Evil Hat Productions

Evil Hat Productions » freelance http://www.evilhat.com/home Swallowing Your Soul Since the Twentieth Century! Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:26:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Edit edit edit http://chadu.livejournal.com/762669.html http://chadu.livejournal.com/762669.html#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:21:28 +0000 I Have Powers http://chadu.livejournal.com/762669.html
#1. The Dresden Files RPG. I've been pitching in a bit with the other editors for the past month/month and a half on the manuscript, editing what chapters I can in a piecemeal fashion, reshaping the text presentation (not the rules; that is left up to better system-heads than mine) in preparation for the full-on, chapter-by-chapter "tone and continuity pass" I'll be doing in November, before the book goes to layout.

I really dig that Fred and the team dug my idea that the DFRPG is Billy's attempt to write a new version of Dracula for the Dresdenverse. (That is, a handbook/Dummies Guide for whacking nastybads.) HOWEVER, this means that much of the text -- written over several years, by diverse hands -- needs to be restructured, so (since it's my fault) I'm trying to pitch in and smooth the process.

An interesting thing: the book is theoretically being written between Small Favor and Turn Coat. Mostly because SmF came out JUST as we were finalizing "canon issues." Then, in the fulness of time, TC came out -- and we're too far along in the process to add new stuff, since we're getting close to PUB.

Making sure that the game is back-compatible with the new stuff in TC, without actually going there, has been a fun and interesting challenge.

#2. Strange Tales of the Century. Let me just say that I love

ratmmjess with a mighty man-love. So everything I say after this, take that into account. IT'S SAID WITH LOVE!

Now, see this post of his first. Go ahead, I'll wait.

. . .

Back?

Jess dropped a manuscript 157% over projected wordcount, because he's a VERY NAUGHTY BOY.

And it's all awesome.

So, as editor, I am faced with a very, very CRAP position: I need to tighten the text up -- but every cut is a razorslice against my fanboy skin.

LISTEN UP, NON-GAMERS: Are you pissed you haven't been able to get a copy of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana? Upset that The Encyclopedia of Pulp Heroes hasn't yet been published?

You need Strange Tales of the Century -- when we're done with it.

Sure, there will be gamey-stuff in the book, but the lion's share of text is collecting, analyzing, and reifying (pulp) fictional archetypes, with numerous examples, for the time period from (at least) 1850 to 1950.

I'm talking about HUNDREDS of pages that aren't specifically game-oriented. A casual non-gamer reader will still get a tremendous amount of value from this book.

When it's done. Which is what I'm working on.

Lastly, I sent in three pitches for the Unknown Armies call for ideas for 3 PDFs. Because, hey, It's UA, and I loves me some UA.

My three pitches (djinn, thin black line, and perchance) are substantially mostly stuff that's been sitting on my harddrive since the UA heyday.

(

bibliorex, ping me.)

So, yeah, that's the State of the Chad at the mo. Busy, busy, busy; wrapped in text; wielding the Blue Pencil.]]>
#1. The Dresden Files RPG. I've been pitching in a bit with the other editors for the past month/month and a half on the manuscript, editing what chapters I can in a piecemeal fashion, reshaping the text presentation (not the rules; that is left up to better system-heads than mine) in preparation for the full-on, chapter-by-chapter "tone and continuity pass" I'll be doing in November, before the book goes to layout.

I really dig that Fred and the team dug my idea that the DFRPG is Billy's attempt to write a new version of Dracula for the Dresdenverse. (That is, a handbook/Dummies Guide for whacking nastybads.) HOWEVER, this means that much of the text -- written over several years, by diverse hands -- needs to be restructured, so (since it's my fault) I'm trying to pitch in and smooth the process.

An interesting thing: the book is theoretically being written between Small Favor and Turn Coat. Mostly because SmF came out JUST as we were finalizing "canon issues." Then, in the fulness of time, TC came out -- and we're too far along in the process to add new stuff, since we're getting close to PUB.

Making sure that the game is back-compatible with the new stuff in TC, without actually going there, has been a fun and interesting challenge.

#2. Strange Tales of the Century. Let me just say that I love

bibliorex, ping me.)

So, yeah, that's the State of the Chad at the mo. Busy, busy, busy; wrapped in text; wielding the Blue Pencil.]]> http://www.evilhat.com/home/2009/10/edit-edit-edit/feed/ 0 Roll Credits! http://chadu.livejournal.com/746293.html http://chadu.livejournal.com/746293.html#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:05:53 +0000 I Have Powers http://chadu.livejournal.com/746293.html
It's harder than I thought it would be (especially for an egotist like me!)... apparently I did not keep adequate track of ALL of the work or award nominations I received.

Still, I can say, with some assurance that, since 1998, I have worked on...

20 RPG books

and wrote

50 articles or columns.

. . .

Whoa.

Still assembling data; will let you all know when the credits page on the ASMP site goes live.]]> http://www.evilhat.com/home/2009/07/roll-credits/feed/ 0 Camp Nerdly 3: The Blogging http://chadu.livejournal.com/735700.html http://chadu.livejournal.com/735700.html#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:15:45 +0000 I Have Powers http://chadu.livejournal.com/735700.html Camp Nerdly 3.

Short form: Had great conversations, played fun games, drank regional sodas (Cheerwine and Dr. Enuf FTW!), and made silly faces at well-behaved babies. An all-around win.

Also, for the vid-inclined, Jason Morningstar's One Cool Thing I Saw At Camp Nerdly 3 on YouTube.

Otherwise, the long day-by-day breakdown behind the cut...

(Apologies ahead of time, I'm not going to try and get everyone's LJ username... but feel free to chime in with comments!)

WEDNESDAY

macklinr flew into BWI in the evening; I picked him up; we swung by

drivingblind's place -- it's on the way back -- to chew the fat a bit.

Much talk regarding games, girls, the gaming industry, and keeping your head on straight.

Good times.

THURSDAY
Purchasing final bits of gear, packing, and puttering.

FRIDAY
Drove down in the early afternoon. Freaking hot and humid. Registered, found my cabin, unpacked, said hellos, checked the schedule, explored the campsite.

Played my first game of 1000 Blank White Cards -- I really dug it. Then, later, a game of Misspent Youth, where our Youthful Offenders (YOs) ended up, uh, kinda worse than the Authority. Good times. (See my Overview of MS.)

Oh, and also kept Ryan awake all night with my snoring -- with an able ripsaw-assist from Buddha.

I need a new sleeping bag: my mummy bag only fits up to mid-torso: my chest and shoulders don't fit into the damned thing. Luckily, I had a blanket. And despite the heat of the days, the nights were cold and damp, even in the cabins. Note for next time!

SATURDAY
Chatting in the morning, then playstormed

nikotesla's game Xenon.

After lunch, took a long, solitary walk up to the deserted Camp A. Lots of solo thinkery on issues of current concern, while communing with nature in the Big Blue Room. Went back to my bunk and nap-crashed for an hour or two.

Learned how to play Jungle Speed, which I will be purchasing soon. Played JS until it was time for me to go and be an Oven Master (cook) for dinner.

Ran the stove for dinner: cooking soup, pasta, sauce, and a balsamic glazed chicken for around 55 people with Emily Care Boss, Epidiah Ravachol, and Joshua Riley.

Played MythEnder, and helped End the Migard Serpent! Boo-yeah! Gotta say, some of the other players' characters had some full-octane insanity that I was envious of... like "The Tongueless Last Emperor of Rome" as a Companion Weapon or the Drowned Pirate Captain who wants to "kill the ocean" demanding a terrified farmer tell her a children's story as a was to regain Mortality. Awesome. (See my Overview of ME.)

Late (around midnight), I ran a game of PDQ# Space Opera. We started with two facts:

#1. This is all Flash Gordon/Buck Rogers: swords and rayguns.
#2. All of the planets have the names of elements from the Periodic Table.

As we worked through "setting the dials" and character creation, and then later in play, we added more facts to the setting. In almost exactly two hours, we went from nada to a setting described by 20 or so facts, four fully-statted PCs and 2 NPCs (a villain and an archvillain; the latter, alas, didn't show up in play), and three action-filled, entertaining, hilarious scenes -- complete with immediate adventure resolution and a cliffhanger!

I think PDQ# SpOp ("spop!") is going to be my minimal prep game to run at conventions. I'll type up my notes tonight and try to bash together some simple handouts and forms to fill out to facilitate even speedier play. Then I'll print out a bunch and slap them in a folder to put in my game bag.

SUNDAY
Played a version of the game Fred describes as "the Grateful Dead concert of Indie Gaming" (I'll let him chime in on that when he gets a chance), Ganakagok in the morning, and it was great! Nine of us played the newish "jeepforged" version of the game. The best way I can describe it is that it's a structured, freeform, one-room LARP.

Ryan and I packed up, loaded the car, came back to the Deluxe Apartment in the Sky-y-y to eat something, take showers, and do laundry. Then I drove Ryan back up to Fred's so he could crash there before flying out today. Had a nice long discussion covering much ground, and also got the 411 on the "end of Season 1" D&D4e game I missed on Saturday.

Got home, ordered a pizza for the first time in two weeks, ate, watched Batman: Brave & the Bold (with Bat-Mite! How cool is that?), then did freelance editing into the wee hours. Then I crashed like the Hindenberg.

SUMMARY: Had oodles of fun. Will try to go again next year!]]> Camp Nerdly 3.

Short form: Had great conversations, played fun games, drank regional sodas (Cheerwine and Dr. Enuf FTW!), and made silly faces at well-behaved babies. An all-around win.

Also, for the vid-inclined, Jason Morningstar's One Cool Thing I Saw At Camp Nerdly 3 on YouTube.

Otherwise, the long day-by-day breakdown behind the cut...

(Apologies ahead of time, I'm not going to try and get everyone's LJ username... but feel free to chime in with comments!)

WEDNESDAY

macklinr flew into BWI in the evening; I picked him up; we swung by

nikotesla's game Xenon.

After lunch, took a long, solitary walk up to the deserted Camp A. Lots of solo thinkery on issues of current concern, while communing with nature in the Big Blue Room. Went back to my bunk and nap-crashed for an hour or two.

Learned how to play Jungle Speed, which I will be purchasing soon. Played JS until it was time for me to go and be an Oven Master (cook) for dinner.

Ran the stove for dinner: cooking soup, pasta, sauce, and a balsamic glazed chicken for around 55 people with Emily Care Boss, Epidiah Ravachol, and Joshua Riley.

Played MythEnder, and helped End the Migard Serpent! Boo-yeah! Gotta say, some of the other players' characters had some full-octane insanity that I was envious of... like "The Tongueless Last Emperor of Rome" as a Companion Weapon or the Drowned Pirate Captain who wants to "kill the ocean" demanding a terrified farmer tell her a children's story as a was to regain Mortality. Awesome. (See my Overview of ME.)

Late (around midnight), I ran a game of PDQ# Space Opera. We started with two facts:

#1. This is all Flash Gordon/Buck Rogers: swords and rayguns.
#2. All of the planets have the names of elements from the Periodic Table.

As we worked through "setting the dials" and character creation, and then later in play, we added more facts to the setting. In almost exactly two hours, we went from nada to a setting described by 20 or so facts, four fully-statted PCs and 2 NPCs (a villain and an archvillain; the latter, alas, didn't show up in play), and three action-filled, entertaining, hilarious scenes -- complete with immediate adventure resolution and a cliffhanger!

I think PDQ# SpOp ("spop!") is going to be my minimal prep game to run at conventions. I'll type up my notes tonight and try to bash together some simple handouts and forms to fill out to facilitate even speedier play. Then I'll print out a bunch and slap them in a folder to put in my game bag.

SUNDAY
Played a version of the game Fred describes as "the Grateful Dead concert of Indie Gaming" (I'll let him chime in on that when he gets a chance), Ganakagok in the morning, and it was great! Nine of us played the newish "jeepforged" version of the game. The best way I can describe it is that it's a structured, freeform, one-room LARP.

Ryan and I packed up, loaded the car, came back to the Deluxe Apartment in the Sky-y-y to eat something, take showers, and do laundry. Then I drove Ryan back up to Fred's so he could crash there before flying out today. Had a nice long discussion covering much ground, and also got the 411 on the "end of Season 1" D&D4e game I missed on Saturday.

Got home, ordered a pizza for the first time in two weeks, ate, watched Batman: Brave & the Bold (with Bat-Mite! How cool is that?), then did freelance editing into the wee hours. Then I crashed like the Hindenberg.

SUMMARY: Had oodles of fun. Will try to go again next year!]]> http://www.evilhat.com/home/2009/06/camp-nerdly-3-the-blogging/feed/ 0