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Archive for the 'PDF' Tag

Sneak peek at ‘Doctor Who’ RPG

October 19th, 2009, 9:45 pm by Jayson Peters

whoPublisher Crucible 7 has released a seven-page preview and sample character sheet from its upcoming Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space roleplaying game.

Priced at $59.95, the release is described as a deluxe box set that contains a 144-page Gamemaster’s Guide, an 86-page Player’s Guide, a 30-page Adventures Book, a four-page Quick Start Guide, pregenerated character sheets, blank character sheets, gadget sheets, tokens and dice. The game, originally set for release this month, will be out in November.

This is the third official tabletop RPG based on Doctor Who: FASA published one in the ’80s and Virgin in the ’90s. The new game naturally focuses on the 2005 relaunch of the classic series that ran from 1963-89. But with 45 years of accumulated lore from TV episodes, original novels and plays and two spinoffs to date, there is plenty of material to support a full range of gaming supplements — if the market is there for them.

See also: ‘Doctor Who’ RPG set for fall release

Weekend Reading

October 18th, 2009, 8:24 am by Jayson Peters

A disturbing convergence

July 25th, 2009, 11:27 pm by Jayson Peters

We’ve already reported that at least one e-tailer has proved it has both the ability and the guts to snatch back content you thought you wanted (Amazon embraces the Orwellian spirit and UPDATE: Orwell e-books yanked from Kindles were bootlegs, July 17).

Now the U.S. government appears to be on the verge of establishing a squad of truth police if not Thought Police, if Tribune columnist Austin Hill is to be believed (Obama appointee wants control of web speech, July 25).

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Free D&D adventure module available to download

July 21st, 2009, 12:09 pm by Jayson Peters

Dungeons Dragons free PDFWizards of the Coast has released its Free RPG Day offering as a free download. The 2nd-level Eberron setting adventure, Khyber’s Harvest, was created just for the annual hobby industry event and includes five pregenerated characters, so it’s ready to play right off the PDF.

See also:

D&D updates older products for new edition

July 7th, 2009, 11:05 am by Jayson Peters

Dungeons and Dragons Exemplars of EvilWizards of the Coast is planning a series of updates to Dungeons & Dragons supplements and adventure modules produced near the end of 3rd Edition’s lifespan that will make them more useful to players of the newer 4th Edition.

The following 3.5-version products will “go Fourth” this month:

  • Exemplars of Evil
  • Elder Evils
  • Fortress of the Yuan-ti
  • Stormreach
  • Dragons of Eberron
  • Anauroch

D&D creative manager Chris Perkins noted in the official game forum: “Normally I’d say ‘Better late than never,’ but these are pretty damn late. Again, profuse apologies. We suck.” Supplements published during the transition between editions, before the new rules were out, carried a logo that indicated they would be compatible with 4th Edition.

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At least one D&D piracy case headed to mediation

June 19th, 2009, 11:33 pm by Jayson Peters

An Associated Press story reveals more details about the recent Dungeons & Dragons lawsuits than you can shake a Rod of Lordly Might at.

One of the defendants is bravely questing forth to represent himself in a copyright infringement suit filed by Wizards of the Coast, which is basically Hasbro — one of the largest toymakers in the world. His case appears to be headed for mediation, so he may yet make his saving throw vs. scary corporate lawyers.

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Watch a board game take shape — or help shape it

June 18th, 2009, 12:01 am by Jayson Peters

space_fight_page_02_image_0001EN World, one of the largest communities of roleplaying gamers online, has posted a PDF of a draft tactical board game that seeks to model the exciting starship combat seen in popular movies and television shows.

The game — called SPACE FIGHT! – will eventually be sold as a full-color, softback book and as a PDF — and its creator is even offering employment to artists who can illustrate spaceships for the gamepieces.

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D&D intro rules, adventure module now free to download

April 29th, 2009, 12:01 am by Jayson Peters

shadowfell.jpgLess than a month after ending all online sales of digital current and out-of-print Dungeons & Dragons products – and launching a firestorm of nerd rage — Wizards of the Coast has re-released the first product in its new Fourth Edition line as a free PDF.

Keep on the Shadowfell, a 71-page adventure module for first-level characters, was released in 2008 just before the three core rulebooks debuted — so it also contained a 27-page booklet of “quick-start rules” to get new players started in the roleplaying game. The suggested retail price is $29.95.

The scenario and the rules booklet are now free to download as two separate PDFs in what the company is calling “D&D Test Drive.”

The announcement also reiterates that the Character Builder software remains free to download and use to create characters of levels 1-3. This, of course, is an attempt to entice people to subscribe to Wizards’ D&D Insider online service, which includes access to articles from the online Dragon and Dungeon magazines as well as the use of online tools to enhance the game.

D&D parent co. pulls legal PDFs off market, starts flame war

April 6th, 2009, 10:58 pm by Jayson Peters

Wizards of the CoastToday the game company Wizards of the Coast filed three lawsuits targeting eight people accused of distributing pirated copies of its new Dungeons & Dragons book Player’s Handbook 2, while simultaneously ending its arrangements with online retailers to sell PDF copies of its past and present products. The move has set message boards ablaze with anti-WoTC sentiment that already was stoked by the new edition of the game and the transformation of the popular Dragon and Dungeon magazines from print to an online platform.

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Former D&D designer to launch Dungeonaday.com

March 5th, 2009, 12:01 am by Jayson Peters

When Dragon and Dungeon magazines shed their physical forms to go to an online model, who knew so many publications for tabletop RPG players would burst onto the scene?

Next week Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition designer Monte Cook will launch Dungeonaday.com, which he describes as “a subscription-based website that will offer new game content every weekday. Basically, what I’ll be doing is building an ongoing dungeon-based campaign of a decidedly old-school tradition, but utilizing all the newest presentation options. So expect an adventure like no other with hypertext references to all the important game content (including various rules references), fluid encounters, and incredible amounts of detail.”

You can read more about the venture here, but basically the content will be somewhat “rules-lite” with a focus on the 3.5 D&D rules set.

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