Down a lonely alleyway, under a starless sky, lies a city that never was, yet is: the Mad City, where nightmares walk the streets, and a good night’s sleep can get you killed.

Here, then, is a book from that place. Within these recovered pages are the tales of the Awake, insomniacs who’ve walked those perilous streets, bringing a bit of the power of dream with them to fight back the night—always at a terrible cost.

For many, it will not end well. For a few, they might just become heroes—or at least find their way back home.

For you, a choice. Turn away. Don’t read this book. And maybe you’ll continue to rest easy. Or open the cover and enter a world unlike any you’ve ever dared to imagine…

Edited by Chuck Wendig and featuring the stories of…

• Stephen Blackmoore
• Harry Connolly
• Rich Dansky
• Matt Forbeck
• Laura Anne Gilman
• Will Hindmarch
• Mur Lafferty
• Robin D. Laws
• Ryan Macklin
• C. E. Murphy
• Josh Roby
• Greg Stolze
• Monica Valentinelli

Author: Harry Connolly

Author: Stephen Blackmoore

Author: Chuck Wendig

I’m a fan of Spirit of the Century and after reading Jet Black’s write-up, I got an idea for a song. Just recently i finally got around to writing it. Here it is.

I’m not really a musician, but I am friends with some and I plan on recording a version with a full band behind it.

I just wanted to thank you for the inspiration and I wish you and your team luck with your future projects.

Thanks

Thank you Paul. If only we all had love songs like this!

Bad music references aside, we’re really excited about all the interest in our new line of Fate Dice! If you haven’t seen them yet, there are a lot of options to choose from. Whether your game is Dresden, Robo, vampire, or valentines, we’ve got options. And the Kickstarter closes on Tuesday, May 21st, so there are only a few days left for you to reserve your piece of the awesome.

As always, you’re a big part of said awesome. Without you, our Kickstarters would die a slow and laborious death. Without you, there wouldn’t be Fate Dice to begin with (or Fate, or Evil Hat, or the sun…okay, maybe we’re exaggerating on that last bit). So for our last few days, we want to mobilize you AND make it worth your while to help. We’re going a little contest crazy here at EH Central. It’s simple–spread the word about this Kickstarter. We’ve made it easy. The Rafflecopter below will tell you exactly what you need to do. You can tweet or Facebook once a day and get an entry for each one. Post once on your blog, tumblr, website, or a forum of your choice for another entry. We’ll all win when the Eldritch dice set is funded (and let me tell you, I want that set with the fire of a thousand suns). But one lucky winner will get a free set of dice of their very own! So if there’s a set you’ve been coveting but don’t have the dough, here’s your chance to win it.

We’ll send the dice out as soon as they’re available, so keep in mind that if you choose a second batch set, you’ll have to wait. Make sure to click on Terms and Conditions in the Rafflecopter below to get all the official rules.

The contest is open right NOW, and it closes the morning of the 21st, so get those entries in. Got questions? Pop them in below, and we’ll answer them stat. But for now, I’m going to stop before I mix another metaphor.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UPDATE 1: We had a question about Google + entries. OF COURSE we’ll take them. We’re adding them to the category for blog/tumblr/forum entries. So get googling! Or plusing! Or…uh…yeah. You know.

“Well, clearly, Harry would have 26 refresh by now.”

And that is so wrong, right? I mean, we don’t have to assume that every novel is a major turning point for his character sheet. In fact, you could argue that he spends three whole books at relatively the same level of power and…

…and then it’s on. The geekiest of geeky conversations: how do we stat up a character that everyone knows and loves? It is the greatest crucible in licensed RPGs, because it reveals the very heart of fandom, and everyone’s got a different take.

Today, we offer you a chance to show us the heart of your fandom.

Your task: A statblock for Harry Dresden–as he appears at the beginning of Changes–for the award-winning Dresden Files Roleplaying Game.

The prize: A copy of Dresden Files RPG Vol. 3: The Paranet Papers, where the statblock is going to be published, credit in the book, and eternal bragging rights. (approximate retail value $35)

How this is going to work:

* You make a statblock for Harry Dresden and post it somewhere on the Internet. Your blog, tumblr, the official forums, some other forum, whatever – get it out there. Include a link to this post with your submission so people don’t think you’ve completely lost it.

* Fill out this form with a link to your statblock, so we can broadcast your submission to the world.

* A team of system heads and Dresden Files loremongers, led by Leonard Balsera, will evaluate the entries and choose the winner.

* Your name and statblock ends up in a book and you look awesome.

The criteria:

* Compatibility. The statblocks need generally to look like and work with all existing rules in the Dresden Files RPG. Format them like they appear in the rulebooks. That said, if you need to invent a power or something to make it work, do so and include the power writeup with your submission.

* System Accuracy. Have the right number of aspects, make sure all the math works out, etc. Also, where necessary, show your work – tell us how you arrived at a particular set of bonuses and whatnot.

* Setting Knowledge. Harry’s been through a lot since we statted him up for Storm Front. Your statblock represents the definitive picture of that character at the beginning of Changes, and your design choices should reflect your knowledge of what has happened to the character. (Yes, that means you’re responsible for including all of Harry’s amassed magical gear.)

The fine print:

* You have from now till 5/31/2013 to get submissions in.

* Your submission will go through the standard editing and development process that we do to ourselves, which means it might not appear exactly as you wrote it, even if you win.

* If taking pieces-parts of multiple submissions seems to be the best way to get at the statblock, there may be multiple winners.

* No one currently working on a project for Evil Hat Productions, Dresden Files or otherwise, can submit to this contest.

* You may submit as a team. If you know a lot about the Dresden Files setting, but aren’t as game-savvy, and you want to hook up with someone who is, go for it!

* The winning entry will become the sole property of Evil Hat. All other entries will remain the sole property of their creator.

Submit entries here!

I want you to make up a name for the worst Fate Core based game ever. I’m talking the kind of name that, should you ever see it on a shelf, would make you either run screaming in the opposite direction or possibly pick up the game and buy it just because it’s so horrible that it makes its way all the way back around to awesome.

My contribution? Spice Girl Mech World. Can’t you imagine all the Mechs? There’d be the Scary Mech (not so bad) and the Sporty Mech (hmm…) and the Ginger Mech (*headdesk*), and their powers would be things like “Zig-a-Zig-Ah!” except that I don’t quite know what that means.

The (spicy) glove has been tossed! Come on, people, one up me!

3-6	8+	2-4 hr	$5

Let’s face it: most role playing games aren’t grab-and-go. Giant books and prep work out the ying-yang can be fun if you’ve got the time, but what if you don’t? What if you’re looking for a last minute game? What if you’re new to the RPG world and want a no hassle way to try one out? What if you’re introducing your kids to RPGs and want something easily accessible for them that won’t bore you to tears? We’ve got a solution: Fate Accelerated Edition.

Fate Accelerated, or FAE, is a condensed version of the popular Fate Core system that brings all the flexibility and power of Fate in an easily digestible—and quickly read—package. With FAE, you and your friends can step into the world of your favorite books, movies, and TV or you can create a world of your own. And set up is simple—you can be playing in minutes. Whether you’re new to RPGs or an expert gamer, FAE brings something special to the table.

Fate Accelerated Edition. Your story—full speed ahead.

Game Information

Number of players: 3-6
Age of players: 8+
Length: 2-4 hours
Type of Game: Roleplaying Game
Languages Available: English
Suggested Retail: $5.00
Game Designers: Clark Valentine, Leonard Balsera, Fred Hicks, Mike Olson, Amanda Valentine.