Twelve Years A Game Designer

I started this blog over twelve years ago, in anticipation of my first (English) publication and the first paid-one.

It was Commander, released by Amora Game exactly twelve years ago (or at least I posted about that on 2nd of November).

And it was funny, in that my first publication was sort-of-happy accident...

Wait... How do you get published accidentally?!

Oh, boy...

I was—just for funsies—designing a Captain class, in a forum posts on Paizo message boards. It was an attempt to capture the spirit of the class of the same name from Lord Of The Rings Online for Pathfinder (1st edition). And then, unexpectedly, I was contacted by Greg LaRose from Amora Game, who told me that he wanted to publish a similar class when he saw my creation and he wanted to use my work as the basis for rework of what he had in mind.

After shaking off the initial dazed condition, I somehow negotiated a very neat deal with Greg, and the commander was born as a fusion of what I had in mind, and what Greg had in mind...

After some less than stellar initial release, we went through revision that ended receiving four out of five stars from Endzeitgeist.

I collaborated with Greg multiple times after that over years, as well as doing some things for Green Ronin, Jon Brazen Enterprise, Little Red Goblin Games, LPJ Designs, Wayward Rogue Publishing, and Zenith Games. I hope I haven't missed anyone.

I ended writing things for 1st edition of Pathfinder, 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons, Chronicle System (that's Green Ronin's Saga Of Ice And Fire mechanics), and Savage Worlds.

With that said, it has been years since my last publication—currently I am doing little when it comes to designing beyond writing weekly blog posts, though I am in no way shape or form rejecting the possibility of more things coming in the future (I have no intention of dabbling in self-publishing).

Xeno Files #9: Azan And Ker-Azan

So, once upon a time, I wrote a race of small geniuses with big egos...

Now, they are back, spreading far and wide across the galaxy! With even bigger toys. Azan don't play for small stakes!

101 Spells For The Common Man

Here we have a book containing a selection of low level spells of civilian (mostly utility). Spells to aid tradesmen of various kinds, help without housekeeping, provide entertainment, and other non-adventuring application. Some of them might be even useful to actual adventurers as long as they are creative...

101 Spells For The Common Man on Paizo.com

Yggdrasil #1

After long perturbations and adversities, a first issue of Yggdrasil, a fanzin dedicated to Midgard campaign setting was finally released.

Can be downloaded for free from Paizo website.

Wayfinder #16: Numerian issue.

Sixteenth issue of Wayfinder #16, dedicated to techno-fantastic Numeria is out!

Download for free on Paizo.com.

This time I contributed a number of magical and technological items for Heroes' Hoard: Numeria—beam modulators, cyborgkiller weapon property, psychosonic converter, and purifier of the unworthy flesh.

Occult Secrets: The Occultist

I'd like to announce availability of a new product written by yours, truly.

Occult Secrets: The Occultist can be acquired via RPGNow, Paizo, and directly from the publisher, Zenith Games.

This small accessory book contains three new archetypes, two sets of completely new implements: ten totem implements that are attuned to different creature types, and tweleve planar implements, connected to different planes and extraplanar beings, with multiple focus powers for each new implement. There are also four new feats, two spells, and a 6th level occultist NPC.

Colossal Beasts

Zenith Games just released The Colossal Creatures Bestiary.

Currently available on Paizo and RPGNow.

The word of the day is Arachnocthonus, a gigantic spider-like entity with lava seeping through the cracks and joints of its stony carapace...

More Kemonomimi Options!

Kemonomimi just got a few more options to choose from!

"Kemonomimi Moe Options" from Amora currently available on Drive Thru.

Kemonomimi!

I have just received an email leading to kemonomimi on DrivethruRPG. It's another thing I wrote for Amora Game... This time it is a set of seven moe races: red panda, raccoon, cat, dog, fox, hare, and tanuki for incoming setting.

The introductory legend of kemonomimi was written by Greg LaRose.

Kemonomimi on Paizo website.

Wayfinder #14: Monsters!

A new issue of >Wayfinder< is available now!

This time the theme is "monsters" so look for Monstrous Bodies And Warped Minds and disemboweled prophet...

Liber Xpansion

I mentioned in past posts Liber Influxus Communis, a book of base classes containing, among the others, my own metamorph class published by Amora Game. Recently, Amora Game published a follow-up to that book: Liber Xpansion. Again, I had a pleasure of writing some materials included inside—four out of five metamorph archetypes and some of the new evolutions.

Note that at the moment available Liber Xpansion is a work in progress, still being edited with additional materials being redacted and fitted inside.

Evil Alchemy!

A new publication is here. I wrote a number of necromantic-themed alchemical discoveries for Wayward Rogue Publishing for their Vivisectionist Hybrid Class.

Mountain Terrors!

It is time to announce the first non-Pathfinder publication I am part of!

Green Ronin Publishing (for whom I wrote a moss lich template for their Advanced Bestiary Pathfinder update), currently releases a series of environment themed monsters: Mountain Terrors! Watch out for mountain trolls and devouring shadows! They wait to stalk you down and eat alive... Or dead if you will struggle too much!

Those of you who prefer DrivethruRPG can get it there as well.

Wayfinder #13 is live! (for definitions of life acceptable in Ustalav)

And after another half a year shorter period because of PaizoCon moving to an earlier date, a new issue of Wayfinder is >here< This time it is dedicated to Ustalav, a region of Paizo's Golarion inspired and shaped by gothic horror stories, Ravenloft, and things that go bump in the night...

This time, my contribution is "Rituals Secret And Superstitious" article presenting a few new feats and rogue talents. Yes, no bestiary entry this time—this is a printed issue and thus the space is limited, meaning that my submitted monster hadn't made the cut.

Terrors Of Obsidian Apocalypse: Haunts

A creeping pool of raw ectoplasm, a haunted door, a cell where hanging took place, a bed of lover strangled, all those places were tainted by fear and death, and now wait to scare intruders... Or even take their lives.

A small but neat package of haunts is waiting for you.

DriveThru

Paizo Shop

I never before used haunts in Pathfinder so large part of the design process of this piece included learning the haunt building rules.

Little Red Goblin: Nontraditional Races

A Little Red Goblin in its sack just brought us a new book: Racial Guide 4: Nontraditional Races.
>Here< is LRGG's blog post and >here< you can find the book itself.

I am pleased to announce that it contains a creation of mine: oc'cli, selected in a contest on Paizo messageboard. Apparently it was unanimous pick of three judges...

The race itself was based on a creature that appeared in my dream in the autumn—appearance only, though, for the cultural and biological background hastily evolved in my mind when I was hastily designing the race for the contest. I can only say I wish I'd remember more of ideas I have in my dreams.

Wayfinder #12

Twelfth issue of Wayfinder is here! Well, actually it's there...

New creations of mine are aucturn cat and pheyraoh in the bestiary section. Have fun.

Dragonheart

The Liber Influxus Communis is slowly finalized. In fact the WIP version of pdf is already available (at least for backers and contributors, but I think that those who aren't either can get it as well). In light of this it's time to present a sample NPC that uses the class I wrote: the metamorph.

Dragonheart

A muscular half-orc with a pair of draconic wings, clawed hands, elongated jaws revealing terrible fangs, and a tail ending with a vicious stinger. His skin is covered in patches of black scales completing the quasi-draconic image.

CR 8; XP 4,800
Male half-orc metamorph 9
NE Medium humanoid (human, orc)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60-ft,, Perception +19

Defense
AC 25, touch 19, flat-footed 18 (+2 armor, +2 Dex, +2 deflection, +5 dodge, +4 natural)
hp 76 (9d8+36)
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +12
Immune acid

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft (average)
Melee bite +13 (1d6+7), 2 claws +13 (1d4+7), sting +13 (1d4+7)
Special Attacks breath weapon (30-ft. cone, 9d6 acid, DC 19)

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 20, Cha 8
Base Atk +6; CMB +11; CMD 28
Feats Extra Vital Surge (x3), Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +6, Climb +9, Fly +8, Knowledge [arcana] +12, Linguistics +3, Perception +17, Survival +17, Swim +9
Evolutions bite, breath weapon (acid), claws, energy immunity (acid), flight (winged), improved natural armor, sting, tail
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Orc
SQ enhanced natural attacks, vitality surge (4d6, 15/day)
Combat Gear belt of physical might (Str, Dex) +2, bracers of armor +2, cloak of resistance +2, headband of inspired wisdom +4,  ring of protection +2.

Special Abilities

Breath Weapon (Su): Dragonheart can spew a spray of acid dealing 9d6 points of damage in a 30-ft. long cone, or half on a successful Reflex saving throw against DC 19. Using this ability expends one use of vitality surge.

Enhanced Natural Attacks (Su): Dragonheart's natural attacks have +2 enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage.

Vitality Surge (Ex): Up to fifteen times per day, Dragonheart can tap reserves of his vitality as a swift action healing 4d6 points of damage.

Born under another name, name torn to pieces and thrown to the wind, Dragonheart was an outcast, a half-breed hated and mocked by his orcish kinfolk. His life was destined to be short and miserable, serving as a slave to his kin for weakness of his blood. This all changed when the tribe unwittingly stirred local pack of wyverns starting a prolonged war of attrition between orcs and the serpentine fliers. While the orc warriors hunted and prepared ambushes, Dragonheart deep inside wished them failure. When warriors were back with their dead comrades, Dragonheart secretly cheered the scaled menace, when warriors came back with trophies taken from a slain wyverns, Dragonheart was mourning the beasts, and yet hated them for their failure. When away from the tribe, he cursed the tribe for not dying, and he cursed the wyverns for not killing more of the orcs...

One night, he was selected to be a servant to the hunting party, though, and that changed everything. Their ambush on a pair of wyverns was total failure, for Dragonheart let the pebbles fall and alert the wyverns to the hunters' presence. Without the advantage of surprise the orcs rushed the beasts and fell, one by one. They managed to kill one and cripple the other, but in the end only one out of dozen hunters stood, preparing to kill the incapacitated beast. Dragonheart stabbed him in the back and then silently whispered his reasons in the ear of dying kinfolk. After severing final ties connecting him to his tribe, Dragonheart came to the crippled wyvern, killed it with the same knife, cut out the heart and ate it. He woke next morning changed, with claws and first scales on his body. It was the beginning of the transformation that was slowly moving him from mocked half-breed into monstrous hybrid. His scales grew stronger, he sprouted pair of wings. Later, much stronger Dragonheart managed to kill a young black dragon, again eating the heart of the magnificent prey and gaining more of its strength—affinity for corrosive acid that the beast spewed. He was no longer member of vanquished tribe. He was Dragonheart.

Advanced Bestiary!

Photo courtesy of Patrick Curtin

Pathfinder edition of Advanced Bestiary by Green Ronin Publishing is finally hitting the shelves! The hardcover were already sends to backers (and hopefully to contributors as well...). PDFs can be already bought and printed version can be preordered.

Advanced Bestiary on Paizo.com
Advanced Bestiary on DriveThruRPG
Advanced Bestiary on Green Ronin Online Store

Once you get it, turn the page to... Uh, I have no idea what page actually. Just go through all of it until you find a dwarf druid! The one with mossy hair (if there would happen to be more than one).

And what's more there is another publication looming very-very soon. Or so I hope.

Wayfinder #11

Another middle of the year and another Wayfinder is here!

This time, the theme is Cheliax. An empire that turned to diabolism after their patron deity Aroden unexpectedly died...

Obviously, I had to submit a devil for such an issue: a physician devil that uses its healing skills and aura that corrupts natural healing abilities to tempt mortals into purchasing its services. The other monster of my design that can be found inside is dreadling — a hafling-blooded monstrosity stalking the nights and feeding on fear.

There is more, however, as this time I wrote an actual article... Ok, well, an excuse for pushing more crunch actually, presenting a number of feats and rogue talents related to devils, trickery, and cruelty of the Empire Of Devils...

The next issue is dedicated to Ancient Egypt Osirion. Deadline looms in less than two months. I would like to have some extra time, though.