tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77973628633377755432024-03-14T02:17:54.850-07:00Warriors of the Red PlanetSword & Planet action on distant worlds of high adventure!Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-31097304110518433532021-08-12T22:36:00.002-07:002021-08-12T23:29:52.478-07:00Sketches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SayeyKlwDPXCL7UjnaTxhrUwJWa7pVUwW58SZv9h9dsFK3hh_WSXZ3Go-xoPsWdBa5ws8zMIV16Ry6tagThprsJFrB8GjlEC_TWymxs-yU-a6X56MC8gnWlDJhaYHNliWN151ZaZPMU/s1400/gorthan_sketch2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1151" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SayeyKlwDPXCL7UjnaTxhrUwJWa7pVUwW58SZv9h9dsFK3hh_WSXZ3Go-xoPsWdBa5ws8zMIV16Ry6tagThprsJFrB8GjlEC_TWymxs-yU-a6X56MC8gnWlDJhaYHNliWN151ZaZPMU/w329-h400/gorthan_sketch2a.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghllLxCK9SVA5zePbQswW_RN0-2m0Wlnen0oR4An46CL1rKoZ7StVj1qJjMpIMCIEzWi4KrdPUz965_kO0qWNaqNkkFJcUBT_jni_GRNtSRIJgK1s94PyVCTTV5ByZ7kDOmYLr9Ge8joo/s1600/gorthan_sketch1600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghllLxCK9SVA5zePbQswW_RN0-2m0Wlnen0oR4An46CL1rKoZ7StVj1qJjMpIMCIEzWi4KrdPUz965_kO0qWNaqNkkFJcUBT_jni_GRNtSRIJgK1s94PyVCTTV5ByZ7kDOmYLr9Ge8joo/w300-h400/gorthan_sketch1600.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p> I wonder what these sketches could be for?</p>Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-47423178028399880782021-07-06T12:34:00.003-07:002021-07-06T12:34:27.464-07:00Hey, what's going on in here?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5n1De5IXxyFvUkXjCaZMJwmLzdayM1Xiw8mJVBl-Q-vq1G99zmUNYjNjGX7gYppA93V2b-R3PsvaORBdktxuqpemNU3pULR4s1X09HXGnbJ5uDp7Nb90uEu4btuJ2l1s8UlQxq-pK1pM/s863/rasThavas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="630" height="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5n1De5IXxyFvUkXjCaZMJwmLzdayM1Xiw8mJVBl-Q-vq1G99zmUNYjNjGX7gYppA93V2b-R3PsvaORBdktxuqpemNU3pULR4s1X09HXGnbJ5uDp7Nb90uEu4btuJ2l1s8UlQxq-pK1pM/w400-h547/rasThavas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>It seems the Mad Scientist is working on something secret in his laboratory of horrors... I wonder what it will be? Is it anything to do with <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/171363/Warriors-of-the-Red-Planet" target="_blank">Warriors of the Red Planet</a>? Something even more nefarious? Stay posted...</p>Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-23618984657679457942014-06-29T17:59:00.001-07:002016-01-23T14:43:33.725-08:00Warriors of the Red Planet RPG now available-Whew-! That was a fair bit of work, but Warriors of the Red Planet RPG is now online ready for purchase. I decided to go with Lulu for now.<br />
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Remember this is a Beta edition, it has gone through multiple edits, still you may find occasional typos, some unclear passages, and some areas that could use a little more fleshing out. But it is at the point where it needs to be viewed and played by more people so we can get that feedback. (and please, discuss your experience with WotRP on our forum here: <a href="http://s3.excoboard.com/Platemail/96384" target="_blank">Platemail Forum</a>)<br />
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While it may not yet be absolutely perfect, it is a damn fun read and I think you'll have a blast.<br />
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Right now it is only available as a print-on-demand book, but I verified the quality is very good. You will be happy to have this in your library.<br />
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For information on where to buy it please visit the <a href="http://originaleditionfantasy.blogspot.com/">Original Edition blog</a>.<br />
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UPDATE: now available in <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/6385/Night-Owl-Workshop">PDF as well as print @ RPGNow</a>.Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-89332275938463513212014-06-12T16:34:00.002-07:002014-06-12T16:34:37.577-07:00Warriors of the Red Planet update<a href="http://studiodenmark.blogspot.com/2014/06/warriors-of-red-planet-rpg-next-steps.html">A quick update on WotRP here.</a>Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-15674860048576338392014-06-05T23:42:00.003-07:002014-06-05T23:42:32.850-07:00Post Kublacon ThoughtsKublacon is my favorite gaming convention in the San Francisco bay area, and this year was no exception. The show, by all accounts, broke attendance records and there was a lot of activity at our booth all weekend.<br />
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For more about Warriors of the Red Planet RPG see my blog post here: <a href="http://studiodenmark.blogspot.com/2014/06/post-kublacon-thoughts.html">http://studiodenmark.blogspot.com/2014/06/post-kublacon-thoughts.html</a>Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-7006927298131130032014-05-22T21:07:00.003-07:002014-05-22T21:07:37.140-07:00Warriors of the Red Planet alive and well at KublaconI'll be at <a href="http://www.kublacon.com/" target="_blank">Kublacon Game Convention</a> in Burlingame CA this weekend. I have Warriors of the Red Planet RPG (beta edition) available at my table, along with a limited edition portfolio of 5 paintings inspired by Princess of Mars and used in the WotRP RPG.<br />
If you plan to attend or are in the area stop by and say hi.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUq9or0W7rWgPUP7I97y67R-UZo7UhgN1DkpvDwZesuecaiv578j47_DlGkdS1SIwoJt7BdoXIH0wC-OnSq_TRgN3BmvC0kH6w3fU8M7t4HH04FA_dWRgisCnLj4zDjyX9RCABAaZWYI/s1600/book_mockup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUq9or0W7rWgPUP7I97y67R-UZo7UhgN1DkpvDwZesuecaiv578j47_DlGkdS1SIwoJt7BdoXIH0wC-OnSq_TRgN3BmvC0kH6w3fU8M7t4HH04FA_dWRgisCnLj4zDjyX9RCABAaZWYI/s1600/book_mockup.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
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Cheers.Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-71705420936342765182013-01-07T15:00:00.001-08:002013-01-07T15:00:44.640-08:00The Problem with Mapping Barsoom<br />
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I have been trying for a while now to create a decent map of Barsoom. Consulting various sources, taking notes from the books, looking at the many other homemade maps available online. One thing becomes rapidly clear. There is no definitive map of Barsoom. Contradiction after contradiction abounds. Even the books seem inconsistant - though it is harder to tell with words compared to actual pictures.</div>
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Time is running short and it looks like I'm going to have to just pick what I like best aesthetically and create a map that works best for a semi-sandbox style game to flesh out the Barsoom-inspired Mars campaign section of the book.</div>
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Here are just a few examples of Mars maps floating about the interwebs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPzgms3LA1mYROlwplArI5DfHYf5xkPH4QOsDpgNV1Izj7ZRWVtjAZRFB3lQMzbIqqlik-70AJRd9vEbR_AKolvAV31ohnna5S1hyophhDEf9Ih2YEvbB63PI8z-bDh9pFEuCCBZo0QeB/s1600/barsoom1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPzgms3LA1mYROlwplArI5DfHYf5xkPH4QOsDpgNV1Izj7ZRWVtjAZRFB3lQMzbIqqlik-70AJRd9vEbR_AKolvAV31ohnna5S1hyophhDEf9Ih2YEvbB63PI8z-bDh9pFEuCCBZo0QeB/s320/barsoom1b.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPr3wnrcu16qRQAwUCsYWzcQ9Ghve_eihPClkvWgMFHKHrVfL_wc0zXU9VRE5XktZn0RRjTKAzV90YfxvYzFFhWw-cuDR-c8-N7jVIiRhSN5TIJncfvyTvTVoHH3irESwl_lfLGGWZIF7/s1600/barsoom7b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPr3wnrcu16qRQAwUCsYWzcQ9Ghve_eihPClkvWgMFHKHrVfL_wc0zXU9VRE5XktZn0RRjTKAzV90YfxvYzFFhWw-cuDR-c8-N7jVIiRhSN5TIJncfvyTvTVoHH3irESwl_lfLGGWZIF7/s320/barsoom7b.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the better maps came in the <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3369/john-carter-warlord-of-mars">John Carter Warlord of Mars boardgame/wargame</a> by SPI:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjgC_oaus3wMI3LGRGKZWZECsbVh7G3bAbRD5Qi2Ma3zGTRRFRqN-bbEIWhdpWCPe_Bxj0seolRNR8H8I0LNtYEypcEtouWzLtsXJQDS6YMfuBLVPwzHyqKbt-8gAs8k1AFRNcBhkZMKh/s1600/barsoom_WarlordofMars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjgC_oaus3wMI3LGRGKZWZECsbVh7G3bAbRD5Qi2Ma3zGTRRFRqN-bbEIWhdpWCPe_Bxj0seolRNR8H8I0LNtYEypcEtouWzLtsXJQDS6YMfuBLVPwzHyqKbt-8gAs8k1AFRNcBhkZMKh/s320/barsoom_WarlordofMars.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another one I like is from the almost-RPG <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/34271/john-carter-warlord-of-mars-adventure-gaming-handb">John Carter Adventure Handbook</a> published by Heritage models:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnHEHN8cGRMG6WI73fp0ynSS6XBrTqCToosqJYK1qYNql8XzQpQgwPwNDgXd76ypRwpUmQxaVxY9kfNdY4UKP0BY3VyxUTTK60uo_oPxg6WNAVyrk2v4UgPyjx27ZbFSGkH26FpPuyzyo/s1600/barmp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnHEHN8cGRMG6WI73fp0ynSS6XBrTqCToosqJYK1qYNql8XzQpQgwPwNDgXd76ypRwpUmQxaVxY9kfNdY4UKP0BY3VyxUTTK60uo_oPxg6WNAVyrk2v4UgPyjx27ZbFSGkH26FpPuyzyo/s320/barmp2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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But, of all the various maps of Mars out there, by far one of the worst is the one in the ill-fated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warriors_of_Mars_(game)">Warlord</a> <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/53838224/TSR-Warriors-of-Mars">of</a> <a href="http://originaleditionfantasy.blogspot.com/2011/06/warriors-of-mars.html">Mars published by TSR</a> - which was quickly rescinded for copyright violation:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFEyKbXwV5dpaBR49XXirHiMy8ZxrFnophUqq7F4d5NFDt7NjvtESjj7oSX9NT-GZzODOonReFSPY1gXFCkncUk2vroHZQL09Dr0Nykg4r7h-rkLiLTm4874nobImoGKA-1S_Fbs7zzRF/s1600/map_warriorsofmars_tsr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFEyKbXwV5dpaBR49XXirHiMy8ZxrFnophUqq7F4d5NFDt7NjvtESjj7oSX9NT-GZzODOonReFSPY1gXFCkncUk2vroHZQL09Dr0Nykg4r7h-rkLiLTm4874nobImoGKA-1S_Fbs7zzRF/s320/map_warriorsofmars_tsr.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a very interesting topic, worthy of several posts, so I'm sure I'll have more to say about it in the coming days as I finish up the version of this map for WotRP.</div>
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Discuss this on the <a href="http://s3.excoboard.com/Platemail/96384">WotRP forum</a>, where I'll be posting more details and images.</div>
Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-64199601480239450432013-01-03T04:00:00.001-08:002013-01-03T04:00:05.515-08:00WotRP Preview - Egg of Crepsys<br />
So far we've mostly previewed characters and creatures and some ships, I wanted to post something really strange. While it is listed in the creatures section of <a href="http://warriorsoftheredplanet.blogspot.com/">Warriors of the Red Planet</a>, it is really just a great adventure hook.<br />
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Egg of Crepsys<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMV_1PtHEadSiJD48Q7Aj8OpOsnH9hno-Qb7Rcurn3h7-DSSl9eLNL_Yb8BMNMbmaq7EzdxBuuO5bTxvyz8k9tQE8mD7MVUSv_08USnngBSGRnMqkdfh05NNmYwy8oXAF560GYhPW8e9-/s1600/Egg+of+Crepsys-1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMV_1PtHEadSiJD48Q7Aj8OpOsnH9hno-Qb7Rcurn3h7-DSSl9eLNL_Yb8BMNMbmaq7EzdxBuuO5bTxvyz8k9tQE8mD7MVUSv_08USnngBSGRnMqkdfh05NNmYwy8oXAF560GYhPW8e9-/s400/Egg+of+Crepsys-1b.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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An Egg of Crepsys appears to be a fist-sized iron egg that is warm and faintly pulsing to the touch. While the origins of the Eggs are unclear, it is rumored that within each gestates a member of a race so far above humanity that they may as well be gods. Thus far, none have hatched as far as anyone knows...<br />
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You can view the rest of the description and stats on the <a href="http://s3.excoboard.com/Platemail/96384/1006792">Warriors of the Red Planet forum</a>.<br />
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Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-74606148480993652952012-09-13T18:19:00.001-07:002012-09-13T18:19:48.695-07:00Fighting ManThis screenshot from the page featuring the Fighting Man gives you an idea of what the book interior will look like. This is from the full color edition. It looks like there will be two editions of the book: a basic black & white version, and a deluxe full color version. We'll provide more details as we get closer to publication. I hope you like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52Jjxpj1sb8gPxyppLvctWNEDQGRx70RuWVhdrmaSwfIvBIWyMbQFvtJ6ovxYp9x6bdiwqRjPpkgykV8CRl-ACK8YyYggWKSQg-H54P4_pPuDHlPTUPPYAZs2pyITPRfJgf2NNenwqa8/s1600/wotrp_warriorA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52Jjxpj1sb8gPxyppLvctWNEDQGRx70RuWVhdrmaSwfIvBIWyMbQFvtJ6ovxYp9x6bdiwqRjPpkgykV8CRl-ACK8YyYggWKSQg-H54P4_pPuDHlPTUPPYAZs2pyITPRfJgf2NNenwqa8/s640/wotrp_warriorA.jpg" width="492" /></a></div>
<br />Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-22548572512734014332012-09-06T20:37:00.000-07:002012-09-06T20:38:43.779-07:00Amtor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A lot of focus has been given to Burroughs' Mars adventures, but Warriors of the Red Planet spans the entire genre of Sword and Planet which was quite a popular genre in the early 20th century mostly thanks to Burroughs and those inspired by his work.<br />
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Amtor is the name given for Venus in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_series">Carson Napier of Venus</a> series. While not quite as good as the Mars series, they were still rip roaring fun, particularly <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pirates-Venus-Edgar-Rice-Burroughs/dp/1442182466/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346988963&sr=8-1&keywords=pirates+of+venus">Pirates of Venus</a>. This map of Amtor was drawn by Burroughs himself and was used as the end covers of the original hard back editions.Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-89427537282357895482012-08-28T08:38:00.003-07:002012-08-28T21:30:06.704-07:00WotRP - The Mentalist<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">MENTALIST<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">Mentalists are individuals with unnaturally prodigious mental abilities. As Mentalists gain experience, they hone their prowess and add more options to their suite of powers. Mentalists may use any weapon, though they typically scorn much besides an ornamental dagger or pistol, and wear only the lightest armor, such as basic harness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">Mentalists roll 1d6 for each HD (max 10).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">Mentalists may use a number of powers per day equal to their level before needing to rest and regain their strength. Mentalists with a Wisdom of 13 or higher may add 1 to the numbers of power uses per day. This usage may consists of any combination of the powers they know, so long as the total does not exceed their daily limit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">Mentalists with high Charisma may add their Basic Ability Modifier to powers that require a roll to-hit or damage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">Note: Due to the limited number of powers available to any individual Mentalist, one Mentalist may be very different from the next, making them as unpredictable as they are powerful. Upon gaining a level, the Mentalist may choose to “unlearn” a known power and choose a new one of the same level in its place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">Level XP HD Title Powers per day (by level)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">1 0 1 Aspirant 1/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">2 2500 2 - 2/ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">3 5000 3 Initiate 2/1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">4 10000 4 - 3/2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">5 20000 5 Seer 3/2/1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">6 50000 6 - 3/2/2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">7 100000 7 Adept 3/2/2/1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">8 250000 8 - 3/2/2/2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">9 500000 9 Savant 3/2/2/2/1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; font-size: 12pt;">10 1000000 10 Mindlord 3/3/2/2/2/1</span></div>
Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-52427076324072272602012-08-28T07:24:00.000-07:002012-08-28T07:24:10.894-07:00Hi-Res Photos from MarsUnless you've been hiding under a (Martian) rock, you know the Curiosity Mars Rover touched down on Mars a couple of weeks ago. Its been sending back some pretty amazing hi-res images of the landscape surrounding the landing site. <a href="http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/" target="_blank">More photos available here</a>.<br />
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Only a matter of time before a Banth wanders by....<br />
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<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-65863508166116908522012-08-15T21:25:00.002-07:002012-08-15T21:27:19.843-07:00Two Posts in Two Days? Crazy!<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">More Warriors of the Red Planet Creatures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Arcris</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">AC: 7[13]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">HD: 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Atk: snout-stab</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dmg: 1d6</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Save: F2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Move: 240’(fly) or 60’(crawl)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Arcris is a flying predator with a single delta-shaped wing and a long, needle-like blade for a snout. They typically hunt in groups of 3-12. While the most common species is ochre, there is black variation that is nearly invisible after dark.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Armae</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">AC: 7[13]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">HD: 1d3 hit points</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Atk: bite</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dmg: 1d4+poison</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Save: F1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Move: 150’</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Armae are orange, beetle-like creatures that typically live in the shadows beneath rocks or within ruined buildings or wrecked ships. They are scavengers, but are not above running down live prey when they have the advantage of numbers. Their scything maws are mildly poisonous; victims bitten suffer a -2 penalty to attacks unless a save is made. They typically gather in swarms of 10-40.</span><br />
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Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-62721481658508427812012-08-14T23:34:00.001-07:002012-08-14T23:34:50.302-07:00Warriors of the Red Planet update!<br />
It has been a long time! I must admit the John Carter movie took the wind out of me, I wanted it to be SO good, but it was only 'just ok'. Worse yet for Burroughs fans it totally failed on the character of John Carter himself. The noble gentleman of the South willing to dive into adventure and danger for his beautiful princess was reduced to a gold-grubbing reluctant hero.<br />
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The movie wasn't a total bust, but it failed on enough levels that fans and the uninitiated alike were turned off. Bad move Disney & Andrew Stanton!<br />
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However, we drive on undaunted to achieve our goal of making the best Sword & Planet RPG every devised by man! The eminently talented <a href="http://beyondtheblackgate.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Al of Beyond the Black Gate</a> has delivered a document of unparalleled brilliance, passion, and knowledge of this most venerable of science fantasy genres - and I have taken the responsibility of illustrating it with illustrations worthy of its subject matter! So, where have I been?<br />
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Glad you asked.<br />
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This has been an eventful summer. I've taken the duty of art direction for not just one, but two of Kabam's hit titles: first <a href="https://www.kabam.com/" target="_blank">The Godfather</a> and then <a href="https://www.kabam.com/" target="_blank">Edgeworld</a>. The work of an art director is more than you would think. While the conductor doesn't play First Chair Flute, he must understand every instrument and it's place in the orchestra to make beautiful music. I hope that these games are well art directed.<br />
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I have endeavored to make great art for Warriors of the Red Planet, this does not come without the burden of time well spent working on the illustrations. You will have to be the judge of the quality.<br />
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I present to you a couple of the fantastic creatures from WotRP. More sneak peeks are forthcoming. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Anthipode</b><br />
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AC: 2[18]<br />HD: 3<br />Atk: 1d6 needles<br />Dmg: 1d4 per needle<br />Save: F3<br />Move: 120’<br />
When not cloaked in its illusions, the Anthipode is an unsettling humanoid creature with writhing tentacles for arms and a smooth, featureless face with a single hole in the center of unknown purpose. Typically though, the Anthipode wraps itself in illusions, appearing to be a beautiful courtesan, savvy merchant, or whatever else would further its latest con game or provide its next fresh meal. When unmasked (typically by a physical assault), the Anthipode defends itself by shooting needle-sharp projectiles from its tentacles.<br />
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<b>Arodel</b><br />AC: 7[13]<br />HD: 2<br />Atk: pike<br />Dmg: 1d8<br />Save: F2<br />Move: 90’<br />
The Arodel are a race of crablike humanoids, typically living in tribal groups in the most desolate wastelands, though there are rumored to be a few actual cities inhabited by the creatures. They sometimes trade with civilized lands, though they often have somewhat unique interpretations of standard business deals that occasionally result in the consumption of those they trade with. Arodels favor the use of a motley array of pikes and other polearms.<br />
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These are just the black & white drawings. I plan to have all the illustrations in color and provide a low cost b&w as well as a premium color edition of WotRP if all goes well.<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
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Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-5470063222279865772012-02-27T04:41:00.003-08:002012-02-27T04:44:14.346-08:00More John CarterLogan's found another one, long too!<br /><br />In related news, my eleven-year-old informed me this morning that we'll be seeing this film on the imax, his treat :)<br /><br /><object id="cs006_89ce9ef0f4fae4e902e3b13637363f98" class="SpringboardPlayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="377" width="625"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://comingsoon.springboardplatform.com/mediaplayer/springboard/video/cs006/71/446535/"><br /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><br /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><br /><embed src="http://comingsoon.springboardplatform.com/mediaplayer/springboard/video/cs006/71/446535/" name="cs006_89ce9ef0f4fae4e902e3b13637363f98" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="377" width="625"></embed><br /></object>Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-37738275976302688692012-02-24T06:05:00.006-08:002012-02-24T06:25:03.507-08:00Some John Carter movie clipsHere are some new clips from the forthcoming movie that were posted over at <a href="http://cimorra.blogspot.com/">Cimorra</a>, my favorite German-language old-school gaming blog.<br /><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7wB9QvguyPg" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Warhoons taking orders from an effete, arrogant Thern (who must have lost his wig)? You've got some 'splainin' to do, Stanton...<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8CKtuwTiMt8" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Apparently this is when, in the film version, John first realizes he is on Mars. This confirms my suspicion that John gets to Mars in some other fashion than how he does it in the book: basically reaching out with his mind at the moment of his "death" to his patron planet - the god of war, as he has always been a warrior, for many normal human lifetimes. I wonder if that pesky Thern is involved in this, too?<br /><br />Kudos on the "many karads of empty space" line, as well as using the names "Jasoom" and "Barsoom".<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xOBGjm2QfzE" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />I always liked Woola, and Carter's relationship with Woola. This is my favorite of the three clips; good stuff!<br /><br /><br />Is it me, or is Kitcsh channeling the voice and inflections of Blade Runner-era Harrison Ford?Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-8300765759556718162012-02-11T07:03:00.003-08:002012-02-11T07:21:58.992-08:00An avalanch of "authorized editions"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjI3O0iG04BlSu6yzr4hje7Aqw0rJUBBaEziwb0ycA9bpQDJrxb6XlBB6S8UYHmJQdVV2dR8etQompmqjs_tdbwd3vYhex05LyD0hTia_s6PvD9s8QU4va9Fbvjt8srtWMnBu3J2Zkd4k/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjI3O0iG04BlSu6yzr4hje7Aqw0rJUBBaEziwb0ycA9bpQDJrxb6XlBB6S8UYHmJQdVV2dR8etQompmqjs_tdbwd3vYhex05LyD0hTia_s6PvD9s8QU4va9Fbvjt8srtWMnBu3J2Zkd4k/s400/photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707898240539450018" border="0" /></a><br />One of the side-effects of releasing a movie based on a book that is no longer copyrighted, is that apparently everyone and their mother has printed up a stack of their own "editions" of ERB's martian books. I noticed this while breezing through B&N yesterday. At least a dozen different editions.<br /><br />Crazy.<br /><br />The ones pictured above caught my eye, because if you look closely (clicking the image will make it bigger) at the ships in the sky on the third book from the left, you'll notice they are in the style of the forthcoming movies. A style of skyship I've never seen before. Peeking inside, these books are "Disney Endorsed" or something like that. So it makes me wonder if these covers are early concept art for the movie. I say early, because, short of the airships and Dejah's scimitar, nothing else looks like the movie previews. It kind of looks like Carter is wandering the bombed out ruins of WWII Berlin.Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-30706238152965301402012-01-22T16:15:00.001-08:002012-01-22T16:15:39.610-08:00Plant Man<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />The final text for Warriors of the Red Planet has been delivered and the book is deep in layout. Normally it wouldn't take too long to lay a book out, but I'm also creating art for it. And the writing was so good I wanted to do a "AAA" job on the art. Well, AAA art takes time. If all goes well the book will be done by the time the John Carter movie comes out (wouldn't that be swell?!).<br />
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Here is a sneak peek of a page:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrW9We3ZUFE6Xz5ovLheAbB9u6FO80PQIUI_q2qdS3zUGL3cFLfBJd2f_rrpWkpAHYV5UQHMJHdK72SmOp4sDro0a8e6kMxbWA6ELol6E1vGbZ6bnYMvTZKUUhzTnHoqL6ijlq_CAgWhxb/s1600/wotrp_plantman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrW9We3ZUFE6Xz5ovLheAbB9u6FO80PQIUI_q2qdS3zUGL3cFLfBJd2f_rrpWkpAHYV5UQHMJHdK72SmOp4sDro0a8e6kMxbWA6ELol6E1vGbZ6bnYMvTZKUUhzTnHoqL6ijlq_CAgWhxb/s400/wotrp_plantman.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br />
This is a typical page. The header pages have a full page illustration with a pull quote.<br />
Layout is far from final. The way I work I set up everything into templates, so if I change the design in one place it can be updated everywhere painlessly. My goal is to have at least 1 illustration per page in the Monsters section, hopefully more time permitting. This will be a fairly heavily illustrated book when it is done.Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-54253998061476634152011-09-15T17:36:00.000-07:002011-09-15T17:36:02.036-07:00In LayoutThe document is blowing my mind. It is so well written and designed. I'm working on laying it out right now.Thomas Denmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06135075012362548876noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-22294459129539905992011-09-01T10:17:00.000-07:002011-09-01T10:22:41.652-07:00Martian pics from Mars Rover<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMrMHxtv_Ly7aBOUWzvCoaDpBISDLLz3mUfuNKCOFB9H2z__W8vZh5gVcBF9kHcTQUMezi1pCyJSbiBZ_4aBTsaukMS4J7JZJkt2-wVdViRkaUYoer3AfDyOQXRgFU_aycBYC42WtnWg/s1600/mars6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMrMHxtv_Ly7aBOUWzvCoaDpBISDLLz3mUfuNKCOFB9H2z__W8vZh5gVcBF9kHcTQUMezi1pCyJSbiBZ_4aBTsaukMS4J7JZJkt2-wVdViRkaUYoer3AfDyOQXRgFU_aycBYC42WtnWg/s400/mars6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647442757517449778" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKek-gGYNVV1ZMFAuM3NJW2rCIxTQufuuUJPQJEqc13d8wSBNh1W84yHpx8biB-ONMI4kfJwZtQzrlp0gW4XiHPsb_fd3e5ouopGh-JMi5UXlgBaaBl8PA9DtcLGMQ7Le0hm6U_TLw9k/s1600/mars7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKek-gGYNVV1ZMFAuM3NJW2rCIxTQufuuUJPQJEqc13d8wSBNh1W84yHpx8biB-ONMI4kfJwZtQzrlp0gW4XiHPsb_fd3e5ouopGh-JMi5UXlgBaaBl8PA9DtcLGMQ7Le0hm6U_TLw9k/s400/mars7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647442760081862786" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_GBASKA71VR7gS3vuMF9_TBW2CF1WYZ0rPLb1TwQms1fv58g95rDw4IrEOB9X88j47__T7SkSBYWIgmxFWLC8aV_SWVcFdsJvYpPzOWvkODh0nNI5MbQKqWIuRHOwq-gB8E-N5A_SP0/s1600/mars4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_GBASKA71VR7gS3vuMF9_TBW2CF1WYZ0rPLb1TwQms1fv58g95rDw4IrEOB9X88j47__T7SkSBYWIgmxFWLC8aV_SWVcFdsJvYpPzOWvkODh0nNI5MbQKqWIuRHOwq-gB8E-N5A_SP0/s400/mars4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647442659358021394" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH2dbf4UMF6Ob6cMCkp9nWmaAVcLFXrD54Dh2W3NH0DSicNq6PzOSZE2jbpdP2tPzIS6nnrVVfnAI2621VDb5TvjitMoH9Vwi8xE_YNCVx5i_rOwUJ03kpW512LGG6wnKMYXFh-Zim34/s1600/mars3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH2dbf4UMF6Ob6cMCkp9nWmaAVcLFXrD54Dh2W3NH0DSicNq6PzOSZE2jbpdP2tPzIS6nnrVVfnAI2621VDb5TvjitMoH9Vwi8xE_YNCVx5i_rOwUJ03kpW512LGG6wnKMYXFh-Zim34/s400/mars3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647442659066666466" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv-tGlibIHqEbDLJDsGVhBxkzr0-VND70oGijzXJhoA9HoQjMWHHfybWUq17UUmu3mwzDBofZ4aG7jZ2rrs58xWbBqZZih_pacyBJ48dTb3PJd6rE7XotcM7TIW8B9hUyMSDibk3Hcdc/s1600/mars2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv-tGlibIHqEbDLJDsGVhBxkzr0-VND70oGijzXJhoA9HoQjMWHHfybWUq17UUmu3mwzDBofZ4aG7jZ2rrs58xWbBqZZih_pacyBJ48dTb3PJd6rE7XotcM7TIW8B9hUyMSDibk3Hcdc/s400/mars2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647442656396953682" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54iCU5XG5baeqCT1bay9efGHkYVt_JRGspPFwE29PxTZoVYQ43Csb4Xf5uN-fpJmWWLnlvejEi8Hhgp5HXpa4pHcmLQ9Jj49F9T-JlnW7LeekaBhJCXCUknjVIc3qznkHrXTl2sRtEWk/s1600/mars1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54iCU5XG5baeqCT1bay9efGHkYVt_JRGspPFwE29PxTZoVYQ43Csb4Xf5uN-fpJmWWLnlvejEi8Hhgp5HXpa4pHcmLQ9Jj49F9T-JlnW7LeekaBhJCXCUknjVIc3qznkHrXTl2sRtEWk/s400/mars1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647442651187078722" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjY3FLfClQp92SQ9-w9VBWPEUKcZx0IY0kN4n-3I1lbD3KYJBP87i5WwszLfTgpfdUUqGYh5ZCubImJZDP7F7GYBCKUWJwQxLu1GJK4F9A2xmUyS1KLqa6Rvc1sS1ZxvXnMMuM9Yi-qfA/s1600/mars5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjY3FLfClQp92SQ9-w9VBWPEUKcZx0IY0kN4n-3I1lbD3KYJBP87i5WwszLfTgpfdUUqGYh5ZCubImJZDP7F7GYBCKUWJwQxLu1GJK4F9A2xmUyS1KLqa6Rvc1sS1ZxvXnMMuM9Yi-qfA/s400/mars5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647442662947416786" border="0" /></a>
<br />All we need is for a Zodangan battle-cruiser to appear on the horizon!
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<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-65083484077489037652011-07-18T09:18:00.001-07:002011-07-18T10:01:41.847-07:00"So, when is Warriors of the Red Planet scheduled to come out?"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAG66pjbgsTxIPdlrTgFeGwkC5tgymqYOjhfOomBVHnhr0EJoqTxTbMShMy72KX1pcWRT5x0gMqxGpBUkSfcVcrlLSg4vUpnYDFN6Aqsbu97sEusLc7iDnnMqNGZQANMdxijXDHr6_84/s1600/TDmars.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAG66pjbgsTxIPdlrTgFeGwkC5tgymqYOjhfOomBVHnhr0EJoqTxTbMShMy72KX1pcWRT5x0gMqxGpBUkSfcVcrlLSg4vUpnYDFN6Aqsbu97sEusLc7iDnnMqNGZQANMdxijXDHr6_84/s400/TDmars.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630737485515931170" border="0" /></a><br />I'm flattered that I still get almost daily inquiries like the one above - its a testament, I think, to the durability and lasting appeal of the Sword & Planet genre that so many remain so interested after such a long development time for WotRP.<br /><br />The good news is that it is pretty much done! The bad news is that, even after at least two full revisions, I have 133 pages of material (not counting a martian atlas that still needs to be finished), and my goal has always been a tidy 120 pages! So I still have a couple of heartbreaking cuts to perform. Maybe I'll provide the excised material as a "web bonus" or something like that.<br /><br />Its been a fascinating ride, watching something that was essentially a collection of Sword & Planet-focused house rules, random charts, and adventure design notes turn into this whole big thing. Not to mention all the cool ERB, Klein, Brackett, Moorcock, and others I've gotten to read under the auspices of "research"!<br /><br />If you've been following <a href="http://originaleditionfantasy.blogspot.com/">Thomas's blog</a>, you've seen that he's been steadily turning out beautiful martian landscapes, ships, and characters the whole time.<br /><br />So what's left?<br /><br />Basically: layout, putting manuscript together with art, and then picking the best way to put it in everyone's hands. So, we're pretty damn close. There will be no pre-order nonsense, or empty promises ("this will <span style="font-style: italic;">definitely</span> be out in time for your back-to-school shopping!"). As soon as everything is set in stone, and we have at least a 30-day window of certainty, we'll start blowing our horns vigorously across the gaming webiverse :)<br /><br />Thanks for hanging out here with us in the meantime!Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-19571957256231982922011-07-15T06:27:00.000-07:002011-07-15T08:49:58.428-07:00John Carter, or "Dude, where's my Mars?"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQC_MzS-s2UCga0pvsb7Xdh1rQS8kMVWOG_TP8CsnBtWNWoHe1KAyTS8UhMk18N34fpZ4YaFHuzvUdBBBT7j3ixL-_QiyXY8USrFHaYFUCWntTLZPplYuWUIlLAOXAfvFLmNtpOnMtN64/s1600/bcity.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQC_MzS-s2UCga0pvsb7Xdh1rQS8kMVWOG_TP8CsnBtWNWoHe1KAyTS8UhMk18N34fpZ4YaFHuzvUdBBBT7j3ixL-_QiyXY8USrFHaYFUCWntTLZPplYuWUIlLAOXAfvFLmNtpOnMtN64/s400/bcity.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629593040884898818" border="0" /></a><br /><br />"I opened my eyes upon a strange and weird landscape. I knew that I was on Mars; not once did I question either my sanity or my wakefulness." <span style="font-style: italic;">A Princess of Mars<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1</span></span><span>0 years ago, when I went to see the Peter Jacks</span><span>on directed <span style="font-style: italic;">Fellowship of the Rings</span>, I was amazed by what I was seeing: almost everything was exactly as I imagined it! Even as the films veered in and out of Tolkien's actual story, from a</span><span> strictly visual standpoint, Jackson's films took the idea of bringing a book to life to an unprecedented level of detail and faithfulness to the source material. It took me several viewings to </span><span>get pissed off about elves showing up at the B</span><span>attle of Helms deep, because I was so entranced by just seeing Helms Deep itself, up on there on the giant screen, along with Orthanc, Ents, Nazgul, and everything else I had read been reading about for decades.<br />In other words, "I knew that I was in Middle Earth".</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />S</span><span>eeing the trailer for John Carter yesterday was </span><span>a bit... deflating?<br /><br />As John Carter opens his eyes in the first couple of seconds, he did not look upon a strange and weird landscape. I certainly did not know that he was on Mars - my first thought was that this was part of the Apache chase scene from the beginning of the book. Because John is obviously in an earthly desert, wearing earthly clothes.<br /><br /><span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRR8wvOW-k1WGGa6_MLSEJ5wzqwuCZS1fsIEg5ydIHIGZJBQrO9tfUPYU-hsxcnC6w-sW9kpHag0v50cUGqr6SDRpRYwQ-pLycYy8ugMwIg_LClQvB52ntOO-1Qw0YKPy4bDbSZwe7PHI/s1600/bcitybutte.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRR8wvOW-k1WGGa6_MLSEJ5wzqwuCZS1fsIEg5ydIHIGZJBQrO9tfUPYU-hsxcnC6w-sW9kpHag0v50cUGqr6SDRpRYwQ-pLycYy8ugMwIg_LClQvB52ntOO-1Qw0YKPy4bDbSZwe7PHI/s400/bcitybutte.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629592805612124546" border="0" /></a></span><br />"The building was low, but covered an enormous area. It was constructed of gleaming white marble inlaid with gold and brilliant stones which sparkled and scintillated in the sunlight." <span style="font-style: italic;">A Princess of Mars</span><br /><br />The trailer then goes to some aerial shots of vari</span><span>ous desert buttes, cliffs, and ridges. It was only after my fourth or fifth viewing of the trailer that I noticed faint traces of windows and balconies and realized, with growing horror, what these are likely supposed to be - the ruined cities of Barsoom! Wait, isn't that where <span style="font-style: italic;">Eegah!</span> was filmed?<br /><br /><span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpr5qOAsimPC_n4yHADPLSKUxF3dxgxl_-n7IQyTAV2kVVYpCrD0OaFKFfb5VJA8RWEPqWYhZj5733aIgJYOuNn-JdqmGgRopj1s3tYcX8WlaKRwKg6K09SUZzqRdFpauJKzL9F-ErKdQ/s1600/Eegah.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 407px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpr5qOAsimPC_n4yHADPLSKUxF3dxgxl_-n7IQyTAV2kVVYpCrD0OaFKFfb5VJA8RWEPqWYhZj5733aIgJYOuNn-JdqmGgRopj1s3tYcX8WlaKRwKg6K09SUZzqRdFpauJKzL9F-ErKdQ/s400/Eegah.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629592652257082258" border="0" /></a></span><br />Now, I'm all for artistic expression. I get it - film directors have big egos, its almost necessary, it goes hand in hand with the drive necessary to finish projects of such mind-boggling proportions. But I am left wondering exactly what is going on here?<br /><br />It was a bit dismaying to many of the hard-core fans when the word "Mars" was removed from the title of the film. Unless you've read the books, who the hell knows who "John Carter" is? If a movie came out titled "Joe Harris", I would have no idea whatsoever what the hell that movie would be about. Do you know what "Joe Harris" is about? I don't.<br /><br />Fortunately, I am a fan and have read the books, so I can live with Mars being removed from the title. What I can't live with, is Mars being remov</span><span>ed from the film. I was hoping to see this preview and, like with the LotR films, gasp to myself, "holy crap that looks just like I always imagined it would look! I feel like a 10-yr-old again! This is friggin awesome!".<br /><br />Nope. No sense of wonder, of magic. No sense of</span><span> Mars.<br /><br />Then I started reading other bloggers reactions to the trailer, which were overwhelmingly positive. Okay, maybe I'm just being too negative. Maybe I'm viewing it with too much of a cynical eye, and it doesn't actually look that much like Conan with flying pontoon boats.<br /><br /><span><span><span><span><span style="font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLupgKWvAuneNS9XHi-9TYrnXZAE7_-JZHf7EkVRSolRuImbOp3V0dDhFhqHHNop8kG_zvMpfpJFIqk1SU3eEguKnCluwHd4Jzd6yvd18uMreuGxzfMoh7qN0bhD6iDxDDZplJmTjM1XE/s1600/madison-pontoon-boat-2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLupgKWvAuneNS9XHi-9TYrnXZAE7_-JZHf7EkVRSolRuImbOp3V0dDhFhqHHNop8kG_zvMpfpJFIqk1SU3eEguKnCluwHd4Jzd6yvd18uMreuGxzfMoh7qN0bhD6iDxDDZplJmTjM1XE/s400/madison-pontoon-boat-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629592945697369554" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span><br />So I asked my 10-year-old son (the movie buff of the household) to take a look at the trailer (incidentally, he watches every new sci-fi/fantasy/superhero genre trailer immediately when it comes out, but had no idea "John Carter" was anything like that), and he gladly obliged. His first words were "Prince of Persia?". Now, he does not have a derisive or ironic bone in his body. If he said it looked like Prince of Persia, it was because he genuinely thought it looked like that. I never saw this movie, so I checked out the trailer for it.<br /><br />Now, I'm going to need to you <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRy7JElB46c">go take a look at this</a> (please make sure you're sitting down for this).<br /><br />WTF!? Its almost a scene-by-scene duplicate! Except the cities look more like how I envisioned a ruined martian city would look.<br /><br />My 10-year-old could see this immediately. Why can't Andrew Stanton?<br /><br />I could go on and nit-pick more, but I guess I've belabored the point enough. I'm just not getting that "Barsoom" feeling. Like I do with <a href="http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload/photo/bcf/2e3/bcf2e3d4-9aae-44f4-a6cb-042b655ad301">this</a>, for instance.<br /><br />There's still a year of post-production to be done. Maybe I'm overreacting, and in the theater this will all look a lot more like Mars and a lot less like what I saw out the window during my last flight to Vegas. Maybe I've built this up too much in my own mind. Admittedly, if the story sticks closely enough to the book, I should be able to overlook the cosmetic issues. Stanton has expressed an interest in bringing the next two books of ERBs martian tales to the big screen as well. If that's really his intention, I hope there's a lot more Mars in this movie that is readily apparent in the trailer.<br /><br />Lest anyone think the trailer was a complete disappointment, there are some things I liked too:<br />- John Carter's martian harness.<br />- pretty much everything from earth, especially ERB and John's diary and tomb.<br />- I like the lean look of the Thark, though many facial details are different from the book<br />- Dejah is pretty, with a world-weary quality I like. I don't mind if she picks up a sword now and then either.<br />- Whatever the crystal chamber thingy is looks cool. I'm guessing this is maybe the Atmosphere Plant? There's no telepathy in the film, so maybe some other way was needed to unlock the place?<br />- The ships are pretty cool. I was hoping for a more retro-pulpy look, but these are growing on me.<br />- The two moons<br /></span>Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-10722294813961562192011-07-14T09:08:00.000-07:002011-07-14T09:45:04.276-07:00John Carter TrailerView the John Carter trailer <a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/disney/johncarter/">here</a>. Or watch below:<br /><br /><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6gKVquj9LgM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-6938656983377024862011-06-14T12:54:00.001-07:002011-06-15T03:55:31.326-07:00If you needed another reason to see the new Harry Potter movie......other than your kids pestering you, that is.<br /><br />Rumor has it that the trailer for John Carter will premier July 15th with this movie.<br /><br />Oh, and apparently<a href="http://www.johncartermovie.com/cgi-bin/archive.pl?COMMAND=showarticle&num=10754"> no yellow wigs for the Therns</a>. That's an awful big part of their psyche (their debauched inferiority to their great ancestors, which they try to ignore) to omit. Can't say I'm happy about that - but I'm not sure why the Therns would be in the first movie to begin with? Maybe they've been filming all three movies at once?Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797362863337775543.post-63748689441503032152011-06-09T06:57:00.000-07:002011-06-09T07:25:07.775-07:00Gridley Wave<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlP9QH66NTyfPvhzKP3QfloU6h54-fj-iISQG2EPuLNIS4d-W8XgpBfNfLAotOK8UdLMbSGbdgVDUeHnifCu0vXzG_uE_7Jkry4wh-bJjXQSkhr46g9Zh7GKamXPNNwudplyimCuZoXc/s1600/device2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlP9QH66NTyfPvhzKP3QfloU6h54-fj-iISQG2EPuLNIS4d-W8XgpBfNfLAotOK8UdLMbSGbdgVDUeHnifCu0vXzG_uE_7Jkry4wh-bJjXQSkhr46g9Zh7GKamXPNNwudplyimCuZoXc/s400/device2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616225479961028994" border="0" /></a><br />Named for Jason Gridley, its discoverer, the Gridley Wave has been the chief means of communication with other worlds in the Solar system since the late 1920's. Like the Martian 9th Ray, the Gridley Wave was not something that saw much interaction with the physical realm of our world, but the first tentative explorations of Pellucidar helped to further refine and define uses for the phenomenon. One of the most puzzling enigmas to scientists has been the obvious differences between the first hand reports of earthly explorers to Mars, Venus, and even our Moon, and what our standard technology of telescopes and radioscopes reveal.<br /><br />As you can see from the marvelous pictures and data from the Mars rovers, as far as we can tell Mars is a barren, lifeless desert devoid of habitable temperatures or atmosphere. Yet the firsthand tales of explorers such as John Carter or Ulysses Paxton tells a different tale, of a world that is declining into ruin, but still a vibrant world full of life.<br /><br />This has led leading physicists, astronomers, and mathematicians, Stephen Hawking being one notable proponent, to theorize that the Gridley Wave somehow penetrates a time-relativity barrier undetectable, and unpassable, by conventional technology. The possibility of such a barrier between worlds, one of time and not simply space, has opened new speculation about space travel, and a department has been funded, albeit modestly, in NASA to explore new options.<br /><br />Now, nearly a century after its discovery, new technologies employing the Gridley Wave allow us to move past basic Morse Code, and actually transmit sound and images. Speculative consumerists predict immersive, three-dimensional technologies will begin to emerge within the next decade, allowing us to experience the wonders of Mars from the comfort of our own homes!Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.com1