"Dear JB" Mailbag #33

[Dear JB #32 is still sitting on the draft board and might remain there forever...it was dumb, my response (only half penned) is sprawling, meandering, and...probably...dumb as well, the result of writing in the middle of the night after a couple of gin & tonics. In the meantime, I actually received an email from a reader asking for some JB advice...he gets the #33 stamp]

Dear JB,

As a referee, I'm always trying to improve my game, but I feel as though I've hit a plateau and don't see a clear path to improvement at the moment.

Here's my current situation. I run first edition AD&D (very nearly) by-the-book. My setting uses real world geography, some real world mythology / folklore, and a tiny bit of real world history. For the rest, my setting follows what is implied by the core rules, that is, the guidance on "The Campaign" described in the DMG pp. 86 - 93, random encounter tables, cosmology / alignment rules, and so on. I'm pretty satisfied that my players are digging this approach and I know that I am. I have 7 active players ranging in age from mid / late-twenties to early sixties. I've lost one player to the complaint that this style of play is "too mentally taxing," but I've gained two players who had only played in narrative-style 5e games before, and found the challenge of this style rewarding. I run three sessions a month, and have canceled 2 of the last 18 scheduled sessions for a lack of players able to join.

Because we follow the time-keeping rules in the DMG, "it is best to use 1 actual day = 1 game day when no play is happening," in particular, two things about the game are markedly different from games I've played in and run that do not follow those rules. First is that the players make a point of returning to safety before the end of each session. No smart player wants his character to be holed up in a dungeon or camped in a dangerous wilderness for 5 to 12 days before the next session, as his odds of survival would not be high. This facilitates different groups of players and characters playing from one session to the next. It also completely mitigates the negative consequences of a player unexpectedly missing a session that one might suffer with a freeze-time time-keeping approach. The second effect is that there is considerable "downtime" for the characters. Two of my players use this time scrupulously, two of them are spotty in taking advantage of it, and the other three mostly waste it. It has worked out exactly as Gygax suggested, "The latter tends to bring more true-to-life quality to the game, as some characters will use precious time to the utmost advantage, some will treat it lightly, and some will be constantly wasting it to their complete detriment. Time is yet another facet which helps to separate the superior players from the lesser ones."

We also follow performance rating / training rules, and each character not only gets a 1 to 4 rating for each session, but also for each downtime period. If no orders are received for a character in a given time period that garners a 4. On the other hand, a player who issues orders which take care of necessary business like convalescence, equipment purchases, money-changing, &c. or which advance the character's own goals, like information gathering, a cleric building an orphanage, &c., he earns a 1 for that character that period. Ratings of 2 and 3 only apply to partially ineffectual or nonsensical orders. One way in which we deviate from the rules (and there are very few) is that since the rating is about player skill, and players have multiple characters, the average of all of a player's characters' ratings apply as the multiplier to all of his characters' training time (and therefore cost) in order to gain levels. The seven players currently have average ratings ranging from one player at a perfect 1 up to 2.8. These ratings are posted on the campaign web site to help foster competition and attention to skillful play.

All of that set up is maybe more background than necessary to get to my real "dear JB" question. There are a lot of NPCs doing a lot of things in the setting and most of the players have visibility into much of that activity, collectively, though there are many things some players know about and others do not. It's an interesting and dynamic landscape from my referee perspective, but most of the players aren't really paying attention to it. My two strongest players are, but the other five don't seem to know what to do with it and one of those has even demonstrated not paying attention to his own past orders and results in choices he makes in subsequent orders. I'm concluding that I'm more in love with my setting than my players are, and that I'm failing to provide what most of them need to engage deeply with the setting. I have a lot of shortcomings as a referee, perhaps chief among them that I do no acting, funny voices, and almost no first-person NPC dialog. My presentation is as dry an experience as looking at a chessboard. I'm not sure that those are the shortcomings that make the game less interesting for my some of my players, but I have too many shortcomings as a referee to list. Maybe without sitting at my table it's impossible for you to really comment on my situation exactly. I'm hopeful though that you've experienced a table that this description of mine resembles and might serve as a model for suggesting what I'm missing or doing wrong. Or maybe you have ideas for how I can test the table to figure out what I might be doing wrong. Soliciting direct feedback has been only a little bit fruitful.

Doing Something Wrong

Dear DSW:

Since I haven't sat at your table, I will take you at your word (i.e. that what you've written is wholly accurate) and draw my conclusions from there.

The crux of your worry seems to be that:

"...I'm more in love with my setting than my players are, and that I'm failing to provide what most of them need to engage deeply with the setting."

despite also stating that:

"I'm pretty satisfied that my players are digging this approach and I know that I am."

along with evidence that your players are enjoying themselves: 6+ months of regular play, low turnover, good attendance...plus relatively high scores in "performance ratings," especially considering that part of their grades are based on downtime participation (!!). To me, this would all seem to indicate that your players ARE engaging with the setting on a consistent basis (albeit some are more deeply engaged than others). 

Here's the thing, DSW: You (the DM) are always going to me more in love with your setting than the players. And it is a GOOD thing that you are; if the creator does not love their creation, they will lack the energy needed to care for, develop, and grow the setting, without which there can be no game.

[yes, there can be no game without the game either (i.e. without the rules, system, etc.); however, we are already taking as a "given" that the participants wish to play D&D. Once the game is decided upon, the setting is the next thing of greatest importance]

A clear barometer of your satisfaction with your campaign is going to be measured by how much you enjoy the setting, regardless of the players' love of and engagement with the setting. If my players are wildly crazy about GhostBusters, and wish to play in a setting that resembles the film franchise, it really doesn't matter how much I want to please and appease them...I will run out of steam (eventually) because, deep down, I have no interest whatsoever in running such a game.

This is a truth that every vocational DM must eventually come to realize. 

And it makes no never mind if you do acting, funny voices, first person dialogue, etc....if this is the "price" of player engagement, then your players are looking for a different game than what you are running; these things are unnecessary to the play of the D&D game (certainly with regard to the 1st edition AD&D version you are running). My daughter loves it when I or someone else at the table does "funny voices" in an entertaining fashion, all but clapping her hands...however, she's not there for the performance, it is simply icing on the (adventure) cake. Granted, she doesn't know any different (her handful of forays into 5E were with a adolescent DM who was still doing dungeon crawls, not soap opera play), and veterans of narrative-style gaming might have different assumptions...but, then, your players continue to show up even without that jazz, right?

Now, here's the part where you (might) say:

But, JB, I get all that. What you're NOT addressing is that five of my seven players aren't engaging with the setting the way the other two are. I'm afraid that my DMing may be too dry for them, that they might (eventually) check out...like one player already did...for being too "mentally taxed" for the amount of "fun" they're having. What can I do to help them care more for the setting they're exploring?

DSW, it may well be that...so far as engagement is concerned...your players are already at the limit of their capability.

Some people just want to play; some people just want to have adventures. This is, of course, what D&D is at its heart: a game of fantasy adventure. Some players just want to swing a(n imaginary) sword and collect (imaginary) treasure. They are there for the rush, the thrill of adventure. For the challenge. "Can I make it out of the dungeon (alive)...with a fat payday?" Pushing those limits -- hopefully surviving, sometimes dying -- is what gives them their jollies. As much if not more so than the bonds of friendship and camaraderie around the table.

And while there's more to D&D than that...the building of castles, the establishment of kingdoms...for some players, adventure is enough. The 'high' is enough. They're not interested in living in the world; of sowing their own seeds of creation in the fertile soil of the setting you've created.

Adventure happens when players choose to engage with situations that you, the DM, create and provide. You write that there are "a lot of NPCs doing a lot of things in the setting," but that by itself doesn't make situation. Just because Baron BadGuy is oppressing elves in the township doesn't mean the paladin PC is going to jump on his charger and ride to battle. Just because the players hear rumors of an approaching orc horde doesn't mean they're going to organize the villagers into some sort of fighting force...they may simply decide to jet. 

For the campaign to satisfy the players, they must have a high degree of autonomy such that their choices and decisions matter (i.e. are consequential). So you can't force the issue. However, a BTB 1E campaign has an exceptional method of motivating players already built into its system: the need to pay the bills. Upkeep costs will absolutely eat up the PCs' treasury, forcing them to go out in search of adventure. You are then (as DM) given the golden opportunity of extending situation to them like a helping hand to a drowning person; little more is required (save the art of couching the situation in such terms that it doesn't seem the risk is too far out of reach, nor the reward too small for what is being asked).

But downtime activity? Building orphanages, gathering information, etc.? For players to want to engage in that type of play requires one (or both) of two things:

A) a player who is REALLY into the fantasy setting already (not your average D&D player),

B) an obvious benefit to the activity in question.

And obvious to you (the DM) does not automatically equate to "obvious to the player." It's not enough (for most players) to say, hey, the Grand Druid and his entourage are coming to town to celebrate the Solstice. Who cares? What's it to me? says the (majority of) players. What are the benefits? Where's the profit in it (literal and/or figurative). 

Some players are more invested in particular schemes for...well, for reasons that can come from any number or variety of circumstances. The paladin is tired of wondering about the alignment ramifications of leaving all these goblin orphans alive (after killing their parents in battle) and wants a place to stash them and turn them into "polite members of (human) society." Whatever. Some issues (and some situations) will appeal to some players, some won't, but that's NOT REALLY YOUR WORRY. You want the players to have autonomy; you want the players to be able to refuse situations you offer. As a DM your job is to keep offering them situations, and then working out what happens when one finally grabs their attention.

And it IS a "job;" one you do out of love (since there's no way anyone's compensating you sufficiently for the work you put in as a DM). Which is why it's so important that you love your own setting. The more you enjoy 'playing in it' (i.e. world building) the more situations you're going to dream up that you can offer your players. Eventually they'll find something that sparks their interest...regardless of whether or not your delivery of the situational information is "dry." Create exciting situations, and it won't matter how much (or how little) enthusiasm is in your voice. Fact is, if you're excited, it will come through in your communication.

Okay. Two more things:

First off, I want to address incentivizing players, especially with regard to "performance grades." I don't use these myself, though I don't fault anyone who does (I've used them in the past)...still one has to understand their practical purpose. Just as training is NOT about "sucking money out of players," but (as I've written before) about controlling the pace of the game, performance grades are NOT just a way of "evaluating" players. Rather, they serve to condition players' behavior in a way that meets the Dungeon Master's vision of game play.

The performance grades are entirely arbitrary and open to DM interpretation: what you, as a DM, consider to be 'right and proper' behavior for a thief or ranger may be VERY different from what I, as a DM, believe. Performance grades provide a "stick" with which to spank players who aren't meeting the DM's expectations, aiding all players in aligning expectations of play with a singular vision. If I want my fighters to throw themselves into battle with foolhardy abandon, I can penalize the ones who play a more cautious game by cutting their advancement time by a factor of two to four. "Don't want to play right? Watch Bob's character advance three times faster than you!"

However, I'm of the opinion that punitive measures aren't as effective at motivating players as are positive rewards ("carrots"). They can even cause players to rebel outright. 

[I still recall my days playing in a friend's Marvel Superheroes campaign and how we dealt with the "kill someone, lose all Karma points" rule: we simply said, fine, we'll play with zero karma (at which point my friend/GM instituted a "negative Karma" rule which, likewise, did nothing to disincentivize us from killing folks)]

I am not suggesting that your use of performance grades, both in active play and downtime activity, is somehow preventing your players from engaging more readily with the setting...clearly, your whole point of using them as you are is designed to encourage them to engage more deeply. I'm only saying that "negative reinforcement" is (generally) not going to motivate someone as strongly as positive incentives...especially if I (as a player) simply play a different PC while my under-performing character is locked in "training jail." 

Finally, it may be that everything you're doing is JUST FINE. When it comes to skill training of any sort (and Dungeon Mastering is a skill), the dedicated practitioner will, at times, come to a place where their skill "plateaus;" many books have been written on the subject. Most of what I've read indicates that plateaus are a period of integration and consolidation...you may have reached a point where you are simply refining and sharpening the ways and methods of running the game that you've acquired over months (or years) of play. The length of time that a person remains in such a plateau state (despite consistent applied effort) varies not only by skill and individual, but by perception...because of our "diminishing returns" we see a lack of progress, until enough time has passed that we can look back and see just how far we've come. This is the path of mastery for ANY skill (not just Dungeon Mastering)..."breakthroughs" always come faster and are more noticeable at the beginning of our journeys. What you may be seeing as a "rut" may simply be the "journeyman's grind" and, while frustrating, may be really nothing to worry about.

If YOU enjoy running the game, if YOU are in love with your setting, then just keep plugging away. In the end, everyone at the table (including yourself) is responsible for their own investment in the campaign. You can't worry too much about the players' engagement; instead, focus on your world building (developing the setting, creating situations) to ensure they have something with which to engage.

Sincerely,

JB

"Dear JB" Mailbag #28

Huh. An actual "Dear JB" letter (via email), rather than something snagged from Reddit. Here you go, man...

Dear JB:

I have been reading the core AD&D books and some classic AD&D modules in hopes of running the game for my group. I noticed that, unlike B/X modules, AD&D modules omit morale entirely from stat blocks. This is something that persists into modern day modules, for example Guy Fullerton's modules. Why isn't having morale in statblocks standard in AD&D? 

Sincerely, 

Mystified About Morale

Dear Mystified:

Morale, as a game concept/mechanic has been around long before D&D...in fact, while it is made mention of in OD&D (see page 13 of Volume I, Men & Magic) no specific mechanics are provided. Instead, readers are referred back to Chainmail, the foundational wargame that provided a "jumping off point" for D&D...although the text (as is often the case with OD&D) is far from explicit.

Morale in Basic D&D, especially B/X (an edition which is...essentially..."streamlined OD&D"), is based off the Chainmail model. Chainmail was a d6 based rule system...all game mechanics in Chainmail are resolved with the use of six-sided dice, and morale...an essential part of wargaming...is no different. Specific units are provided with a target number (requiring a 2d6 roll), but the thresholds for requiring a morale check varies by troop type. "Elite heavy foot," for example, need only roll a 6+ (on 2d6)...and, then, only if sustaining more than 1/3 casualties (either in missile or melee combat). Peasant levies, on the other hand, need to roll an 8+ and are required to check morale at only 25% casualties...they panic more quickly and are easier to break.

All the various fantasy troop types listed in Chainmail have a "morale" rating listed: from the "5" of orcs and goblins, to the "10" of wraiths and wizards. These form the basis of the morale ratings in Basic editions of D&D (like B/X and BECMI and their derivative OSR retro-clones).

AD&D is a little different. Unlike the Basic editions of D&D, AD&D is not designed to introduce basic concepts of dungeon delving and skirmish-level wargaming to the new player. Instead, AD&D is a robust system designed for maximum playability, versatility, and verisimilitude while still maintaining the parameters of play. This leads it to having some more "fiddly" game mechanics, in comparison to the cut-&-dry systems found in B/X.

Still, morale is a large part of a game that places combat as a premium feature of the system. Rather than assign morale based on monster type (as does B/X), monster morale in AD&D is based on hit dice: 50% + 5% per HD over 1 and +1% per hit point adjustment. Thus an ogre (HD 4+1) would have a base morale score of 66% in AD&D. However, unlike the B/X edition, AD&D morale checks are slightly more subjective (is the enemy faced with "an obviously superior force?") and is adjusted by many more modifiers (friends killed or deserting versus enemies slain/routed, for example).

All these numbers are outlined on page 67 of the DMG. 

I'd speculate that the reason there are no morale ratings listed in the "stat blocks" of AD&D modules has something to do with allowing the DM to consider all the possible variables carefully, especially given Gygax's stipulations (see page 103 of the DMG) that NPCs should be played by the DM in an "appropriate" fashion (i.e. as based on a particular creature's intelligence, bravery, or lack thereof). The absence of morale scores in stat blocks doesn't equate to all encounters being "to the death" fights; rather, the DM of an AD&D game is supposed to be thoughtful about how to handle said encounters. 

For me, I tend to only use the morale rules (conveniently re-printed on the last page of the DMG) when dealing with groups of monsters/troops, i.e. when the NUMBER of creatures involved might bolster the amount of courage and "mob mentality" that the group has. For animals or individuals (even a handful of bandits), I tend to make decisions based on actual circumstance and how I feel the NPC in question would respond to the press of battle (based on personality), without rolling the percentile dice every couple rounds. But that's just me, and the mechanics are there, for those who want to use them.

[also, please note that stat blocks in modules serve DMs by giving them one less thing to reference during play...specifically, the Monster Manual. And "morale score" is not part of the the MM description of monsters (unlike the monster write-ups in the B/X bestiary)...thusly, the module author is not losing anything by omitting something that isn't already there]

Hope that's de-mystified things a bit.

Sincerely,

JB

"Dear JB" Mailbag #11

Something new...on non-Reddit letter, but rather a missive from the CAG discord. While it was addressed to all CAG members, I told the writer I'd throw his letter in the "mailbag" (he said my Dear JB stuff inspired the post anyway).

Dear JB:

My AD&D campaign kicked off in mid September and we’re 18 sessions in. I emphasized CAG style play even before then, but the system(s) we had used would often work against this, and my players developed a few bad habits as a result (I probably did too). Add to that the needing to learn AD&D rules and you get my approach to DMing which has included a healthy amount of teaching the game through providing information and verbalizing options to players that would (or should) just be known to players with more skill and experience with the game. At what point do you think I should back off and let the players figure things out on their own, maybe even through hard-earned lessons ( has happened already. 4 character deaths since September)?  

Signed, (Hopefully not egregiously) 

Helicopter DM 

Dear Helicopter DM:

After 18 sessions and nearly half a year (five and a half months?) I'd figure your players should have a pretty good idea of how the game is played. Hell, they should have been ready for any "training wheels" to come off 12-15 sessions ago.

I know I say this a lot, but D&D (even AD&D) isn't "rocket science." It's a game...and a game that is readily played by kids as young as 10 (or thereabouts). Note, I say played, not DM'd (though 12-13 is old enough to run AD&D semi-competently...I know, having done so myself). But with a Dungeon Master who's familiar with the system, there's not a lot players need to know: by the second or third session of play, all but the most obtuse players should have a solid handle on the basic system mechanics (AC, HPs, to hit rolls, saves, Vancian magic, experience points, surprise, initiative, secret doors, thief skills, etc.) because all of these systems should have been showing up in-play from the very first session.

"CAG" ("classic adventure gaming") is not a "style" of play, nor even some "mindset" one has to adapt. It is simply a term used to describe the type of play that emerges from playing old edition RPGs (like AD&D) in the way in which they're intended to be played, i.e. as a game. That's it...that's all it is. 

If your players are NEW to AD&D (that is, if they're used to playing other RPG systems: 5E, PbtA, Savage Worlds, etc.), they are going to have to learn the new rules and objectives of play...but that's really all they're learning. Risk is different from Axis & Allies which is different from Warhammer which is different from Advanced Squad Leader, and while there is some terminology (and dice) that carries over between games..and even similar themes...they are distinct games, and one has to spend some time learning the rules.

Similarly, AD&D is a distinct RPG from other editions of D&D, even though it shares the name Dungeons & Dragons in its title. Now, it's not INCREDIBLY different from 2E or 5E, so the "learning time" should be pretty negligible when making the transition from a different system. But there IS a period of learning. For an adult player who has played other versions of D&D I'd estimate the learning period to range from one to four sessions...and you can cut that learning time in HALF if the player has access to their own Players Handbook and the inclination to read in their spare time. 

Now, just because they've learned the rules doesn't make them any good at the game. If you're a beginner playing a veteran in a war game (like the ones mentioned two paragraphs back) you're most likely going to have your ass handed to you by your opponent, and that's to be expected. You come back to the game, not because you like getting pwned, but because you love the game...and you love it enough that you're willing to suffer through some hard knocks to get better at it.

In AD&D, the GAME is your opponent.

As the Dungeon Master, your job is to run the game; the game cannot be played without a Dungeon Master. Let me try an analogy: playing AD&D is like driving a race car. The system is the car; the battery of the car is Dungeon Master's effort level (the fuel is whatever fires the DM's imagination). The track or course is the adventure being played. 

The players...collectively...are the driver. They are trying to handle both the car (the system) and the course (the adventure)...not an easy task, especially for a beginning driver. When starting out, they need a slower speed and a simpler track, but as they grow in confidence and proficiency, you can give them more "curves" and press them to gear up, speed up, post better times. 

You don't want the group driving 30mph six months into their career.

Look: your players should, at this point, have a good handle on how to play AD&D. After half a year and 18 sessions, I'd probably expect your PCs to be in the 5th-6th level range (maybe 4th for multi-class or replacement characters). They are no longer "beginners;" haven't been for a long time. You should be offering them scenarios ("adventures") that are appropriate for their level range...appropriate meaning commensurate danger for commensurate reward...and, then, letting them play. YOU run the game. THEY drive the race car. 

They don't need to be experts for you to stop verbalizing possibilities to them. If I were running such a group, I'd be fine with them asking "um, can I do this?" or "hey, how would I do that?" But my attention would not be on offering suggestions of possible actions they could take...instead, my focus would be squarely on running the game: here's the situation my dudes, now what are you going to do about it?  

Rather than making excuses for your players (and for yourself) you should be making adventures...that's really the bottom line. Stop worrying about the players "learning the hard way" (or whatever). You either want to run AD&D...or you don't. The players either want to play in the game you're running...or they don't. Here's what I know for certain: YOU will not be satisfied and energized unless you run the game system you want to run. And no campaign can survive a Dungeon Master that is un-satisfied and lacks energy. Zero chance. 

Let them play...I promise the players will all survive (even if their characters don't). Direct all your worries and stress into making sure the playground is awesome and exciting, so much so that they don't mind the occasional bruise or scraped knee.

Sincerely,

JB

YEAR OF THE RAT: Results and Updates

A few housekeeping notes: folks may have noticed the pricing for my books (in the sidebars) has changed. That's because I finally got around to updating the prices with the current shipping rates. My apologies for needing to jack up the rates...I would have waited till the New Year to implement the changes, but I was running out of money to even do a new print run of my B/X Companion, let alone put together the scratch for another book (which I'm hoping to do in the near future). Canada and international costs are the real killers here.

If you're one of the dozen or so people who already purchased the new book, rest assured you got a deal (at the old rate): your books have already shipped as of yesterday morning. PDF costs (on DriveThru) will, of course, remain the same. 

A great, heartfelt THANK YOU, by the way, to ALL my customers (print and electronic). It is immensely gratifying to know people actually support the work...I only hope that the books, in turn, have provided a commensurate measure of enjoyment to their purchasers.

NOW: Year of the Rat.

I noted back in my original announcement of this contest that it was (largely) inspired by Prince's "No Artpunk Contest" (the first volume of which has now become available at DTRPG). Prince spent the month of September reviewing each individual submission for his contest, praising and critiquing and entertaining his readers.

I'm not going to do that (just don't have the time).

However, I will SUMMARIZE how things went down. Seven people (including myself) submitted a total of eight rat-themed adventures for the contest, almost every one of which being received by the November 30th deadline (the single exception being my own). The entries were:

Into the Sewer by Andrew Newport

Vats of Rats by Vance Atkins

Court of the Rat King by Chance Dudinack

Kobold Caves of the Golden God by Jeff S.

Clearing the Warrens by Vance Atkins

Silos of the Mad Rat by Ben Gibson

The First Rat Bank by Nicolas Posner

All the submissions were scored for Originality (have I seen this idea before), Creativity (innovative use of system and design), and Usability (how easy could the adventure be run at the table). Scores were then totaled to determine rankings. Yeah, yeah...it's all subjective, but since it's my contest, I get to be the judge.

As per the contest rules, prizes were to be awarded to the Top Two adventures...and based on points alone, I had a tie for second place! Since the scoring was subjective anyway, I turned to a secondary "tie-breaker" to determine who would join the #1 entry in receiving a shiny new book: treasure placement. I hope to write an entire post on "treasure" (hopefully this week) but suffice is to say that proper treasure allocation is a pretty darn important consideration in modular adventure design...and one that (for many reasons) seems to get overlooked too often by (present day) designers.

This IS D&D, after all.

SO...one of the tied entries had placement of roughly 89.7% of (what I'd call) "expected" treasure, based on encounters, PC level, and PC number. The other had 8.5%...far, far too low. 

Just...mm. No.

Thus it is, I'm proud to announce the Top Winners for my Out of the Sewer adventure design contest are: Nicolas Posner and Vance Atkins (the latter for Clearing the Warrens). Yay! Kudos to both!

Honorable Mentions go to the places 3, 4, and 5: Ben Gibson, Jeff S. and Chance. Their adventures...along with the winners...will all be going into the compilation book, Year of the Rat. I will let folks know when it is available...as stated, all proceeds from sales will be going to charity.

Gauche as it may be, I might throw my own adventure in the book, just to have an AD&D entry in the mix (all the others were written for OSE, B/X or S&W). We'll see. If not, I'll just make it available on the blog. 

[hmm...might do that anyway]

All right...that's it for now. Once again I'm out of time...super busy this week, not even counting things like decorations, tree-trimming, and Christmas shopping (none of which I've yet done or scheduled to date...and I've got a couple of kids who are expecting holiday cheer!). More later, people.

Did You Know (Paraguay 1)? Also, Updates

There is no postal service in Paraguay? This explains why I have no mail box.

People still get things delivered, of course...it's just delivered by courier or whatnot (when my wife needs stuff for her work, it's often hand-delivered by a person coming down here from the USA anyway). That's just nuts. I mean, thank God for the internet! It's allowing countries like Paraguay to enter into 1st World realms of business and enterprise even without the infrastructure of mail carriers...or even decent roads!

It really is the infrastructure that's missing...there's plenty of money here (and monied individuals). The neighborhood in which we live is chock-full of BMWs and Mercedes vehicles (mainly SUVs with tinted windows), absolutely huge houses with security boxes/guards on every 2nd or 3rd street corner and high, high walls. But the streets (for the most part) are absolute garbage, and the local parks (more like vacant lots) are entirely overgrown and unkept, and it is a resident/owner's responsibility to upkeep (or build) any sidewalks in front of their homes...and few bother. The tax rate here is one of the lowest (if not the lowest) of any country in South America, and decades of government corruption has resulted in little money going to those public works most Americans take for granted. I'm not sure if I've actually seen police officers here, but there sure is a lot of private security forces (everywhere from the shopping malls to the taxi stands).

There's a lot more that can be said on the subject, but I'll abstain for the moment.

The point is, there's nothing I can mail to anyone (or have mailed to me) without a postal service while I'm here: email is it (thank goodness my house finally came on-line...yesterday, in case folks failed to notice the post). I will be back in Seattle for a couple-three months beginning mid-March, but then I'll be gone for a year (till May 2015).

While I'm away, someone IS doing my mailings for me, so yes, you can still order books while they are in print. I'm strongly considering doing a couple more print-runs while I'm back next month, in order to make sure there's plenty of books on-hand for delivery, but we'll see. Sales of print-books (and PDFs) have definitely slowed down...especially for 5AK...but I figure a lot of that has to do with my lack of marketing and persistent absence from the on-line community the last few months. On the other hand, I've continued to get email requests for print copies of the B/X Companion and PDF copies of The Complete B/X Adventurer, and it would appear there are dollars to be made on both those items if I can just get my shit together...something I'm hoping to do.

In fact, I'm going to get to that right now. Well, right after I wake up my family who has drastically over-slept (at the moment it's 10am, Paraguay time).

The Dresden Files

Okay, first a quick 5AK update: almost all my mailings have gone out, and I should have the last three in the mail today. I have the car this week (one o the “perks” of the wife being out of the country) and I’ve been using the opportunity to make daily post runs on my lunch break.  Postage costs have been higher than I anticipated because all the packets have been an ounce heavier than my original “test” mailing…which is just weird. Did I use a different size envelope with first one? Did the addition of the adventure really add a full ounce?

Well, whatever…I’ll just eat the cost for now. The thing that REALLY bites, though, is the way the post office has changed their customs forms. They now have to manually enter all the info off the customs form into their computer for each mailing? WTF? I never had this issue with my last two books…just sending a single packet to Canada added an extra 5-10 minutes to my time at the post office yesterday. And today I’ve packets going to both the UK and France! Good thing I’ve got a Jimmy Johns just a couple blocks away.

[my lunch break is only 30 minutes]

So, yeah, people should start seeing their books arrive in the next few days. I know Gary’s Games (my local retailer) has sold a couple copies and asked for more, so the game is already in the hands of some folks.

Okay, so…Dresden Files. Had the chance to play this at Dragonflight this year and wanted to talk about the experience. Especially with regard to “role-playing” and in comparison to my recent play-test of D&D Next (i.e. 5^th Edition Dungeons & Dragons).

[oh no! Not this can o worms again!]

Yep…a little bit.

Dresden is one of those games that I don’t own, haven’t read, and (previously) had no interest in purchasing or playing. It uses the FATE game system, itself a derivation of the FUDGE (universal) game system, and I’m not a fan of FUDGE. I’m not a fan of “universal systems,” as they tend to be bland and generic (duh), drawing any flavor from the setting material or theme assumptions you try to slap on…and I prefer a system that synchs game mechanics tighter to the gameplay/style of the game. FUDGE with its subjective, descriptive phrases makes me cringe even more. What’s the difference between “good” and “great,” really?

Whatever…I’m an old fuddy-duddy curmudgeon in that regard. FATE offers a couple upgrades over FUDGE, and I enjoyed playing Spirit of the Century (which uses a version of FATE as well) the last time I was at Dragonflight. A lot of fun actually.

But then, SotC allowed me to live out some of my pulp fantasies (I absolutely love early pulp...). The Dresden Files? It’s “Harry Potter” meets detective noir. At least, that’s what it looks like, and I’m not a fan of Harry Potter. Yes, I’ve read the books and watched the films, but that’s because I’m a completest: I want to know how the story ends…even if the story’s not particularly compelling. The idea of a magical world living side-by-side with a mundane world, basically cooperative, kind of not-so-but-somewhat-secret…it’s like “World of Darkness Lite.”

More fun than it looks.

So yeah…not a big fan of the “fudgy-ness” of FATE, not a big fan of the Dresden theme (haven’t read the fiction nor watched the show), so why would I be interested in the game?

Well, turns out it’s a lot of fun actually.

And in ways I wasn’t really expecting. For one thing, the game made it very easy for me to role-play, and here I mean it in my own terms of putting myself in my imaginary character’s shoes. And this despite being an “indie” game…remember me talking about how “authorial stance” doesn’t facilitate role-playing because it takes you out of the character’s perception? You don’t remember that? Well, it was a pretty rambling set of posts.

Let me walk you through my experience: I wasn’t doing anything so I showed up at the Story Games Lounge just as they were deciding what game to play. A couple people voted for Dresden and I wasn’t about to rock the boat. Ogre (the GM) had a “canned adventure” ready for Dresden and handed out pre-gen characters…characters that had been played before and thus were a little developed based on past players.

My character sheet was a mass of gibberish…or rather, a mass of jargon with which I wasn’t familiar. I had a bunch things that looked like skills, ranked from +1 to +5. I had a bunch of magical gear, some of which was self-explanatory (healing potions), most of which weren’t (“vial of tears?”). I had a bunch of “aspects” which were descriptive one-liners…these things I remembered vaguely from 2010 (when I last played a FATE game) but I didn’t remember exactly how they worked mechanically. Some, like “good kid from a bad family” looked useful while others, like “channel my inner Admiral Ackbar,” were baffling to me (and I say this as a Star Wars fan who knows Admiral Ackbar). My character’s concept was something like Young Wizard Malcontent or something…a slacker 20-something who’s part of the local “wizard council” (or whatever) but has issues with authority (mainly due to his own apathy, probably).

Not every character at the table was a wizard: one dude was a (mundane) cop assigned to the Special Investigation (“supernatural”) unit. One was an older wizard “warden” (like the badass, magical “sheriff” of the territory). Two characters were supernatural non-wizards: a half-goblin/fae/changeling prankster and a dude who was like Wolverine without the claws (a brawny brawler with super-hard bones and regenerative abilities). The adventure was the kind of throwaway one-off you’d expect: someone got murdered, the police figure out supernatural beings are involved, SI cop drags his usual supernatural cronies into the investigation, and hilarity ensues. Or bloodshed. Or whatever. You get the gist.

What I’d like to do, though, is note the similarities between the (real life) circumstances of this game and my play-test of D&D Next. In D&D Next I also sat down with a group of (mostly) strangers and (very) casual acquaintances. I was given a rule set similar to something I’d played before, but that I still needed a little over-view of. I was given a character sheet for a semi-developed character with a bunch of (to me) gibberish…about the same length, too...including equipment, skills, and some special feats/stunts, abilities. Like the Dresden game, I was presented with a fairly obvious scenario: there’s a subterranean gnome community that needs help reclaiming their ancestral caverns that have become infested with non-friendlies. The players have a diversity of character concepts, all of which interact (mechanically) with the game environment in similar ways, if with different color.

Challenges will be presented. Players will address those challenges. “Stuff” will happen.

Now there WAS a difference in the type of character I played in the games: my DDN character was a dwarf fighter, while I purposefully decided AGAINST taking the “basic fighty-guy” in Dresden. It was offered to me (perhaps because it was my first foray into Dresden and only my second time with FATE), but I declined it in favor of the “snot-nosed kid.” I wanted to try something different.

[not that it really matters that much…I tend to play all characters the same regardless of concept]

The scenario in Dresden unfolded the way one would expect: you find clues in a scene, it leads you to a different scene. Sometimes there’s a fight at a scene. All leading towards the inevitable showdown with the “main bad guy” in a final, climactic scene. I’ve seen this kind of thing a lot over the years (typical World of Darkness type scenario). Having not read the rules, I don’t know if this is the typical Dresden scenario (the protagonist, Mr. Dresden, is a detective, right?).

All in all, pretty standard…which is what I would say of the D&D Next scenario, too. Not much surprising, fairly linear in the lay-out from “start” to “objective.” The players in both cases were a mixed bag, both regard to skill level (with the rules) and level of engagement (with play itself). In both case the DM was perfectly competent to run and referee, neither limiting the players through their decisions, nor providing exceptional surprises or “twists” in the action of the game.

I should also point out that both systems (DDN and Dresden) provide little kewl things (feats, stunts, powers…whatever you want to call it) that allow your character to operate outside the standard rules of the game, generally as an expendable resource. Okay? Same stuff with different jargon.

Having said all THAT, I will say that the Dresden Files most definitely facilitated the act of role-playing and D&D Next most certainly did not.

The difference was not the GMs running the game. The difference was not the players participating or the quality of their interaction with each other. The difference was not an exciting “adventure” that required a bunch of brain power or socializing with NPCs. The difference wasn’t minimalist rules or character sheets. The difference wasn’t a “lack of dice rolling” (I rolled more dice in Dresden than I did in the game of D&D Next). The difference was a lack of combat or danger: I actually missed a good section of the adventure (as I explained before) but came back in time for the whole climactic showdown with big, mean sorcerer and bunches of gun-wielding goons.

The difference was the SYSTEM…the mechanics of the game. One game (Dresden) forced me, again and again, to consider who I was as the imaginary character. It put me firmly in the shoes of my character…making me consider my game play from my character’s perspective. Here’s how:

When your character tries to do, well, pretty much anything at all interesting, you roll four “FATE dice” to see how effective you are. A FATE die is a six-sided die with two sides marked “+,” two sides marked “-,” and two blank sides; these stand for +1, -1, and 0 respectively. The result of your roll is added to your skill (+1 through +5) to arrive at a number that tells you how good your attempted action turns out. Especially with regard to combat and damage, these results are fairly objective…many times you have to overcome a specific target number (like the skill level of an opponent) in order to succeed.

I don’t own FATE dice, so I was rolling a set provided to me by the GM. My dice rolled shitty the entire session, mostly rolling negative and never rolling higher than +1 (that I remember). To compensate for this, you are allowed to tap “aspects” (those one-line descriptions) if you can apply it to the action; each aspect can be tapped once per action and gives you a +2 bonus to the result of your roll. You are also required to spend a FATE chip (like a poker chip) for each aspect tapped. Whether because my character was a wizard or young or both, I started with fewer chips than the other PCs (I believe I started with three), but I was awarded one every time I did something clever or interesting or made a cool choice of action based on my character’s descriptive aspects.

The thing is, I was forced to take actions (or motivate my character) based on my descriptive aspects because of my shitty dice rolls. Even when I didn’t roll terrible, I was still spending chips and tapping aspects because I wanted to get bigger successes. I was milking the system, constantly emptying my chip total as fast as they were awarded, and fully engaged in the mindset/personality of my character, because that was the only way for me to achieve effectiveness in the game. It didn’t matter, that my character wasn’t the strongest-toughest, or the biggest badass wizard, or the goblin-girl who’s stealth rolls ended up with “legendary” results every time because of various stacking feats and stunts and circumstance bonus. I, as a player, was fully in the mindset of my character AND still affecting the outcome of the adventure scenario simply by using the built-in mechanics of the game. I was the character that ruined the Big Demon-Summoning Ritual, and put a bullet in the Head Witch, and then later found said-witch (after she made a magic “quick escape”) with a ritual designed to follow the bullet I’d left in her. Pretty good considering my character seemed to have been designed to control wind and water and heal folks.

[as I’ve said before, I don’t really do “cleric.” In the end, as usual, I ended up leading the charge into battle and mucking everything up for the bad guy in my typical show-boat fashion. The GM later told us he’d run this scenario several times in the past and this was the first time anyone had ever actually stopped the demon from being summoned…most times the Wolverine guy would charge the summoning circle and get possessed and then turn on his buddies. I used my “wind evocation” to fly ahead of everyone and then used “water control” to wreck the summoning circle. The gun-play only came about because there’s a prohibition on wizards using magic to kill people, but in the end it worked out for the best when I had the idea to track the bullet]

I never did “channel my inner Admiral Ackbar,” though.

The aspects I did use included things describing the character’s personality, ethics, likes and dislikes. Things like “my friends are my family,” “mortal lives are in danger,” and “Erik’s not a bad guy…when people are trying to kill us.” The last referred to the character’s prickly relationship with the wizard warden – the stereotype “old guard vs. young buck” kind of dynamic. The other PCs used their aspects to do cool things as well: in one memorable instance, the cop used his cop authority to make all the mook cultists throw down their weapons, instead of doing the otherwise inevitable (and drawn-out) gun battle with a bunch of AK-47-armed, meth-head Satanists.

[just to contrast, back in my Vampire the Masquerade days, this is exactly the kind of thing that would take up hours of game play without being exceptionally interesting to the game]

SO…fun time had by all and quite a bit of (what I would consider) actual role-playing. Based on the mechanics of the game and the way the game-play unfolded. Now, am I anxious to get down to the shop and pick up a copy of Dresden Files? Or some other FATE-based game? No, not really.

Why not? Because, fun as it was to play I’m not terribly interested in running the game. I had a blast playing a character in the game (even someone else’s pre-gen character) but I would not want to act as a GM for the game…and if I purchased Dresden with the idea of introducing it to the players at my table, chances are I’d be running it. And the GM part of Dresden just doesn’t look all that fun to me. To me, it looks like the GM’s game (with Dresden) is very much dependent on what your players are bringing to it.  In D&D (and similar games), this isn’t the case: if the PCs don’t bring their “A” game, it just means they get killed…and killing players is plenty fun. I get the impression that character death isn’t really a feature of game play in FATE (judging by how difficult it is to even damage a non-mook NPC)…so unless your players are ready to dive in to the role-playing and start burning those chips, your game’s just going to be dull, dull, dull. I’m also not sure if or how the “character development” works in FATE; as a one-off session, the game worked great, but how do characters change over time in an extended campaign/saga?

ANYway…I was impressed with the gameplay and wouldn’t mind playing again (as a player, mind you). After dipping my toe into FATE on two occasions, I find myself a bit intrigued with its particular mechanics, wondering how it might be used in other settings/themes, perhaps in a streamlined form. Maybe I’ll check out a couple of these other FATE games (like Bulldogs! or John Wick’s Houses of the Blooded). I just wish the books had fewer pages.

Feliz Dia de los Muertos

Another very long weekend involving pumpkin patches and trick-or-treating and watching the Seahawks get blown out at home (my wife and mine's first "date" since the baby was born...we had fun but were still glad to leave early to retrieve the kid. How the Bengals added an extra ten points to the score in the 7 minutes it took us to walk to our car is a completely ridiculous mystery).

Anyhoo...I just wanted to drop a quick note to folks who've recently purchased copies of the B/X Companion and not yet received it: I've got all the packages ready-to-go, but just have not had the time to get 'em to the post office. Hopefully today or tomorrow they'll be shipped out. Now that the World Series (go, Cards!) and the Halloween holiday have cleared the schedule, life should be returning to some semblance of normalcy. Maybe. At least for a week before November birthdays and holidays start to hit.

*sigh*

[***EDIT/UPDATE: All purchases of the B/X Companion have been mailed out effective yesterday (11/1) afternoon; sorry for the delay!***]

Thank You to Everyone...

...who wished my family such kind thoughts on our recent addition.

I will be getting back to blogging sometime in the near future, but it may not be till after to next week. Meanwhile, to those folks who have ordered copies of the B/X Companion, please know that they are going out in the mail tomorrow. Thank you for your patience!

Oh, and by the way...? The birth of my son has inspired me in many creative ways regarding my own game design and writing. I hope that (once things settle a teensy bit), I'll be able to put some of those ideas down on the computer. I am taking notes...

: )

[also by the way, tough break for Da' Bears. I still can't help but think Rogers and the Packers get smoked if they have to play in Seattle...Hasselbeck at home is just so much better than Cutler. But that Haine kid had a chance at the end. Perhaps he'll be Chicago's starter next year? He showed some good poise and accuracy. I am now REALLY hoping that my prediction about the Jets losing is wrong, as I'd hate to see Pittsburgh in another Super Bowl, but New York is currently down by 7. My son seems to enjoy the white noise of the playoffs and slept soundly through the entire Chicago-Green Bay game...a little football fan in the making? Yay!]

Taking My Show on the Road

Well, not really. I’M hitting the road, and I can be a bit of a “show” but I’m not proselytizing the Good Word or anything.

My wife and I are heading out to Spain for a couple weeks. We have friends in several cities with whom we’ll be staying and we have a wedding to attend as well (yes, some people in Spain DO still get married…though not nearly as often as over on this side of the ocean). It’s my first trip to the Iberian peninsula and I’m excited to go…wine, tapas, castles, and a mix of culture and history many centuries old, how could I not be? Plus, we’ll be visiting Toledo which is a bit of a historic Mecca for a sword aficionado like myself (or so I’ve been led to believe).

[yes, yes, I’ve blogged much about the axe being my favorite fantasy weapon, but the sword…the real, historical sword…has always held a special place in my heart. Something that even years of distasteful “sport fencing” (not to mention shot-to-hell-knees) has been unable to spoil. Thank goodness!]

So Spain: a couple weeks, a whirlwind tour, 5 or so towns…should be lots of fun.

But it means my loyal blog readers will be without my meanderings for a couple-couple. My wife IS urging me to take my laptop, but I suspect she wants to watch DVDs on the plane or something…SHE can check her email on her fancy phone, after all. As of this moment I am 99.9% sure I will be travelling SANS computer.

ALSO, this means I will NOT be in a position to mail out more copies of the B/X Companion. I am still taking orders (believe me, I still want your money!) but any orders made will be delayed at least a few days getting out the door. I CAN have my brother put a couple in the mail for me (much as I prefer to do my own quality control, he knows the drill), but I have to email him with the addresses and customs info. My advice: if you want a copy, best order it by MIDNIGHT TONIGHT so I can get it out in the mail Tuesday morning…otherwise, you should probably wait till October 1st to place your order.

In the past, my trips to Europe have always involved me writing copious amounts (go figure) in a personal journal purchased expressly for each individual trip. However, that was before I had a long-running blog, a published book, or a new-found enthusiasm for game writing. Generally speaking, 44 hours of flight time (round trip) sounds like pure writing heaven to me…but I’d hate for something to happen to my electronic device on the trip and lose EVERYING I’ve worked on over the last year…and I doubt I’ll have a chance to back up the entire enchilada prior to leaving (hell, I’m going to be packing tonight…and I still have to work ten hours tomorrow!).

Ugh. Maybe I’ll just take a notebook and pencil. Man, my brother’s right: I AM an “old man!” Jeez.

Anyhoo, that’s the news. Blogging will be slow to non-existent for a bit, but I SHALL return…Autumn is my favorite time of year in Seattle, and I want to get back in time to enjoy all its wet and musty October glory. Plus, I’ve got Seahawks games to attend!

: )

Plans for the Next Few Days

Speaking of barbarians (and flim-flam artists for that matter) reminds me of my brother AB, who was known to play barbarians back in the old AD&D days. These days, I’ve got him sold on the elegant B/X system and after discussing it with him yesterday, it appears we are on for another Thursday night at the Baranof.

The ECGF people are actually running a D&D-esque game tonight at the Wayward (“Old School D&D…Indie Style!” whatever that means), but I kind of like running my own game. Who knows…maybe we’ll end up being the rival RPG gang across the street (the “mean group” that drinks beer instead of lattes). AB is going to call Steve up to meet us, and he suggested we try poaching some of the Emerald City group. I don’t know if I’m quite ready for THAT. We’ll see how tonight goes.

I know (or I assume) that people have been out finishing the last days of summer and this has accounted for the slow blogging, etc. Or maybe folks have just been busy with “back to school” stuff. Well, whatever. This weekend it’s MY turn to take a little road trip…the fam (including my brother and the beagles) is going to be road-tripping out to Yakima tomorrow, and won’t be back till Sunday or Monday. Which doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll be out of touch (I’m taking my laptop); you might still get a blog update or two.

It DOES mean that I won’t be able to put anything in the mail…i.e. “ship books.” My last post office run will be Friday morning (well, probably noon). If you intend to buy a copy of the B/X Companion anytime in the next couple-five days, I’d suggest putting in your order today or tonight. At least, if you want the thing shipped out on Friday. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting till Tuesday for the package to even be mailed.

Hope everyone has a long and pleasant Labor Day weekend!
: )

B/X Companion Table of Contents

As I prepare to make another run to the post office, I am reminded that I've received a couple emails/comments asking for the Table of Contents to be posted to the blog. Here, for your interest, is the inside front cover of the B/X Companion:

Why-o-why, JB, do you bother to list Charisma modifiers? For easy reference...Charisma is vitally important to a number of systems in the B/X Companion, including running dominions and leading troops into battle. And the specialist hirelings? Again, ease of reference (though you'll need one of the earlier rule sets to see their descriptions). The NEW specialist hirelings are all found in Part 4, pages C21-C22.

All right, I DO have to make my post run, so I can get back to writing Land of Ash...I may have spent too much time eating breakfast this morning. Feel free to keep those orders coming...I will try to make another mail run this afternoon, and I will definitely do one tomorrow (Saturday) morning as well.

: )

Comments on the Book

My internet was down most of today (until after 9:30pm, actually)...but little packages are starting to arrive at their destinations (at least in the U.S.) and some feedback is starting to trickle in.

I don't want to spend too much time tooting my own horn (I don't think that's why folks tune into the blog...well, who knows why folks tune into the blog!) but I will post a couple links and emails:

Mr. Gorman provides his initial impressions here.

BlUskrEEm can't figure out how to delete his blog, so he posted about the book. He thinks I hate halflings. On the other hand, he thinks my mass combat system might be good enough for at least one of the people that's been blogging about M.C. lately.

Steve sent me an email saying he really digs the book and plans to fit it into his B/X modified campaign, including my alternate combat system.

Steven (different guy) emailed me to see if I'd gotten his money yet and whether or not I had a book to send him(!). I told him I had already mailed it (I really did, I promise!).

Timeshadows thought her copy "looked lovely" but is still too busy with her move to read it. But she lives in Florida! I'm sure the Canadians should be getting their copies soon.

Okay...you can see I'm not really that good at the shameless self-promotion thing. I mean, other than blogging the hell out of the bloggity-blog-blog...but that's just running my mouth with my fingers. Maybe it's just been all the late nights stuffing envelopes has fatigued my brain a bit?

(*yawn!*)

I'm going to bed now...hopefully I'll have something more interesting to write about in the morning. G'night.

zzzzz...

Feedback on the Book

Copies of the B/X Companion should start reaching even Canadians in Manitoba in the next day or two (the European folks may take a little bit longer). If any of you blogger-type folks make note of your thoughts and impressions on the book, I sure would appreciate it if you'd drop me a quick email or comment about it. I'm not asking folks to do reviews, but if you DO say something...well, I want your feedback, possibly for future endeavors, and I'm afraid I don't read EVERY blog as regularly as I would like.

And please, feel free to be honest. As I said, I fully plan on keeping up this publishing thing (blog or commercial) as long as I've got stuff to write about. While I'm afraid I'll never be able to please all the people all the time (and, frankly, wouldn't want to), I sure wouldn't mind criticism...hell, it doesn't even have to be constructive! Lord knows I've treated certain game systems like the proverbial red-headed step child. Feel free to let me have it! I did train to be an actor after all...building up a thick skin was part of the deal.

; )

Prost, folks. Hopefully you won't have to wait much longer for your copies!

And So It Begins...

The first half dozen copies of the B/X Companion were shipped from the post office today...at about 1 minute before closing.

Congrats to the folks getting them...man, I sure hope you enjoy it. I know I get a thrill every time I read it, and I wrote the damn thing! I still think it's pretty damn inspiring and anyone interested in high level B/X (or OD&D or Labyrinth Lord) should probably take a look.

To the folks that didn't get your order in before I got to the post office...sorry. I will be making another run (with another stack of books) tomorrow. Depending on where you're living, you should get 'em in a few days.

WHICH REMINDS ME: If you do NOT live in the USA or Canada, please EMAIL ME before you make a purchase. Shipping and handling is higher to other parts of the world (the UK is $9), so email me FIRST and we'll work something out.

To everyone who's helping make me feel like a real, live author by exchanging your hard currency for my written imagination:

Thank you.

Words cannot express how much gratitude I have for all of you. Boy, I sure hope you find it worth the read.