she's about to make.
How Your Views Will Help The Channel (And Me)
For folks who aren't in the know, I've been trying to get the Azukail Games YouTube channel monetized for several years now. And while we have the 500 subscribers that the platform requires, we've been roughly 200 hours short of the 3,000 hours of watched content we need for the platform to start sharing ad revenue with us. And, because you have to get those 3,000 hours of watched videos within the past 365 days, we've been struggling to make up for the views dropping off our record, while still trying to get enough fresh views to get us over that finish line.
That's where you all come in!
My audio dramas tend to run between 8 and 10 minutes long, meaning that if someone watches all 5 of the videos I shared above, that's less than 1 hour of content added to the channel's running total. However, every view, every comment, every like, share, and subscriptions adds up over time. So please, check out the channel, and if you enjoy my audio drams, check out the full Audio Drama Playlist which currently has 49 videos on it!
Now, if you're a fan of audio dramas, but you want to see me do something bigger and more involved than these short pieces, you're in luck! Once we get the channel monetized, my plan is to start work on a long-running audio drama podcast for the Chronicles of Darkness titled Windy City Shadows. Every episode should be between 30 and 45 minutes, taking listeners deep into the shadows as we begin exploring the dark side of this strange and horrifying version of Chicago.
My hope is that we can reach our goal in the near future, and then I can really get cranking on the scripts and recordings. I've also got some previews and trailers ready to record as a juicy little reward for folks who help us get to that 3,000 hour mark. So please, if you want to help push us over the line, consider checking out the channel, and sharing around your favorite audio dramas on your own social media pages so that other folks can give them a listen as well!
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!
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.
As most regular readers on this blog know, my game Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic dropped earlier this year. While the base book gives you everything you need to play the game (including a sample mission for you and your fellow troopers), since then we've also released Army Men: Threat Assessments (for extra creatures and dangers), Army Men: Medals of Honor (which introduces the Medals system for rewarding player achievements in the field), and Ungentlemanly Warfare: A Baker's Dozen of Booby Traps (which is full of deadly traps to sprinkle across the battlefield).
While I've got at least one more supplement awaiting release (which will mark the first mission outside of the sample one in the base book), I've also been taking Army Men to various conventions since it came out. Though I intend to start running some game demo sessions in the future, I was thinking that I should have more than just the base book for sale at my booth. And since the supplements mentioned above are digital-only offerings, it's got me thinking... what other things would folks like to see?
I don't have the resources for making medals yet... but...
As always, 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!
Some Ideas I'm Currently Kicking Around...
Now, I'm planning on doing more conventions (and more different conventions) starting in 2025. While there are a few smaller events left in 2024, I'm not going to scramble to try to get any merch ready for this year. And while I'm reaching out to manufacturers, trying to get quotes, and to see what's feasible, the feedback and interest from my audience is also extremely important to me. So if there is an idea you particularly like, make sure that you let me know in the comments below, along with why you like it, and what you would consider a fair price for the item in question (so I can see if it matches up with what it would cost to get it made).
Also, Army Men is getting it's own show over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel! So check out the first episode if you haven't, and leave your comments for what you'd like to see on it.
Now, the current ideas include...
#1: Faction Dice Sets (And Crate)
Standard-issue, of course.
Custom dice were, of course, one of the original items we were hoping to get with the Kickstarter stretch goals for Army Men, but we fell a little short of the numbers we needed to make that a reality. However, good ideas often take on a new life in a new form, which is why I had the thought of offering faction dice at my booth for those who want a little something extra for their next mission (or who just think it would be cool).
The modified version of this idea is faction dice. Each set will be a standard, solid-color set of d20 dice that is largely representative of a particular nation of the Plastos Federation, as well as a set for the Federation itself. The dice won't be custom, in that they won't have unique pips, inclusions, or anything like that. The idea is that these are the "standard-issue" weapons you're given before going out into the field. While custom dice could still be something done for a future Kickstarter, these are going to be a more humble, more reliable, offering.
What makes them special, then? Well, my hope is to find a unique case for them, such as a metal, slide-top tin that will have the Army Men logo either etched or printed onto the lid. While I would love to find a tiny ammo crate, I'm still trying to find an option that will be affordable for both myself, and for folks interested in this offering!
#2: Uniform Patches & Pins
Acrylican 301st: "No Horizon Unexplored"
I'm a sucker for patches, and I had a few made a year or so ago featuring my Literary Mercenary skull, and a motto that got me a lot of dirty looks from parents who didn't want their little ones reading a bad word. But given the military setup of Army Men as a game, I thought it might also be fun to have patches for the various nation's militaries, or even pins made to go on one's lapel, pocket, etc.
However, there are additional hurdles with this option.
First and foremost, I'd have to work things out with our book's artist if I want to use any of her assets on these patches or pins (such as the versions of the flags she made). Alternatively, if I wanted to use different assets, well, I'd have to either make them myself, or commission new ones from someone. Both are an expensive process. Then there's the extra up-front cost for patches getting printed, the question of whether we want iron-ons, sew-ons, or velcro patches, and whether they're rubberized or not... it's a long list of nonsense!
Doable nonsense, of course, but nonsense nevertheless!
Now, my original idea was to pair this kind of merch with something like Army Men: Regiments of Renown (as a sample title), where I would provide additional lore for the setting through creating various irregular units and special forces for the different nations' militaries, while providing players with additional subclasses, gear, etc., that they could bring into the field if they wanted to be part of these units (or, at least, have been part of them at one time). That way in addition to the standard military choices, players could get a little niche with their loyalties.
#3: Stickers
All right, this one MIGHT be a little obvious...
In fairness, this is probably the most obvious bit of extra merch, and one of the most affordable. Whether you're using it to label your folders, everything from the logo to the flags (again, post-negotiation) could be on this list if that's something players are interested in. But I've found, overall, that stickers are a very hit-or-miss thing. On the one hand, they're very low investment for the dealer, and they can have a very low price point. On the other hand, there seems to be either a lot of interest in them, or absolutely none.
So what about you? Would you be interested in stickers? And if so, what kind would you like to see?
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!
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!
I've been talking a lot recently about the nuts and bolts of what it requires to take creative visions and turn them into hard realities that will pay your bills, and keep you afloat as a creator. One of my recent posts of on The Literary Mercenary, "Passion" Is Not A Replacement For A Solid Business Plan, actually harped on this issue in a way that started some interesting discussions (and at least one flame war). And not all that long ago I put up an episode of Tabletop Mercenary talking about how You Get Paid For What You Sell, Not What You Create, linked below.
And I tell you all of that to sort of set the scene for this week's discussion. Because I've been putting a lot of sweat into two of my ongoing projects, my PF and DND setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age, as well as my first full RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic. However, there's only so much I can do on my own, and I'm hoping that giving you all a look behind the curtain might help rally a few folks to my banner before I lose my grip on it!
As always, 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!
Building A Base, Or Wasting Time?
There's a story that was floating around Facebook a while ago, and it's transcribed from the oral history of the publishing industry. The way it goes is there's a guy from accounting at a major publisher, and he's talking to one of the editors. He's been going over the numbers, and he's just flabbergasted that a majority of the publisher's earnings come from a handful of superstar authors, while the rest of the titles they publish barely move any copies at all. The editor, unsurprised by this news, agrees that the accountant's read of the situation is correct. The accountant, frustrated by this, demands to know why the publisher wastes their time with all of these other books. Why aren't they just publishing the ones that sell?
The editor gives the accountant the thousand-yard-stare, sighs, and tells him that's what they're trying to do. No one ever approves a book for publication if they don't think it has potential. But there's no such thing as a guarantee, and every, single book that goes out is a roll of the die.
I'm recounting this story because, regarding these two projects of mine, it feels like this is extremely true. When I first started working on Sundara, I reached out to groups dedicated to those who played Pathfinder and DND 5E, and I asked them what would appeal to them as part of a new setting. I incorporated a lot of the answers I got, and for a time folks seemed interested. The very concept of Army Men, where you play living plastic people fighting tactical skirmishes against alien, insectile foes, got a lot of players excited when the idea was going around, and it was good enough to fund the Kickstarter to get the game released.
However, I have no way of knowing if the next supplement, or series of supplements, I write for these games and settings that are going to light a fire under the player base, or if I'm just shoveling a few thousand more words into the abyss when no matter what I do all I'm going to get are echoes of my own voice.
So... do I roll the dice?
The Plan
Let's back up a second, and I'll do my best to make some sense of what my approach has been, and where I'm currently at.
I started releasing supplements for Sundara: Dawn of a New Age a few years ago. The idea was that it would be a modular fantasy TTRPG setting where Game Masters could either play in the world as it existed, or they could take the parts of it they liked and add it to their own settings and games with relatively little hassle. Some supplements, like Merchants of Sundara, are explicitly written to be system-neutral additions, while others like the Cities of Sundara: Ironfire supplement come in a version for Pathfinder and a version for DND 5E.
Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic went a more traditional route. We Kickstarted the base book, and after it came out I got to work on writing supplemental materials for it. This includes extra monsters and challenges in Army Men: Threat Assessments, the Medals System for rewarding player achievements in-game in Army Men: Medals of Honor, and the most recent update Army Men: Ungentlemanly Warfare, which was full of all sorts of horrible booby traps to spread over your maps.
The basic idea was pretty striaghtforward; keep making interesting, unique supplements for these two products, and to grow the player base by giving people more cool stuff. After all, the more material a game/setting has available for it, the better the chance there is that players will check it out. And if new releases are constantly coming out, it lets players know there's support for the game, and they aren't going to be playing something that has already hit the wall, and been abandoned.
Of course, that wasn't the ONLY thing I did. I've covered both of these projects repeatedly right here on Improved Initiaitve, I've talked about them on various podcasts and YT channels (such as my recent interview over on Third Floor Wars for Episode 244), and I have entire video series for each of them on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, which you should definitely check out.
The idea was that if I just kept writing supplements for these game, if I kept talking about them, and kept giving players new and interesting paths to pursue, then eventually they'd start getting traction. However, it is really tough to keep putting out my best work when it feels like no one out there is really enjoying it, or like the only person I'm making these for is me.
The reason I say that, and the reason I took you through all of that lead up, dear readers, is because I need your help.
I've said this time and time again, but it is impossible for an author to make themselves successful in publishing (ditto for a YouTuber or a podcaster to make themselves successful). We can put out all the projects we want, and we can log all the hours and words we can think of... but if no one reads, listens, or buys copies, we're just shouting into a hurricane. At the end of the day, it's like we didn't do anything at all.
So if you're someone who has gotten copies of Army Men, or any of my Sundara books, please go to Drive Thru RPG, rate them, and review them. Additionally, consider boosting the signal for them on your social media pages, whether you're on Twitter, FB, Reddit, or anywhere else, so that I can reach some fresh eyes (and because admins are less uptight about fans sharing links to things than they are about creators trying to do self-promotion). If you haven't gotten copies for yourself yet, then consider picking them up, and then leaving the aforementioned reviews and signal boosts.
It seems basic, but at the end of the day, numbers are what keep projects going. Authors don't want to keep writing supplements no one seems interested in, and even if they do, eventually publishers are going to stop greenlighting projects if they don't lead to increased sales.
Without support, we have to move on to something else. So if you want to see Sundara or Army Men continue on, please take a moment to make your voice heard!
To Catch Up On Sundara: Dawn of a New Age
The links to all of my current Army Men books are listed above in this entry. However, Sundara is a little larger, and so I've listed out all the supplements here for folks to follow up on. Start wherever you want, there is no wrong door. And, of course, you can check out the full Speaking of Sundara playlist, in addition to the following supplements!
Cities of Sundara
The setting first began with the Cities of Sundara splats. Self-contained guides to some of the larger and more powerful centers of trade, industry, arms, and magic, these unique locations provide plenty of fodder for character generation and plots. Not only that, but each one comes with unique, mechanical goodies for players and GMs alike to take out for a spin!
- Ironfire: The City of Steel (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Built around the Dragon Forge, Ironfire is where the secret to dragon steel was first cracked. The center of the mercenary trade in the region, as well as boasting some of the finest schools for teaching practical sciences, Ironfire is a place where discovery and danger walk hand in hand!
- Moüd: The City of Bones (Pathfinder and DND 5E): An ancient center of trade and magic, Moüd was lost to a cataclysm, and then buried in myth. Reclaimed by the necromantic arts of the Silver Wraiths guild, this city has once again become a place teeming with life. Despite the burgeoning population, though, it is the continued presence of the undead that helps keep the city running, ensuring that Moüd is not swallowed up once more.
- Silkgift: The City of Sails (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Built on the cottage industry of Archer cloth (an extremely durable material used for sails, windmills, etc.), Silkgift is a place that prizes invention and discovery. From gravity batteries that store the potential of the wind, to unique irrigation systems, to aether weapons, the city positively churns out discoveries... and then there's the canal they cut through the mountains that makes them a major center of trade across the region.
- Hoardreach: The City of Wyrms (Pathfinder and DND 5E): A center of power across an entire region, Hoardreach is ruled over by a Cooperation of five different dragons. A place for refugees and outcasts of all sorts, Hoardreach boasts some of the most unusual citizens and creations from across Sundara. Infamous for their sky ships, which require the cast-off scales and unique arcane sciences of the Dragon Works to take to the air, one never knows just what they'll find in this city built atop a mountain.
- Archbliss: The City of The Sorcerers (Pathfinder and DND 5E): A floating city in the sky, Archbliss has been a refuge for sorcerers for thousands of years. It's only in relatively recent years that the city has allowed those from the ground below who lack the power of a bloodline to join them in the clouds. However, while there are certainly amazing wonders to behold, there is a darkness in Archbliss. Something rotting away at its heart that could, if not healed, bring the city crashing to the ground once more.
Gods of Sundara
- Gods of Sundara (available for Pathfinder and DND 5E): In a world with no alignment, and where the gods are often genuinely mysterious forces that are far too large for mortals to truly comprehend, the divine feels genuinely strange and unknown... something that really does have to be taken on faith. This supplement provides a sample pantheon for Sundara, but also provides instructions on how to easily make your own gods in a world where you can't cast a spell and tell whether someone is good or evil.
Species of Sundara
Sundara is filled with creatures that many of us recognize, but I wanted to give greater depth to their cultures, and a wider variety of options. After all, humans always get 15+ ethnicities, languages, and unique histories, while elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, etc. are almost always left with footnotes, or maybe with a handful of offshoots. So, in short, I wanted to give all the fantastical creatures the treatment that humans usually get in our games.
And there is no human book yet. If readers demand to know more, then I may sit down to pen one... but I figured that humans didn't need to be front-and-center in this setting just yet.
- Elves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Elves are one of the most quintessential fantasy creatures... but if you want to see more than just high elves, wood elves, and elves of the sun and moon, then this supplement has you covered!
- Dwarves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): The children of the primordial giants who were meant to fill in the details of the world they'd made (or so the myths say) there are as many kinds of dwarves as their are kinds of giants... and possibly more, depending on who is keeping count.
- Orcs of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Supposedly a creation of the elves, none can say for certain exactly how or why orcs have been made. What most agree on is that these creatures are far more than most may think at first glance.
- Halflings of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Little cousins to the dwarves, halflings are tough, clever, and not to be underestimated. From living beneath the hills, to taking up residence in the deep forests, halflings in Sundara come in quite a variety!
- The Blooded (Half-Elves and Half-Orcs) [Pathfinder and DND 5E]: When orcs and elves mix their bloodlines with other creatures, the result is one of the Blooded. This inheritance takes many forms, and it can even wait generations before manifesting when the right combination of individuals come together to have a child.
- Gnomes of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Gnomes are strange creatures, found in places where the spirit of the land has coalesced and made children of its own. The sons and daughters of the ancient nymphs, they are the stewards of these places, and they change as often as the weather and the land.
Organizations of Sundara
Phase 3 has been going strong, but there's still a few titles left in it! So if you haven't seen them, consider checking out:
- Sellswords of Sundara: With power structures being smaller in scale in Sundara, standing armies aren't often maintained for long. As such, soldiers of fortune are quite common! This supplement contains 10 mercenary companies, their history, uniform, sample members, whispers and rumors, as well as either an archetype or subclass for playing these unique warriors. Grab your copy for Pathfinder of DND 5E.
- Cults of Sundara: Faith comes in many forms in Sundara, and there are as many gods in the Prim as there are dreams in the minds of people. This supplement contains write-ups for 10 cults, their histories, sample members, rumors about them, their beliefs and tenets, and a unique magic item for each. Get your copy for Pathfinder or DND 5E.
- Guilds of Sundara: While cities and villages may be relatively local, guilds are spread across the length and width of Sundara. From professional orders of skilled miners and dredgers, to monster slayers and bounty hunters, this supplement has 10 guilds with histories, sample members, rumors, as well as unique feats one can take to represent the skill and benefits of joining this order. Available for Pathfinder as well as DND 5E.
- Merchants of Sundara: While city states might be the largest form of government you find in the setting, merchants hold an outsized amount of power. From huge mercantile houses, to small brands infamous for their quality as much as for their price, there are a lot of options listed in this particular world building supplement.
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!
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!
In a lot of games that use a Vancian magic system (the one most common to Dungeons and Dragons, and similar systems) there is often an interesting trick that allows prepared spellcasters (such as clerics who pray for specific spells, wizards who go through the rituals out of their spellbooks, etc.) can use to maintain their flexibility. What they do is allow you to essentially reserve a spell slot (or several of them, if you so choose), leaving it purposefully empty so that it can be filled with a spell at a later time. So if the party is traveling along, and they find an inhospitable environment, a poisonous fog, or some other condition that knowing just the right spell could fix, the caster can take a few minutes to memorize the appropriate spell, and then deploy it using that empty slot.
Now, there are discussions about just how effective this can be as a strategy in a mechanical sense. However, this logic of leaving wiggle room so that you can adapt to unforeseen circumstances is something I'd recommend more of us actually do with our characters when it comes to the details of their stories. Because even those of us who write several pages of background often leave plenty of white space that we can fill up at appropriate story moments to help keep things moving forward.
Let me explain...
Even with all these notes, there's a LOT you didn't cover.
As always, 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!
If There's Nothing There, You Can Fill It In!
To illustrate what I'm talking about, let's take a very low-stakes example. Say that your party is all meeting at the local tavern, and you ask your Game Master what the current specials on the menu are. And because your GM recently picked up a copy of my 100 Fantasy Foods, they tell you that salamander steaks are currently on offer. A unique meal due to the salamander's resilience to heat and fire, they tend to be raw and bloody, scorched with acid and flavored with citrus. That sounds interesting, so you decide that your dwarven wizard is going to order that.
However, you choose to take things a little further. Because you know that Hervarth was raised in a forge mountain, skilled at enchanting magic weapons and armor as part of his learning in the ways of spellcraft, you decide to add into his backstory that salamander meat was something he fell in love with during his study as an apprentice because it was always available around the mountain (since the beasts were drawn to the fiery hearts of the forge). Perhaps this is a sign that this particular tavern is relatively close to the mountain he trained at, or it's surprising for him that this meal is available so far afield, but either way it sets up a little detail, and gives your character something to be excited about, while paying off a minor detail the GM slipped into the session.
The power of imagination!
This is the sort of thing I mean about filling in the blank parts of your character's canvas. If there's a detail about their past that hasn't been established as canon yet (like their favorite food), then when an opportunity arises you can capitalize on that detail to fill in a previously unexplored part of their character, revealing it to the rest of the table in a way that adds to the scene.
However, you can do this for big details, as well as small ones.
For example, say you're playing a hard-as-nails rogue. You've been a bandit and a highwaymen, you were a gang enforcer, and there is no dirty job you won't do... but when a bunch of kids start eyeing the party, he pulls a small, bean-stuffed leather ball out of nowhere, and teaches them a game they can play with it. Soon they're laughing, kicking it back and forth in a little circle, using their elbows, feet, knees, and heads to keep it in the air as long as they can.
Why does the scarred, cold-hearted bruiser have a soft spot for kids? Maybe he had some of his own that he hasn't seen since their mother left. Or since they died; collateral for the life he led. Maybe he was an elder sibling, and he got into the life he's in now to get the money to take care of his baby brother and sister, so he knows how to entertain and bond with younglings. And if a quest hook comes up where the children are in danger, a quest hook with little to no monetary reward, that little background detail might be enough to drag the money-up-front mercenary into a fight for a good cause.
These background details you add to your character on the fly could be as a simple result of a roleplay opportunity, as mentioned above. They might be a result of an absurdly good skill check (perhaps the dark-eyed ranger knows so much about religion because their mother is a priestess, and the two of them haven't spoken since she rejected the cloth and the oath of her order). But the idea behind filling in your backstory is that it should always be done with the express purpose of adding to a scene, rather than taking your character out of it.
For example, if you hear that a monastery was attacked, you could add in that your brother was inducted into that order, and you have to find out if he's all right. You shouldn't decide that your character has a negative history with that monastic order, using this grudge as a reason not to get involved. If you hear there are bandits terrorizing a town, you should feel free to add in that you have history with one or more of the bandits in that gang, and you're going to at least stop them, and possibly settle a grudge or two along the way. You should not decide you have a heretofore-unmentioned bounty on your head in that region, so you can't go there and risk being recognized and arrested.
And so on, and so forth.
The goal should always be to keep the momentum of a scene going, not to put the brakes on. If the addition you're going to make is going to stop your character from getting involved, or give you an excuse not to go down a story path, or to remove you from a scene, that's not a good addition. Much like improv, you want to be able to say, "Yes, and," when you add something from your character to the scene.
For additional, related examples and advice, consider checking out Find A Reason For Your Character To Get Involved. And if you're a Game Master who wants to build off of the supplement I plugged earlier, then I'd recommend grabbing your very own copy of the Inn & Tavern Bundle to get a slew of useful resources that just might end up adding to your characters' backstories, as well as fleshing out your setting!
Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!
That's all for this week's Fluff post. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the 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!
Like a lot of authors and RPG makers out there, I try my best to make it out to conventions. Sometimes I'm a panelist, sometimes I'm doing readings of my work, sometimes I'm running sample games, and sometimes I'm holding down a table in the dealer's hall. It's been rough coming back to in-person events after the pandemic, and I've been trying to make my way out to a wider variety of events so that it's not just me in front of the same crowds at the same conventions with the same books time after time.
When you branch out to new cons, sometimes you find great crowds, a good reaction, and lots of sales. And other times... well, other times you find yourself at Raptor Con.
A penny for a tale would go quite a long way this month...
As always, 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!
How I Spent My Weekend...
For folks who noticed the hiccup in both my social media posting, as well as my missed updates on my blogs, I was at Raptor Con down in Evansville, Indiana this past weekend, holding down a table in the dealer's hall with Alice Liddell. And let me tell you, it was a trial. Preparations started Thursday afternoon, and I didn't stop sweating and straining until Friday night, which is how long it took to load up all our combined merch, drive 5.5 hours across Indiana, load that merch into the dealer's hall, and set it up so it looked nice and presentable.
And from the outside, this con looked like it had a lot going for it. The dealer's hall was quite large, the venue was located in a good spot, there were some fairly big names on the celebrity guest list, and there were even additional programming options attendees could participate in. Not only that, but our fellow dealers came in all shapes and sizes, selling everything from handmade plushies, to wooden dice towers, to laser-engraved and 3D printed everyday carry items and geek paraphanalia.
The numbers were looking good, is what I'm saying.
I can tell you quite honestly that the con did pull a lot of attendees. A few hundred people went past our booth in the two days we were there, and it very well might have been well over a thousand by the time all was said and done. The con also ran a live stream of the hall to get folks interested, and the event was covered by several local news stations. Despite all of that, though, I didn't sell a single thing. Most folks who showed up to the event barely scraped by with a few sales, and everyone I talked to during load out was grumbling about how they didn't make back anywhere near the cost of this event.
Now, I hadn't come to this event expecting to sell out of all my novels and RPG books... but of all the events I've gone to over the years, this is the first time I had a table, and I sold nothing. Hell, I can count the number of people who even picked up a book and looked at it on one hand, and that was also something I'd never seen happen before at all the shows I've been to.
Which is why I wanted to take a moment to ask folks reading this if they could help me out a little before this month is over.
What I Do (And Don't) Mean By "Help Me Out A Little"
Some folks who read those words are thinking that I'm just shaking my cup and asking for donations. That is not what I'm doing here, though if you did want to buy me a Ko-Fi or become a Patreon patron I certainly wouldn't say no to that.
However, I'm also aware that times are tough, and belts are being tightened all around. So rather than just asking for direct assistance, I wanted to instead ask my readers this week to please help support some of my ongoing projects. As always, if you have the spare dosh, consider buying some of the books and supplements I'm going to mention. If not, though, consider sharing a link to them, reading some of the articles I mention below, or watching some of the videos, because that also helps more than I can adequately explain.
Okay? Okay.
#1: Check Out "Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic"
Earlier this year I released my first RPG every, Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic where you and your follow players take on the roles of soldiers fighting for the Plastos Federation against the incursions of monstrous insectoid creatures called vespoids. Since the initial game dropped there have also bee 4 separate supplements released for it (listed below). The game uses a modifed version of the DND 5E rules set, but with a lot more tactical rules added back in so that players need strategy as much as they do the luck of the die to help them clinch victory in their missions!
This is a project I've been trying to build momentum on for a while, and it's been an uphill battle. So if you haven't checked it out yet, please give it (and the other supplements I've released so far) a look! And if you are one of the folks who bought a copy or backed the Kickstarter, then please leave me a review and a rating on Drive Thru RPG, as well as boosting the signal about it so others can find the game!
#2: "Windy City Shadows" and The Azukail Games YouTube Channel
I've been talking about this for a while on this blog, but the Azukail Games Youtube channel has been steadily getting closer and closer to reaching the goals for monetization. At the moment we have shows about my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age fantasy setting, Discussions of Darkness where I talk about the World and Chronicles of Darkness system, audio dramas taken from my various supplements, and Tabletop Mercenary where I talk about the business of TTRPGs behind the curtain.
However, we need about 200 or so more hours of watched content (that is, amount of time that the audience watches our videos) to get us over the hump to get us monetized... which would be a huge accomplishment under my belt, and it won't cose you all a dime (just a little bit of time and energy).
Additionally, once we cross that threshold, I am hoping to use that momentum to put together a Chronicles of Darkness audio drama podcast titled Windy City Shadows. I recently talked about this project on the channel, as well as on this blog, so if you'd like to listen to a show that can best be described as Dark Fae John Wick, take a moment of your time to check it out, subscribe to the channel, and help us reach our goals so I can push this up my priority list!
#3: Check Out My "Sundara: Dawn of a New Age" Setting
I've been releasing splat books for my own fantasy RPG setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age for several years now, and while something occasionally breaks the surface, it's been harder and harder to get any sort of eyeballs or interest regarding it. While I'm currently in the midst of doing another concerted push to build off of the already-released cities books (which are designed to be useful for any Game Master, whether they want to run my setting, or import the cities into their own setting), I really need any and all attention folks could give this project. Whether you watch the Speaking of Sundara playlist, where I talk about the various parts of the world and my process for making them, or you buy, review, or share the links to the supplements below, I would appreciate any signal boost you could offer!
Cities of Sundara
The setting first began with the Cities of Sundara splats. Self-contained guides to some of the larger and more powerful centers of trade, industry, arms, and magic, these unique locations provide plenty of fodder for character generation and plots. Not only that, but each one comes with unique, mechanical goodies for players and GMs alike to take out for a spin!
- Ironfire: The City of Steel (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Built around the Dragon Forge, Ironfire is where the secret to dragon steel was first cracked. The center of the mercenary trade in the region, as well as boasting some of the finest schools for teaching practical sciences, Ironfire is a place where discovery and danger walk hand in hand!
- Moüd: The City of Bones (Pathfinder and DND 5E): An ancient center of trade and magic, Moüd was lost to a cataclysm, and then buried in myth. Reclaimed by the necromantic arts of the Silver Wraiths guild, this city has once again become a place teeming with life. Despite the burgeoning population, though, it is the continued presence of the undead that helps keep the city running, ensuring that Moüd is not swallowed up once more.
- Silkgift: The City of Sails (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Built on the cottage industry of Archer cloth (an extremely durable material used for sails, windmills, etc.), Silkgift is a place that prizes invention and discovery. From gravity batteries that store the potential of the wind, to unique irrigation systems, to aether weapons, the city positively churns out discoveries... and then there's the canal they cut through the mountains that makes them a major center of trade across the region.
- Hoardreach: The City of Wyrms (Pathfinder and DND 5E): A center of power across an entire region, Hoardreach is ruled over by a Cooperation of five different dragons. A place for refugees and outcasts of all sorts, Hoardreach boasts some of the most unusual citizens and creations from across Sundara. Infamous for their sky ships, which require the cast-off scales and unique arcane sciences of the Dragon Works to take to the air, one never knows just what they'll find in this city built atop a mountain.
- Archbliss: The City of The Sorcerers (Pathfinder and DND 5E): A floating city in the sky, Archbliss has been a refuge for sorcerers for thousands of years. It's only in relatively recent years that the city has allowed those from the ground below who lack the power of a bloodline to join them in the clouds. However, while there are certainly amazing wonders to behold, there is a darkness in Archbliss. Something rotting away at its heart that could, if not healed, bring the city crashing to the ground once more.
Gods of Sundara
- Gods of Sundara (available for Pathfinder and DND 5E): In a world with no alignment, and where the gods are often genuinely mysterious forces that are far too large for mortals to truly comprehend, the divine feels genuinely strange and unknown... something that really does have to be taken on faith. This supplement provides a sample pantheon for Sundara, but also provides instructions on how to easily make your own gods in a world where you can't cast a spell and tell whether someone is good or evil.
Species of Sundara
Sundara is filled with creatures that many of us recognize, but I wanted to give greater depth to their cultures, and a wider variety of options. After all, humans always get 15+ ethnicities, languages, and unique histories, while elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, etc. are almost always left with footnotes, or maybe with a handful of offshoots. So, in short, I wanted to give all the fantastical creatures the treatment that humans usually get in our games.
And there is no human book yet. If readers demand to know more, then I may sit down to pen one... but I figured that humans didn't need to be front-and-center in this setting just yet.
- Elves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Elves are one of the most quintessential fantasy creatures... but if you want to see more than just high elves, wood elves, and elves of the sun and moon, then this supplement has you covered!
- Dwarves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): The children of the primordial giants who were meant to fill in the details of the world they'd made (or so the myths say) there are as many kinds of dwarves as their are kinds of giants... and possibly more, depending on who is keeping count.
- Orcs of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Supposedly a creation of the elves, none can say for certain exactly how or why orcs have been made. What most agree on is that these creatures are far more than most may think at first glance.
- Halflings of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Little cousins to the dwarves, halflings are tough, clever, and not to be underestimated. From living beneath the hills, to taking up residence in the deep forests, halflings in Sundara come in quite a variety!
- The Blooded (Half-Elves and Half-Orcs) [Pathfinder and DND 5E]: When orcs and elves mix their bloodlines with other creatures, the result is one of the Blooded. This inheritance takes many forms, and it can even wait generations before manifesting when the right combination of individuals come together to have a child.
- Gnomes of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Gnomes are strange creatures, found in places where the spirit of the land has coalesced and made children of its own. The sons and daughters of the ancient nymphs, they are the stewards of these places, and they change as often as the weather and the land.
Organizations of Sundara
Phase 3 has been going strong, but there's still a few titles left in it! So if you haven't seen them, consider checking out:
- Sellswords of Sundara: With power structures being smaller in scale in Sundara, standing armies aren't often maintained for long. As such, soldiers of fortune are quite common! This supplement contains 10 mercenary companies, their history, uniform, sample members, whispers and rumors, as well as either an archetype or subclass for playing these unique warriors. Grab your copy for Pathfinder of DND 5E.
- Cults of Sundara: Faith comes in many forms in Sundara, and there are as many gods in the Prim as there are dreams in the minds of people. This supplement contains write-ups for 10 cults, their histories, sample members, rumors about them, their beliefs and tenets, and a unique magic item for each. Get your copy for Pathfinder or DND 5E.
- Guilds of Sundara: While cities and villages may be relatively local, guilds are spread across the length and width of Sundara. From professional orders of skilled miners and dredgers, to monster slayers and bounty hunters, this supplement has 10 guilds with histories, sample members, rumors, as well as unique feats one can take to represent the skill and benefits of joining this order. Available for Pathfinder as well as DND 5E.
- Merchants of Sundara: Whether a small shop of highly specialized craftsmen, or an organization whose brand is recognized across the world, merchants can add a great deal of story to your setting. The most recent release at time of writing, check out Merchants of Sundara for yourself!
My Thanks In Advance!
Being a professional creator is a crap shoot, and you never know what is going to explode, and what's just going to be a dud. You have to keep rolling, though, because giving up isn't an option in this line of work. So if you're one of the folks who supports me, whatever form that takes, thank you. It means a lot to know that the things I manage to pry out of my mind and set down on the page are things that at least some folks out there really enjoy, and want to see more of!
Just like PBS, without viewers like you, none of what I do (or really what any professional creative does) would be possible.
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!
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!
