Power Overwhelming

I finally got my power back.





...and there was much rejoicing. 

New Free Map - Now with bonus Hex Version!

I'm scheduling this well ahead of time in case the hurricane that is currently tear assing through North Carolina does likewise where I lives and I end up losing power, something my power company tells me may happen for up to a week!  

This map is of a river and the surrounding lands.  Though normally we do totally blank maps there has been some requests to do maps that have more features, but still have the labels left off.  To that end this map has rivers, hills, forests, etc, but still no labels.  That part is your job!  

Like all of our Free Map Monday Maps, this map is 100% free for your personal use. Please feel free to leave thoughts on this map or the series of free maps in general in the comments section or email us by clicking on the "Email Us" scroll in the far right hand column.  Speak up and you may see your opinion sway the end result of an upcoming week's map. 

Enjoy!

PS - I almost forgot.  I also made a version of this map with a hex grid to help with overland travel.  Enjoy!

Here is This Week's Free Map!

Here is this week's free map, a coastline encompassing a bay and large peninsula.   Like all of our Free Map Monday Maps, this map is 100% free for your personal use.  This map is devoid of city/town markers, mountains, forests, or anything else which leaves you free to add anything you want to the map with ease.  Please feel free to leave thoughts on this map or the series of free maps in general in the comments section or email us by clicking on the "Email Us" scroll in the far right hand column. 

Enjoy!

Attending Starfleet Academy: A Guide to Loving Background Tables

Most people agree that making characters is generally a fun experience.  However, not all systems provide the same type or quality of experience during the character making progress.  Some games like Pathfinder or Savage Worlds take a less is more approach, allowing you to make a character is a very small amount of time and leaving the details (if any) of the character's history to the player.  Other games, like Hackmaster 4th edition and the FASA Startrek game take a very different approach.

Now I'm not going to beat around the bush, I like background tables.  They provide you with guidance, tie your character into the setting, and provide a balanced field on which all characters are created.  Not to mention when they are done well they are just plain fun.  Our first game of Hackmaster one of the most fun nights of gaming was making characters.  That night each of us went through the course of events that had led up to the beginning of the campaign.  The Professor's character, a Mage, was probably the most entertaining.  The tables simulated his character getting into and attending a magical academy.  Everyone was keenly interested in what was going on and each die roll seemed to be more imperative than the last.  Though it wasn't even my character I still had an absolute blast.  

Fast forward to present day.  Our group recently decided to start a Star Trek game using the Savage Worlds system.  Being new to Savage Worlds I got the book and looked over the character creation rules.  It only took a few minutes and I had the basics down.  It only took a couple of more minutes to create a completed character.  The rules are very streamlined, something that the makers of Savage World have clearly strived for.   Those of you who don't know the game, Savage Worlds is made to be played in any setting and in any genre, so it doesn't have much by way of setting specific information on Star Trek.  For that I took a ride on the way back machine to FASA's 1st edition Star Trek Role Playing Game.  

In that game I was met with the polar opposite approach to character creation.  Thinking it would be fun to get the full experience I decided to remake my same character using this different system.  I wanted my character to be a Starfleet Officer so that meant that I had to go through what he did in his early life, go through the long process of attending Starfleet Academy, his cadet cruise, branch school, multiple tours of duty, and command school.   The process took a really long time. 

It was a blast.

Not only that but my character ended up with a rich history tied in closely with the setting.  In addition to being fun the experience wasn't a waste as that background was still perfectly usable for my Savage Worlds character. 

So even in this day in age when rules light games are all the rage and people balk at having even the smallest detail of their character's backstory decided by anyone or anything but themselves, I encourage you to reacquaint yourself with the background table.  You might just find that they prove to be an interesting addition to the character creation process.  Hell, you might even find that you really like them. 

Free Map - Catch-up Edition!

I'm one week behind on Free Maps because of Gen Con (Not the only thing I'm behind on unfortunately), and I'm sure that there are some that thought I forgot.  Fear not!  With this map we are officially caught up.  Here is the catch up free map, a look at a very large lake and the lands that surround it.  Like all of our Free Map Monday Maps, this map is 100% free for your personal use.  This map is devoid of city/town markers, mountains, forests, or anything else which leaves you free to add anything you want to the map with ease.  It does have a box for you to fill in the name of your map, or any other information you feel is important.  Please feel free to leave thoughts on this map or the series of free maps in general in the comments section or email us by clicking on the "Email Us" scroll in the far right hand column. 

Enjoy!

Free Map!

Here is this week's free map, a close up section of a turbulent river.   Like all of our Free Map Monday Maps, this map is 100% free for your personal use.  This map is devoid of city/town markers, mountains, forests, or anything else which leaves you free to add anything you want to the map with ease.  Please feel free to leave thoughts on this map or the series of free maps in general in the comments section or email us by clicking on the "Email Us" scroll in the far right hand column. 

Enjoy!

A Couple of Hackmaster Notes

As the title says, there are a couple of quick, but very important, bits of Hackmaster news that have come out in the last few days. First, the Hacklopedia of Beasts has finally cleared customs and is currently at the KenzerCo offices being sorted and shipped! I'd guess that they're going to start showing up on people's doorstep sometime between Monday and Wednesday of next week, so look for my official review of the product a few days after that. I'm hoping to have the book in my hands and the review out by Friday, but that's mostly going to depend on when I get it.

The second piece of news is that the pre-order for the Player's Handbook is now up! They're doing it the same way they did the pre-order of the HOB, meaning that if you pay for the full price of the book now, you'll get the book when it comes out as well as a PDF copy today. It should be noted that the current PDF release is a very, very early Alpha version, and doesn't yet contain the complete rules. However, when you pre-order you get the right to download every version of the PDF, from the current Alpha version all the way to the RC (Release Copy) version. Also, if you're the type of person who likes to get involved, there's a thread on the KenzerCo forum where you can give suggestions about layout, rules clarifications, and the like. KenzerCo, as a company, is truly great about listening to it's fans and making changes when appropriate. Plus, if you've ever wanted to get your name on the inside cover of an RPG core book, this is your chance.

New Free Map!

Someone pointed out to me that my endeavors were featured on a recent episode of Obsidian Portal's Podcast.  For those of you who don't know about Obsidian Portal, I highly recommend that you check them out.  I discussed them quite a ways back, and still think their site is one of the best resources for Gamers out there.  In the episode they talk about using my maps on the site, which I think is an awesome idea.  All of our Free Map Monday Maps are 100% free for your personal use so please feel free to use them on Obsidian Portal.  Hell, send me a link if you do, I'd love to come check out your campaign!

Alright, enough of me jabbering on.  This week's map depicts a narrow sea passage between two large continents.  As usual, it is devoid of city/town markers, mountains, forests, or anything else which leaves you free to add anything you want to the map with ease.  It is perfectly square so those of you who want to use it for Obsidian Portal should have an easy time doing so.

Please feel free to leave thoughts on this map or the series of free maps in general in the comments section or email us by clicking on the "Email Us" scroll in the far right hand column. 

Enjoy!

...And We're Back!

I'm back safely from Gen Con.  I actually got home yesterday, but spent the better part of the day recuperating and hanging out with the wife.  The trip was a lot of fun and I hope to have a full breakdown written up within the next week or so, discussing all the cool activities my group and I engaged in and cool people we met along the way.

With all this Gen Con business taking up so much of my time it's put me off my map making schedule.  Never fear though, a new map will be appearing later on today so stay tuned!

Off to Gen Con!

Please pardon the interruption as I am off to Gen Con!  Last years trip was awesome, and this year seems even more packed with great fun events that I'm sure you'll hear me gush about when I return!

Now wish me luck on my seemingly endless 16 hour car ride...