Many RPGs take place in the theater of the mind, using the pure imagination of those around the table to play out the story. And while that's all well and good for the cinematically inclined, other games focus on distances, cover, strategic maneuvers, and small-unit successes. These games can't rely on the imagination alone, because they depend on all the players viewing the same battlefield, and having the same understanding of what's happening. And whether you're assembling a table for the grim darkness of the far future in Warhammer 40K, you're joining the war against (or for) the heretic legions of hell in Trench Crusade, or you're taking up arms on behalf of the Plastos Federathion in my RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic, you owe it to yourself to check out the terrain crafting videos being done by Adrian Kennelly over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel.
From Vracks to the Somme, you'll find something you like!
But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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!
Table Terrain To Make Your Battles Blaze!
Before I go too much further, I wanted to offer full disclosure for folks who aren't regular readers. I'm a contributor to the Azukail Games YT channel, and I'm an author of several of the game supplements the publisher has released. And while I make a majority of the shows that are hosted on the channel, when we really started gaining momentum, Adrian started doing semi-regular crafting videos for tabletop gaming. And while several of the early videos were very much geared toward traditional fantasy gaming, a lot of the more recent additions are for terrain pieces that are much more at-home in modern warfare scenarios.
Such as the first video he made for Army Men about how to make barbed wire!
In addition to the tutorial for barbed wire, Adrian has also covered videos for making a Czech hedgehog tank trap, how to make craters, how to make ruined walls, and even how to make supply pallets for your table terrain! All of which I happen to think is pretty damn neat, and were I a craftier sort of gamer (and had more space to assemble and store this kind of terrain) I'd likely have a bunch of my own examples to show off by now.
However, I wanted to give Adrian's content a shout out this week because I know exactly how much work it takes to make videos like this. From lighting and setup, to making sure that you have just the right angle and just the right voice overs and music to keep your viewers watching while also giving them value for their time isn't easy. Not only that, but a lot of the stuff he makes also gets me fired up to play (and design) more gaming stuff... which is important when the creative side of things starts to feel like a slog!
So if this is the sort of content you enjoy (whether it's because you like crafting tutorials or you just enjoy checking out the tips and tricks of the trade), subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel today, and while you're at it watch the Crafting Playlist that has a complete run of all 35 of Adrian's videos on it. I'm urging folks to watch the videos, upvote the ones they like, leave comments of at least 7 words (because that's what tickles the algorithm's fancy), and maybe share them around on your own social media pages... because few things encourage folks who make videos, blogs, and games than hearing from our audience, and being told loud and clear that they like what we're making, and we should keep going!
Lastly, if there's a particular type of terrain you're interested in, make sure you leave a comment on the videos asking for a guide! Whether you want full trenches, bombed-out buildings, sniper nests, or anything else, making a suggestion (and getting it upvoted by others) is a great way to let us know what you want 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 Blue Sky, 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!
If you've played RPGs long enough, chances are you've been in your share of scrapes and scraps. And while there might have been one or two memorable events, chances are good that a majority of these combats were in wide open fields, square or rectangular rooms, and with an occasional circular chamber mixed in for variety. But while the shape of these arenas might change, many of them suffer from the same problem; they're wide open spaces with clear sight lines.
So if you want to make your arenas more dynamic, consider changing that up.
Who's up for a little crossfire?
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!
Cover, Firing Lines, And Changing Up Your Formula
Let's use the humble tavern as an example. It's one of the most infamous places in fantasy RPGs, because it feels like this is always where your adventure takes place. And while we often think of taverns as little more than long, rectangular rooms, consider all the potential aspects of them. There's the bar itself, which provides cover for those standing behind it. There might be heavy support columns that could do the same throughout the room. There's also the benches and tables that one could leap up onto in order to claim the high ground, or flip over in order to hide behind them in the event that arrows, crossbow bolts, or spells start flying.
And that is just a single example of how a relatively "normal" location for a combat could immediately become a more dynamic arena. But ask yourself what could happen if you introduced that same kind of philosophy to other places where it's likely that steel and spells will come into play.
This is where creativity can really alter the challenge.
Consider the goblin cavern that most adventurers will venture into at some point in their careers. Are there small niches higher on the wall where said goblins can station archers to fire down on intruders? Are there lower ceilings that make their home difficult to invade for anyone Medium-sized, forcing them to fight at a disadvantage? Are there stalagmites that break up line of sight along the cavern, making it hard to target individual enemies as they converge? You could even take this strategy and apply it in outdoor areas, using tall grasses, underground burrows, and even simple hills to give some targets high ground, cover, and so on.
And this is before you have players assault locations that are specifically built to give the advantage to defenders.
This isn't just castles, though they're the most obvious location. Narrow bridges and hallway choke points, stairways, balconies, fences and barricades can all add dynamic aspects and elements to your dungeons and encounters, while also making particular powers more viable and interesting than they would otherwise be in a game where all your arenas are empty, square rooms with no real strategy involved except swinging a sword or firing arrows until all the enemies fall over.
For example, say you have a castle courtyard where there are melee warriors down in the dirt with the party, but there are archers or spellcasters up along the ramparts directing their aggression downward. At this point, characters who have access to spells like spider climb, or abilities like shadow jump could use those to immediately close vertical distance, shifting their position up to threaten the ranged enemies who thought they were safe. Alternatively, if you had an evoker with a spell like chain lightning or fireball up their sleeve, they could use those to clear the upper deck, while the party melee brutes kept the other enemy fighters busy.
And if you had a particularly acrobatic/mobile party, they might all be able to clamber up to the ramparts, keeping themselves out of melee reach while using their new, more protected position to their advantage by slinging spells, firing arrows, or just hucking bombs down at an enemy that can no longer reach them.
These will fix a VARIETY of problems...
The more dynamic you make an area with things like cover, difficult terrain, high ground, low ground, and so on, the wider a variety of tools and strategies your players will be able to use to achieve their goals. And, on top of that, it can stop combat from feeling like just another slog... which is what this whole series is about!
Lastly, when designing these arenas, keep in mind that this also adds to the CR of the encounter. So keep in mind that fighting a squad of orc berserkers and a single shaman in a knock down, drag out brawl is a very different matter than crossing an area of difficult terrain with cover, Czech hedgehogs, and so on that forces the party to get... creative with their solutions!
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 Blue Sky, 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!
While the Anniversary Bundle For "Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic" is currently going on, I've been thinking on new directions to go with future supplements, and how to expand the game in a meaningful way. Though I've had ideas for expanded equipment, more enemies, additional genres, and more, I figured that the best thing to put out would be a few more missions. Because while there's a single mission module in the core rulebook, and A Night At Breckon's Beacon came out a little while ago, I figured that the best thing to get more people playing was to give them an easy way to get more boots on the ground.
However, a suggestion recently came in for upending the format I have been using so that I can get more missions (and more creative freedom) into the hands of Game Masters... my question for you all is which road you'd prefer I go down?
As always, make sure you leave your comments down below!
But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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 Detailed Module, Or A Brief Layout?
For folks who've picked up any of my modules, whether it was for Army Men or something like my dark fae adventure The Price of Iron or the fantastical slasher The Curse of Sapphire Lake, you're probably familiar with the way I write a mission. Generally I cover the main plot, I provide a handful of NPCs and interactions, some history of the location, necessary maps for any combats, and some different, branching paths an adventure might take depending on player actions (or lack of actions, in some cases). It's pretty complete, and usually hits just over 10K words (something like 15-20 pages).
However, it was recently suggested that I should release something for Army Men that's along the lines of what Modiphius does for their Star Trek Adventure Briefs. The way these supplements are laid out is that each one details a dozen given disasters that act as the central plot lines of adventures, essentially givine the Game Master the central thrust of the mission, and then leaving them to fill in the blanks to flesh out the mission their own.
Both of these formats have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, fully-contained modules have their own maps, NPCs, and a full story along with a lot of safety rails to help a Game Master keep a story going. However, they require a lot of art, a lot of careful weaving together of plot points, and even adventure modules on the shorter side can eat up a lot of word count in a big damn hurry. They're also a huge pain in the ass to write, and frankly they don't tend to move a lot of copies... which are two main reasons I don't put them out as often as other supplements.
On the other hand, a single supplement that contains a slew of potential missions can make it feel like the Game Master is getting more bang for their buck. However, I feel the key is for all of those adventures to take place in a single location, which will act as the tentpole the missions surround. So just like how Star Trek mission packs focus on the ship and its crew, I feel that I would need to release these packs around something like a naval vessel and the situations it engages, or around a location like Fort Foxtrot, detailed in the back of the base book.
Where the hell is our fire support, dammit! We can't lose this fort!
On the one hand, I can see the appeal of getting a bunch of potential complications around a single location. However, given the tactical nature of Army Men as a game, I feel like leaving out all those details leaves a lot of work for the Game Master, who will now need to design encounters with vespoids, shoot outs with cartels, booby traps, maps of where troops are moving through, and so on, and so forth.
So I want to take a moment to ask folks this week, what kind of supplements would you like to see more of going forward? Do you like the detail-oriented missions where the Game Master is given the stats of the monsters, maps, laid-out encounters, equipment recommendations, and all the details they need to run a 2-4 hour session? Or do you think giving the Game Masters some basic tools, the profile of a shared location, and a nudge in the right direction is sufficient, even with all the extra work they'd need to do?
Now, this isn't technically an either-or situation. I'm perfectly capable of doing both varieties of content. However, I can only write so many things so quickly, so what I'm asking for from my readers this week is to let me know in the comments which variety of supplement you would prefer to see first. Are you someone who wants a bunch of loose threads and ideas that can be woven together into a pretty decent arc of a full campaign? Or do you prefer having all of the tools in your hands with as many maps, notes, and NPCs as possible so you aren't caught off-guard?
Let me know down in the comments below, on social media, and so on. Also, don't forget to pick up your Army Men Anniversary Bundle before it expires! And lastly, if this is your first time hearing about Army Men, and you'd like to know more, check out the series Tactical Plastic Report I'm doing about it over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel!
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 Blue Sky, 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!
Several years ago I started work on my own fantasy RPG setting titled Sundara: Dawn of a New Age. At my last count, there were over 20 separate splat books for this setting including locations, player species, gods, merchants, guilds, and even events of a Primquake (a magical natural disaster unique to the setting). However, I took something of a break on releasing new content for Sundara for a while since it was getting tough to move copies, and I was feeling a little burned out as a result.
However, with the new year approaching, I wanted to choke up on the bat, and take another swing at things! So whether you've seen Sundara in passing, or this is your first time hearing about it, I wanted to give you 5 reasons why you should consider checking it out for yourself!
And for those who are curious, I've also included videos from my series Speaking of Sundara, where I go on at length about my setting, my philosophy as a designer, and what I was trying to accomplish with it. If you enjoy these snippets, check out the full Speaking of Sundara playlist, and consider subscribing to the Azukail Games YouTube channel while you're at it!
The city where it all began...
But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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!
Reason #1: No Alignment
One of the earliest pieces of feedback I got from my audience was they wanted a fantasy game without alignment... and so that was what I did my best to deliver! I yanked it out by the roots, so that every aspect of Sundara is utterly divorced from the alignment system. Gods, magic, class restrictions, etc., were all freed up. It did, however, also remove demons, devils, angels, and all other alignment-centric outsiders, leading to the creation of the Prim (or the Primal, as many spellcasters call it), but that is getting ahead of ourselves.
If you always wanted a game where you could avoid the constant debates over whether something was or wasn't good or evil, lawful or chaotic, then Sundara is a great place to go!
Reason #2: Modular Nature of The Setting
Unlike a lot of other RPG settings, Sundara doesn't have a single, thick setting book. Instead the setting has been released 1 splat book at a time. The reason for that is I don't have the time and banked capital to take 1-3 years to write a single, all-inclusive fantasy setting, so a monthly release schedule was what we started with. But knowing there are a lot of Game Masters out there who like to make their own settings, I wanted to make sure that Sundara was modular enough that you could take places like the entries in Towns of Sundara, or organizations out of Merchants of Sundara, and put them into your setting to do some of the heavy lifting for you.
So whether you want to use Sundara in its entirety, or just snag parts of it you like, that is baked into the setting's design structure!
Reason #3: Weirdness!
As a player, I love putting together weird things! I have an entire page dedicated to Unusual Character Concepts, after all, and the purpose of that series is to chip away at this idea that certain classes need to present in certain ways, or that our pre-existing ideas of magic, gods, or inhuman fantasy creatures have to conform to anything outside of what's listed in the rules of the game. Whether you want to play monstrous characters that you've always been told weren't allowed (despite being listed as available for players), or you've wanted to have something more than just "standard" black powder in your games (for more on weird guns, check out Seeking Alternative Firearms For Your Game? Check Out "Sundara: Dawn of a New Age"), the whole idea behind Sundara is that everything that's "too weird" for other games is perfectly fine here.
Hoardreach, City of Wyrms, is perhaps the best example of this sort of thinking thus far!
Reason #4: A Variety of Political Paradigms
All too often when we play a fantasy RPG we fall back into the same old monarchy. Some kingdoms might be good, some might be evil, some might be ruled by elves, dwarves, or orcs, but most places that you go will have the same nobles, and the same hierarchy.
I wanted to change that up with Sundara by introducing a variety of different locations with different ideas about how society should be run, along with keeping the scale relatively low to the ground with city-states being the largest single power structure one will come across.
Ironfire runs of a kind of industrial free market, which is what makes the city the center of the mercenary trade, and it's why so many things that are illegal elsewhere are perfectly allowed. Silkgift is a kind of mad science haven with a socialist mindset, ensuring the inventions and discoveries of the Ingeneurium benefit all citizens, and that no one is left wanting. Moüd is a city run by a guild of necromancers, and the Silver Wraiths are the power structure that keeps the City of Bones alive. The only city with a traditional, inherited position and noble hierarchy thus far is Archbliss, the City of The Sorcerers... and they're more than a little villain-coded.
So if you want to explore the possibilities beyond the usual dukes, barons, princes, and queens, Sundara may just be a breath of fresh air for you!
Reason #5: It's Still Growing!
Sundara, as a setting, started a small seed of an idea, and it grows a little bit more with every fresh supplement, every novella, and every video made about it. However, like any property out there, it can only grow in proportion to the number of people who are helping to support it. So the more folks who check it out, who buy copies, who leave reviews, watch the videos, and so on, then the more and more I'll be able to add to the setting!
Not only that, but if Sundara grows past a certain point, I may be able to put out bigger, more involved projects for it, to get it converted to other games and editions, and more! So if you dip a toe in, and you really like it, leave some thoughts in a review, or toss comments into the videos. Who knows... you may just get what it is you're asking for!
Catch Up On "Sundara: Dawn of A New Age"
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.
Rumors of Sundara
The newest series of supplements in the setting, these are meant to add to the cities, and to give GMs ideas for plots, or just to provide a little extra grist for the mill in terms of what people are gossiping about!
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 Blue Sky, 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 released the first supplement for my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age fantasy setting nearly 4 years ago. Ironfire: The City of Steel, which is available for both Pathfinder's First Edition as well as DND 5E, was meant to be a location that GMs could either use as part of the Sundara setting, or which they could plop down into their own world to save them the heavy lifting on world building. That was the first stone I threw out into the water, but it was far from the last! Since then I've covered 4 other city states in the setting, along with gods, guilds, cults, mercenary companies, and even Primquakes (magical natural disasters).
I made it through 3 phases, and I slowed down for a while... however, several months ago I got to work on reinvigorating the setting, and trying to go a little deeper, while adding more details. Phase 4 is going to be Whispers and Rumors, and the first release is, of course, 100 Whispers and Rumors For Ironfire, The City of Steel!
But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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!
Expanding Phase 1, And Getting Back To Basics
For those who missed what Phase 4 was going to be about (because it's been a while since I talked about it), the general gist is that I wanted to give Game Masters and players alike a set of rumors for the Cities of Sundara releases. While the initial cities had a collection of rumors in them already (roughly 15 of them per book), I wanted to expand that with an extra 20 rumors to be heard per district of the city!
These supplements serve an important feature for the setting, which is why I wanted to put them together. First and foremost, they expand the lore of the original cities so that Game Masters and players alike can get a better sense of the personality of the different districts, and the sorts of things that might be happening in them. Secondly, though, I wanted to give Game Masters a way to both fill in the cracks in the cities to make them feel more lived-in, while also providing some inspiration for those who want to run their own games in the City of Steel.
For example, if you want to run a plot in Ghostborough where players are taking on the syndicates that have held power for so long, do they run afoul of the terrifying vigilante known only as the Wraith? Are they hired to explore lost or forgotten tunnels that run beneath Middleshade, possibly causing them to stumble into parts of Ironfire that have been lost since the city's founding? Are they recruited to track down what happened to a mysterious body found floating in the Harbour, where the only clue about them is the bizarre book they had chained to their wrist in a watertight container?
Any of these things might be the spark that starts off your new campaign, or which fills in those early-to-middle levels that can sometimes have Game Masters scratching their heads.
Additionally, the Whispers and Rumors series of supplements will tie the cities to many other supplements. For instance, the entries in Merchants of Sundara have already made an appearance in several of the manuscripts as various artisans and collectives expand their reach to new markets. Many of the mercenary companies featured in Sellswords of Sundara (still available for both Pathfinder First Edition and DND 5E as well) are also featuring in these books. This should make the setting feel more organic, and show that even though all of these elements may be in disparate books, they're still interacting with one another on the page.
My hope is that these supplements will be a helpful aid for Game Masters who've been looking for a few more resources to bring these cities to life, and that it will help run more varied and interesting games, while giving everyone a chance to explore this world I've been slowly building.
And, of course, my hope is that folks who haven't heard of Sundara before might use these as their entry point into a world that is still expanding!
A Final Note: Why Phase 4 Isn't Modules
I've had some folks ask this question off and on over the years as I released new content for Sundara, and I wanted to answer it here so there's no confusion. The short version is that adventure modules are, statstically, the things that sell worst in my entire catalog. Not only that, but they are some of the most difficult things to create, as they combine the need to write a short story, provide a mechanical framework for the plot, and then to include enough additional material that players have at least some freedom to achieve the end goal their own way. And then on top of that you have to make sure you have appropriate art to really make the thing pop, along with maps to make sure things can be properly plotted.
Adventure modules are exhausting, and generally speaking I try to avoid projects that will both take a lot of work on my part, but which are also unlikely to pay me enough to make rent this month.
However, if you're someone out there who feels very strongly that Sundara would really benefit from a series of adventure modules, there is one, simple thing you can do to make that happen.
Do what you can to support the setting.
If you have spare money, or holiday vouchers, then buy copies of the supplements for Sundara. When you've had a chance to read them over, leave reviews for them on Drive Thru RPG. Check out the 47-video long playlist for the Speaking of Sundara series I've made on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and while you're there, subscribe to the channel to boost our metrics! Hell, check out the fiction that's been made for it, both text-based and the audio dramas on the Azukail Games channel!
Numbers talk, and when my publisher sees that Sundara is pulling in numbers (whether it be sales, reviews, watch hours, or whatever) that is when I start getting the green light to do more complicated, more involved things that are seen as a bit of a risk... which adventure modules definitely are.
I love the setting, and I'm doing everything I can to expand it. I can't eat fun, though, so if it comes down to passion projects or paid bills, bills win every time. The best way to get more Sundara is for everyone who wants to see more of it to turn Sundara into the project that pays the bills!
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 Blue Sky, 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!
Motivation is one of the most important factors when it comes to figuring out your character. In fact, it's so important that a while back I wrote an entire supplement titled 100 Character Goals and Motivations just to drive it home. However, in addition to their personal goals and motivations characters may have causes they champion, or which they strongly believe in. And while they aren't a necessity of your character (after all, how many people do you know in your day-to-day life who strongly support a cause?), they can add a lot of depth and dimensions to your character all the same.
And much like how religion isn't just for divine casters, causes are something anyone can support, and be part of. Though it does help if the cause you pick is actually part of the campaign you're playing.
After all, conflict only matters when we see 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!
Something Bigger Than Yourself
The difference bwetween a goal and a cause, in this case, is the scale of the thing, and who it benefits. Goals might benefit other people, but someone does them primarily for themselves. Also, goals are often small, and personal things such as finding a lost relative, paying off a debt, or getting revenge. However, a cause is something that, while it might benefit the character, is bigger than them. When one supports a cause, they do it because that cause is more important than their personal reward or benefit, even if they do have some skin in the game.
For example, a prince fighting to depose his ururping uncle to take back his rightful throne is a goal. But ending the practice of slavery (whether in the kingdom, or throughout the world) is a cause. It is something that is bigger than one man's ambitions, and it affects so many more people. Now, a prince who was fighting for the cause of freedom could facilitate that cause by retaking his throne, and all the power associated with it, but even then the cause affects so many more people, and so many interests beyond purely his own.
One step for a man... one leap for mankind.
The other difference between goals and causes is that goals tend to be achievable. Goals have definite parameters, and even if they're difficult you can still (usually) manage to achieve them. Causes, though, tend to be more ephemeral. For example, you might have the goal of eliminating the bandits currently plaguing the North Ridge Pass. That is something that can be done. However, a cause might be to protect travelers along that highway from dangers. That is significantly harder to do, and likely requires the formation of regular patrols, a network of watch towers and shelters, and taking measures to ensure that as many dangers as possible are negated before they become an issue.
Because causes tend to be things that are either very large in scale and scope, or they might not have an actual end point. And even if they do have an end point, it isn't likely to happen within the lifespan of the person who took up the cause... even if that person is an elf.
So ask yourself what kind of causes your character believes in, which ones they're willing to fight for, and which ones they want to see come to fruition. Some of those might be:
- Freedom from slavery
- Cures for known diseases (and the means to give them to the masses)
- Preservation of knowledge, history, and literature
- Protection of children
- Punishment of the guilty
The list goes on and on, but you get the idea. A cause is more than just an ideal where a character happens to think this or that is a good or noble endeavor; it should be something they are (at least in part) dedicated to. The reasons they are dedicated to it might be lofty, or they might be deeply personal, but all that matters is they can be moved based on their belief in a cause.
For example, your rogue might be a hard bastard who does nothing for free... but he believes children must be kept safe. In small ways, this could motivate him to help rescue young kidnap victims who are being held for ransom. In a bigger way, though, it might lead him to oppose entire faiths, or societal systems that rely on child soldiers, exploitative labor practices of the young, ritual sacrifice, etc. Do they do this because they have very few moral lines in the sand, but this is one of them? Is it because they were abused by a system of child labor, or because they were a "big brother" in a gang of street youths? Did they lose their own children to circumstances beyond their control, and they aren't willing to stand aside and let it happen to others?
There are all kinds of causes that can motivate people. Most people may only help in small ways, like donating money or supplies, allowing use of their home or property, or casting a vote... others, though, are willing to lay down their lives for what they believe in if that's what it comes down to. So take a moment and ask what cause your character believes in, and what lengths they would go to if it meant they were able to further that cause?
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 Blue Sky, 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!
2024 has been nothing but struggles and setbacks, or so it feels like for a lot of us. The year started off pretty great for me, with the release of my RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic, and I felt like I was going to move forward on the right foot. After all, the game had exceeded the initial goal on Kickstarter (though we were just shy on some of the stretch goals), and it seemed like a lot of folks were interested in it. As such, I rolled up my sleeves and I did my best to make sure there was plenty of supplemental material available for the game once it came out.
However, with 2024 quickly drawing to a close, I'm still behind one on of my goals... namely, Army Men still hasn't hit Copper status! So whether you're looking for a last-minute gift, or you just want to give me a smile as I check one more item off my list, consider grabbing yourself a copy before the year is done.
But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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!
Calling The Banners For An End-Of-Year Charge!
A statistic that I've quoted repeatedly in this blog is that something like 80% of the RPG books, supplements, stories, art, etc., that wind up on Drive Thru RPG don't even sell 50 copies, which is what tips you over into Copper, the first metal category. And while most of my smaller supplements get at least that far (with a handful of them reaching, and surpassing, the Gold metal category), Army Men just isn't quite there yet...
But it's pretty damn close.
Just a handful of copies away...
When last I checked the numbers, we needed fewer than 10 more copies of the game sold to get us up to that Copper status. While there were a lot of folks who backed the Kickstarter who already got their books... perhaps you have a friend or a family member you'd like to play with? Someone that you think would really get a kick out of Army Men, and that you think would get that bug we all experience when a really good RPG sinks its teeth into us?
Or, if this is your first time hearing about the game, just pick it up for yourself! Digital or hard copy, you deserve a weird little treat, and Army Men is certainly that. Of course, if you're still on the fence about it, check out Tactical Plastic Report, the series of videos I've been doing on the Azukail Games YouTube channel about Army Men to give folks a bit of a taste of the world and the game play before opening up their wallets.
But What If You Already Have The Core Book?
If you're one of the folks out there who have the core book for the game, you have technically thrown your weight into the project already. However, consider leaving a review on DTRPG, subscribing to the Azukail Games channel so we can keep making videos and content about Army Men, and lastly, consider grabbing some of the supplements that have come out for it!
Because of course I spent a lot of the last year trying to expand the game, hoping to grow the audience just a bit.
- Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic: The base book for the game, this is technically the only book you need to play this game... but it never hurts to get some of the others as well!
- Army Men: Threat Assessments: The first collection released after the original game dropped, this supplement is full of new creatures for your squad to have to deal with when out in the field.
- Army Men: Medals of Honor: This supplement introduced the Medals System, allowing players to earn medals for their troopers, gaining unique bonuses and abilities usable for the rest of the campaign.
- Ungentlemanly Warfare: A Baker's Dozen of Booby Traps: Giant bugs and enemy combatants aren't the only threats you'll have to deal with in the field. Booby traps are a serious concern among troopers looking to leave their service with as many limbs as they started.
- Army Men Missions: A Night At Breckon's Beacon: When a squad goes missing while they're on patrol, it's your squad's mission to find them, and bring them home... or to avenge them, if that can't be done.
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 Blue Sky, 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!
