I Write More Than RPGs (Games and Giveaways!)

Most folks who stop by this blog do so because they're looking for thoughts, advice, reviews, and news on tabletop gaming. That's kind of my schtick, after all. However, for those who don't know, I also create other types of content! And given that so many of us are currently practicing social distancing, I figured I'd take this week to offer some sign posts, and some free material, so we can all avoid the encroaching boredom that's starting to grow teeth in some areas.

Such as this reading I recently did of the short story "Dressing The Flesh" from my new collection The Rejects!

Also, a big thanks to Dungeon Keeper Radio for hosting this video, as I ran into last-minute problems with it and had nowhere else to plop it down for listeners' consumption.

What Else I've Made (That You Should Totally Go Check Out)

So what else do I have out there right now? Well, I'm glad you asked!

The list is growing a little... expansive.

Let's begin at the beginning. If you want more free gaming resources, then you should definitely check out my Vocal archive. For those of you who read my character conversion guides and my 5 Tips lists, you're probably familiar with some of what I've put on that site, but my archive has grown a great deal over the past year. I've been transferring over a lot of content from an older site that had some of my work, and at time of writing there's 145 articles in that archive. They're all free to you to read, so take a spin through and see if you like something! Every read helps my earnings, and one way I decide what sorts of content I'm going to create more of is what gets read, and what doesn't. So please, if you like a thing, share it around so I can make more like it!

Speaking of free gaming resources, you should also check out the channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. In addition to hosting my latest reading, there's more than a year of videos that I helped write and voice. The channel has mostly been in stasis for the past several months because YouTube moved their goal posts, making it very difficult for the channel to get monetized, but if folks show an interest then that could re-light the spark under the team. Especially if you've got the spare scratch for a Patreon pledge for them. Just saying.

In addition to gaming content, though, I also write fiction. Since some of my readers on here have mentioned that the little bits of story I put into my unusual character concepts are always interesting, I figured I'd direct those folks to my broader body of work.

If you're in the mood to read something that's free, and Pathfinder related, you should take a moment to read the short story The Irregulars that I wrote for Paizo several years ago. While that story got a lot of praise from early readers, I was sadly not asked to turn it into anything bigger for the company. If you'd like more short stories, then you should also check out The Rejects, but if you're more in the mood for a sword and sorcery novel, I'd direct your attention to Crier's Knife instead. Both books have fairly long free samples that should let you know just what you're in for. And if you find yourself curious about other books I've been a part of, then I'd urge you to check out my Amazon author page and take a look around!

What About The Giveaway?

As I said in the title, I've decided to run a giveaway over the next month or so. In addition to all the free stuff I've got listed above, if you'd like a collection of DMing supplements, a one-shot module written by yours truly, or even a free ebook, all you have to do is use the Contact Me gadget on this blog to send me a message. Just reach out to me with your email address, and the free thing you'd like (supplements, module, or ebook), and I'll make sure it's on its way to you promptly!

Supplies are unlimited when stuff is digital after all!

And if you wanted to make some specific requests, feel free to take a look at my Drive Thru RPG listings! I've got over 73 products with my name on them, and though I don't have giveaway copies of everything, I will try my best to get people stuff they'd like.

Also, if you're interested in supporting Improved Initiative as a Patreon patron, keep in mind that I host regular giveaways for my patrons. Just something to keep in mind if you could stand to part with at least $1 a month!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday! Hopefully it's given some of my readers some fresh avenues of content to check out to while away their hours!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

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

Can't Get Enough of Free RPG Day? Dig a Little Deeper on Drive Thru RPG!

This past weekend was Free RPG Day, and I remember several years ago it was one of my favorite days to be a gamer. I'd pop down the street to the local gaming/comic shop, play a demo, grab some splat books, and maybe even score a cheap mini or a free d20, if the gaming gods were kind to me.

Choose your weapon!

Sadly, over the past several years, the options in my little corner of the state have all but dried up. There's only one comic/gaming store in convenient travel distance (others that I once visited have shuttered their doors), and they have opted not to participate in this yearly ritual. As such, I spent this year at my work desk, wishing I had a convenient way to get my hands on a lot of free games.

That was when I got the urge to look up a game I played years ago with an old roommate of mine. Back in the pre-digital dark age of gaming, the game was Mutant Chronicles, and I half expected it to have totally vanished into the ether... but low and behold there was a free Mutant Chronicles quick start right there on Drive Thru RPG!

I got a bit of a grin out of that, downloaded the guide, and started flipping through it. I'd never played a Modiphius game before, and I've been having fun trying to get my head around their 2d20 system base. But as I browsed Drive Thru RPG, I noticed something else... there is a veritable treasure trove of free gaming content on there!

If you're willing to look for it, that is.

Try Before You Buy!

I'll be up-front here, most of the free content you're going to find browsing through the site are quick start guides, and similar samples of bigger, more involved games. These guides give you a taste, and usually a scenario you can run for your group using some pre-gen characters to try and get a sense of how the game plays before you invest $20 for the full PDF, or even $30 or $50 for a physical rule book. It's a risk-free way to dip your toe in, and to give the game a chance to sell itself to you.

Some of them are, admittedly, more complicated than others.

Rather than telling you to just go and slog through the entire archive, though, I figured I'd shoot you a few interesting, totally free things I found that I'm going to be flipping through over the next few days. After all, I'm sure I'm not the only one who didn't get any swag this weekend, and who doesn't love checking out a new game for the low cost of absolutely nothing?

- The Entropic Gaming System: This quick start guide gives you a line on the Entropic Gaming System, which is meant to work with any game, any theme, any genre, any era. It's got an escalating die system, and in some ways it reminds me of Savage Worlds. A fun read so far, but not one I'm done with by any means.

- Frozen Skies Jumpstart: Speaking of Savage Worlds, this particular free guide is all about getting you hooked on the setting. Full of sky pirates and aerial bandits, it's set in a dangerous, grim frontier where all you have to rely on are your gunners and your skill, this one has definitely peaked my curiosity.

- Is It A Plane!?: If you told me there was an RPG out there that replaced dice with Pictionary, I would have told you that you were a crazy person, but Psychic Cactus Games has an RPG out there that does just that. I have not tried this one out with my group just yet, but the concept of drawing your actions for the Editor to interpret was surreal enough that I felt it had to be mentioned.

- Bloodlines and Black Magic: The City of Hauberk: This setting really grabbed my attention, because it combines the familiar rules systems of both Pathfinder and 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons, but it gives us a secret, modern world setting full of shadowy corners, corrupted bloodlines, occult secrets, and dangerous power players. A solid intro, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a read.

These are, of course, just a start when it comes to the demos, quick start guides, and huge troves of free stuff out there! My advice is to pop over to Drive Thru RPG and to use the terms, "free," "demo," or, "pay what you want," and to see what comes up. There are all sorts of older editions on there that are now free for the asking, and it feels like practically every game line big and small has a demo for you to play or a setting guide full of rich content to convince you to take a chance on the full-scale game.

My two cents, if you find something you like, try it out of an off-night. The sort when the whole party can't make it, or when you'd just sit around playing a board game. It can make for a refreshing palate cleanser, and it might be enough to really spark your group's interest!

Also, as a closer, if you're looking for some additional, inexpensive swag, then check out my list of contributions on Drive Thru RPG. From NPC lists for fantasy games, to unusual feats for Pathfinder, to one-shot modules for Dungeons and Dragons, I've got a bit of everything for folks looking to expand their lists of gaming options!

Like, Follow, and Keep in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed the film, and it provides you all with the same sort of inspiration it did me!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

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

Support Improved Initiative and Get Free Stuff!

Mondays are typically reserved for funny videos, cool bits of gaming news, or promoting other products and publishers who need a bit of a signal boost. This week, though, I need a bit of a boost.

Put plainly, I need more patrons, and I'm willing to offer some pretty sweet swag to anyone throwing me their support.

With your help, Sir Troll Knight might finally earn his 10th level of samurai!

What I'm Offering

For those who don't know, I have a Patreon page which covers both this blog and my author blog. I'm asking folks who like my work, and who want to see more of it, to stop by and pledge a little bit to help make my ends meet at the end of the month. You can pledge a certain amount per blog entry, or you could set a flat donation for the month. Between Improved Initiative and The Literary Mercenary I make three total blog posts per week (one on Mondays, one on Wednesdays, and one on Fridays), but only two of those posts are "paid" posts (Monday posts like this one are free of charge).

Whatever you can spare would be much appreciated.

In addition to the satisfaction of knowing that you're giving me the necessary backing I need to keep producing the sort of thoughtful, top-quality blog posts you love, I'm sweetening the pot. First, all new patrons will receive a free ebook. There's no forms to fill out or awkward questions to ask; simply choose a book from my list and I'll hand it over to you with no strings attached (though if you enjoy it, I wouldn't say no to a review telling all of the Internet how great your reading experience was).

Second, if I can get a few more patrons every month it means I won't have to rely on irritating pop-up ads to make money from my blog. Readers hate them, and I always feel a little touch of shame knowing that they basically startle you into clicking an ad. So, by supporting me as a patron it means I can keep those ads off my site, and ensure there's no surprises between you and the content you came here to see.

Third, if I can double my current patronage (there are only 20 people currently pledged on my Patreon page) I promise to increase the frequency of my character conversion posts. I've covered the Avengers, Gotham City's vigilantes, and I'm currently working my way through the Game of Thrones cast (you can find all of these on my Character Conversions page), but I only have the time to write a single conversion a month. With proper funding I'd be willing to do one every two weeks, and there would be no extra charge for these posts; it's just one more service I provide.

How You Can Help

If you want to help the simplest way is to go to The Literary Mercenary Patreon page, and become a patron today. If that's a little too much commitment for you, but you've still got a few bucks extra, click the Bribe the DM button on the right hand side of the screen to toss a one-time tip into my PayPal jar. If you don't have any spare cash (trust me, I know how that goes), you can still help. All you have to do is keep reading my blog, sharing my links, and telling your friends to stop on by to get the latest and greatest in tabletop tips and tricks.

As always, thanks for being great readers! In a few days I will return you to your regularly-scheduled content.

Improved Initiative is Giving Away Free Stuff This Holiday Season!

This Monday I've got great news for all of my readers; this post marks the first centurion of complete entries on Improved Initiative! Gaming geeks everywhere celebrate!

... yay.

Also, since it's the season for giving, I'm making all of my readers a special offer! Anyone who sends me an email through the form on this blog or on my sister blog The Literary Mercenary will be entitled to a free ebook! Several of my titles are up for grabs, including a number of ebooks that have recently gone out of print. Take it for yourself, or give the story to that hard-to-shop-for friend on your Christmas list.

For those who are iffy about giving me a try, remember that my work has appeared in the Pathfinder Tales (and that you can still read The Irregulars right here for free)!

Seriously, you won't want to miss what Sturgeon and his team pull off in Molthune.

In addition to this giveaway I'm also offering a free story to anyone who becomes a Patreon patron before the end of 2014. If you'd like to become a patron, help support Improved Initiative, and get some more free swag then check out my Patreon right here!

Thanks all, have a happy holiday, and follow me on Facebook and Tumblr if you haven't already!