Fudgerylog » Gaming News

Jean Wells, 1955-2012

Gordon Cooper — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:04:11 +0000

Jean Wells, born 25 July 1955 in Jacksonville, Florida, passed away in Beloit Memorial Hospital in Beloit, Wisconsin on Wednesday, the 25th of January.

Wells was the author of the popular Dragon Magazine column “Sage Advice” as well as the Dungeons & Dragons module Palace of the Silver Princess.

Rest in peace, Ms. Wells. Your sagacity lives on.

[Source: Grognardia]

Metamorphosis Alpha Returns to Print (on Demand)

Gordon Cooper — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:27:56 +0000

James M. Ward’s Metamorphosis Alpha, the legendary science fiction role-playing game (and direct predecessor of Gamma World), is now available as a print-on-demand softcover rulebook via Lulu.com. According to the product description, “This version incorporates all the changes included in the RPGNow version, minus the hex paper on the last page.”

[Source: Grognardia]

Resurrection of AD&D First Edition Books in Spring 2012

Gordon Cooper — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:48:57 +0000

Wizards of the Coast will be releasing commemorative reprints of the original 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks (the Monster Manual, Player’s Handbook, and Dungeon Master’s Guide) on 17 April 2012. “Available in limited quantities as a hobby channel exclusive in North America,” sales of these reprints will help support the Gygax Memorial Fund.

[Source: Grognardia]

Update Page for “D&D Next”

Gordon Cooper — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:16:24 +0000

For those who wish to follow the breaking news of the upcoming iteration of Dungeons & Dragons, EN World offers “D&D 5th Edition: What We Know About ‘D&D Next’”, a page that “summarizes everything we know about this new edition, and is updated regularly.”

Of particular interest to me is the Design Goals section of the page. The goals are admirable and certainly challenging. If they can be met, I will be very impressed.

Plans Announced for New Edition of D&D

Gordon Cooper — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:42:06 +0000

Wizards of the Coast announced today that plans are underway to produce a new edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Addressing fans in “Charting the Course of D&D”, Mike Mearls stated:

The game is at its best when it is yours. For that reason, we want your participation. The goals we have set for ourselves are by no means trivial or easy. By involving you in this process, we can build a set of D&D rules that incorporate the wants and desires of D&D gamers around the world. We want to create a flexible game, rich with options for players and DMs to embrace or reject as they see fit, a game that brings D&D fans together rather than serves as one more category to splinter us apart.

The article above also includes an invitation to sign up “to be notified when the playtest is beginning and how you can participate.”

Thousand Suns Now Available

Gordon Cooper — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:43:26 +0000

The Thousand Suns Rulebook by James Maliszewski, a complete role-playing game in the tradition of “imperial science fiction,” is now available for sale in PDF, softcover, and hardcover formats. Read about it in Grognardia, the author’s gaming Web log. Buy it at RPGNow.com.

The Return of Star Explorer

Gordon Cooper — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 03:42:58 +0000

Star Explorer, the “role-playing board game” inspired by Star Trek first published by Fantasy Games Unlimited in 1982, has been released as a PDF by Goblinoid Games and is now available for purchase at DriveThruRPG/RPGNow.

I’ve never seen the original game, but I’ll be certain to buy this electronic edition. It will be interesting to compare it to FASA’s Star Trek RPG and Amarillo Design Bureau’s Star Fleet Battles.

Read the product description here.

Incidentally, Goblinoid Games previously released a PDF edition of Starships & Spacemen, another Star Trek-inspired game first published by Fantasy Games Unlimited in 1978. Read its product description here.

Minotaur Issue 9 Is Here (Since Several Months Ago)

Gordon Cooper — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:12:04 +0000

This is another late report, but Issue 9 of Minotaur (originally Minotaur Quarterly) is now available as a free download on the Minotaur Quarterly page. Minotaur is the official online publication of Mazes & Minotaurs, the free mythical role-playing game.

Jim Roslof, 1945-2011

Gordon Cooper — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 17:45:40 +0000

Jim Roslof, born 21 November 1945 in Chicago, Illinois, passed away at his home in Elkhorn, Wisconsin on Saturday, the 19th of March.

Roslof was an artist and graphic designer known for his vivid cover art and illustrations for various Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons modules published by TSR, Inc., where he was employed for a time as Art Director.

Rest in peace, Mr. Roslof.

Axles & Alloys 2nd Edition

Gordon Cooper — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:12:23 +0000

Speaking of post-apocalyptic automotive combat games, there is a new edition of Axles & Alloys being playtested, Axles & Alloys II – Dork Future, the PDF of which is available as a free download at… Axles & Alloys II – Dork Future. Again, I think it would be great to play both on the same day as part of a comparison and contrast. I really need to start organizing some game days soon.

Road-Warring

Gordon Cooper — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:50:33 +0000

Being a fan of movies such as Mad Max and Mad Max 2 (also known as The Road Warrior) as well as a gamer, I have an endless fascination with games of that genre. Car Wars (especially the 5th edition), Axles & Alloys, OverDrive Arena, Q Cars, and Atomic Highway are all in my collection. Now there is another entry in the world of post-apocalyptic automotive combat: Outrider by DiceFestGames (available here at RPGNow). I look forward to giving it a try and reporting my findings in Fudgerylog. My ultimate plan is to set aside a day to play most or all of the games mentioned above and do a detailed analysis of their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Monsters! Monsters! Back in Print

Gordon Cooper — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 03:50:54 +0000

Long out of print, Monsters! Monsters!, the role-playing game from the monster’s point of view by Ken St. Andre (author of Tunnels & Trolls), is finally available again from Flying Buffalo Inc. It can be ordered from the publisher’s Monsters! Monsters! page, or purchased as a PDF from e23 or DriveThruRPG. There are also plans to make it available on the NOOK e-book reader.