Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay in Stock!

Blogger was down yesterday so we couldn't make the announcement when it happened but I just wanted to let everybody know that the first three products - Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Plundered Vaults, and the WFRP character pack, are now in stock at Griffon Games.

I picked up all three and have been very happy with the overall quality of the products. The game itself feels a LOT like the original, though there have obviously been changes. Fans of the old should be happy though.

Liber Fanatica - Fan Material for WFRP

From the Black Industries forum:

During the last twenty years, quite a bit of fan support has appeared for WFRP1, in the form of adventures, settings, careers, optional rules, and so on - up to complete epic campaigns, and monographs on special subjects (Bretonnia, life at sea, and so on). These materials were often of high quality an well appreciated.

When the playtests for the new game ended, a number of playtesters had ideas for writing material to support the game. A few of us joined forces and set out to really do write it, and deliver it to the WFRP community for free, in return for all the stuff that that community has given to them. Under the name of Liber Fanatica, we will be launching two PDFs for free download from March 29.

Some things you can expect in the books:

• Variants for chargen
• Tips for roleplaying the character
• A conversion guide to get characters from WFRP1 to WFRP2
• Conversion of WFRP1 magic spells (from the main book and from RoS) to WFRP2
• Old careers that haven't appeared in WFRP2, are converted for the new game as well
• Some additional rules to make magic more flexible and dangerous
• A way to get the stress more on narration in combat

That was posted about a week ago. Today this became a reality. The first Liber Fanatica books are ready to download - just in time for the release of the game (well, a day before as our copies won't be arriving until tomorrow).

Download them now!

Liber Fanatica I: Character Compendium

Liber Fanatica II: The perilous Arts

GameTable Online’s Spring Gaming Fling

GameTable Online’s Spring Gaming Fling begins Friday March 25th!

GameTable Online is swinging its virtual doors wide open to allow all registered users to play for free. Each week one game is available for everyone to play. The game that will kick off the excitement is the classic Nuclear War. A new game will be available for free each week.

Anyone registered on the site will be able to start, join and play Nuclear War! Visit the website (www.gametableonline.com) regularly to see the next game open for free play. To play, just click the name of the game on the Play Games page.

As a reminder, if you do not see someone else in the lobby to play with, just minimize the window and turn on your speakers - you'll hear a doorbell when a friendly opponent joins in for a game.

Enjoy our Spring Fling!

Three New Decal Sets

We just added three new decal sets to our ever-grown line today. We've added:

Hearts
Diamonds
Clubs (clovers)

All we need to do is get some moons and we'll be able to complete the entire Lucky Charms set...

New MechWarrior Rules - Mission Cards

Mission cards are the last new MechWarrior game mechanic of this year. They were originally slotted to show up in the MechWarrior: Age of Destruction release, but Game Design decided they wanted some more time to playtest this interesting new game twist. Offering players a way to get extra victory conditions, after all, should be treated delicately!

Read the whole article...

More Previews for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

Blackindustries.com has finished putting up their previews of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. You can now download all of the following PDF previews of the new book which should be appearing on store shelves mid-week next week:

1. Reality and the Warhammer World (1.39 Mbytes)
2. Small but Vicious Dogs (1.00 Mbyte)
3. Stenchfoot Fever and other Nurglish delights… (1.08 Mbytes)
4. Spells and nailing Wizards to trees (1.01 Mbytes)
5. Marriage, Dooming and sundry charming customs ( 1.09 Mbytes)
6. Insanities of the Old World ( 1.02 Mbytes)
7. Politics of the Empire (1.14 Mbytes)

Flames of War site Updated

The official Flames of War site has been updated with the following new articles:

• Dawn Attack Mission
• Troina, Sicily, the History and Scenario
• Update of the US Airborne Rules
• and Evan's Forum tip!

Go to the official Flames of War page...

Ultimate Rifts - Hardcover or Softcover?

Palladium is putting out a new edition of the venerable "Rifts" game. What they want to know from you is - should they put out this 300+ page tome in hardcover or softcover?

You decide...

Flames of War Restocked

I know that some of you have been eagerly awaiting our next shipment of Flames of War goodies. Well, the shipment came a little early this week. We got our restock yesterday rather than tomorrow. Yes. we were pretty happy about it too. With the surge of interest in the game we're having a hard time keeping some of the more popular items in stock so be sure to get them while you can or you'll have to wait until the next order...

Sneak a Peek at the new Hive Tyrant

No time for a preview pic this morning. just follow this link to see the photo...

Live Chat with Privateer Press

Privateer Press invites you to a live chat with Creative Director Matt Wilson on March 28th, 6pm PST. The topic of conversation will be the upcoming WARMACHINE:Apotheosis expansion for WARMACHINE. The chat will be accessed from Privateerpress.com and will be open for about 2 hours. Transcripts of the chat will be made available in the hours following. We hope to see you there!

Go To Privateer Press's Home Page...

Details on Army Builder 3.0

Aside from all of the "generic" features listed below the rumor is that the new version will fully support the changes made to the way Space Marine armies are put together in the new edition of WH40K. Of course, that's just a rumor.

New Features
Army Builder V3.0 represents a complete re-write and features a long list of new functionality. Some of the most important changes are summarized below:

•Fully configurable UI - change the columns shown and their widths, sort on any stat, etc.
•Filter available units on any criteria - e.g. units with special ability X and/or from composition group Y
•Rosters use a tree view, with collapsable branches to see just the info you want, when you want it
•Customizable info windows contain composition profiles, roster statistics, unit notes, etc.
•Flexible rulesets let users mix and match army construction rules, with the ability to change rules "on the fly"
•Support for graphics, icons, and stylized text (e.g. bold, italics, etc.) within data files
•Option grouping via tabs provides easy access and eliminates need for a separate "items" form
•Options quick reference view gives a summary of all available options in an easily viewed list
•Arbitrary grouping of units into "squads" with appropriate validation of grouped units
•Compilation of data files provides nearly instant loading of the most complex data files
•Hot zones offer quick reference viewing of all the details for terms, icons, etc.
•User-defined views and filters enable quick switches between commonly used settings
•Drag-and-drop movement of units within roster for easy customization
•Print preview capability


Pricing and Backwards Compatability
The MSRP is unchanged - it remains US$39.99. Copies of V2.x shipped to distribution since May of 2004 include free V3 0 upgrade license certificates. The only thing extra required of a user who purchases V2.x oil your shelf is a 3MB download, which can be accomplished in a few minutes over a dial-up connection.

Packaging Change
Army Builder is now packaged in the small format, PC software box. The box measures 7.5" high by 5.25" wide by 1.25" deep, and it is printed in full color. Each copy is individually shrink-wrapped.

Licensing Change
It is no longer possible to bootleg the Army Builder CDs. Each box includes a license number on the CD envelope within. This license number is needed to activate the product and is tied to a single computer. If needed, users can obtain a free secondary license for use on another computer (e.g. laptop) via our license administration website.

Internet Access Required
Activating the license requires access to the internet. Users can activate the product on a computer without direct internet access, but they will need to have some sort of access via an alternate computer.

Sneak Peek at the new Zoanthrope

GW's website has a sneak peek at the new WH40k Zoathrope model (along with some nice photos of the new Tactical Space Marine Squad, Devastator Squad, and some other upcoming items.

With all of the bug activity we have going on at the store these days I'm sure that the new pics will bring much excitement.

With the incorporation of the new "dip" method of shading we're going to be seeing a lot more bug armies in the near future. It's pretty amazing to see how quickly a good-looking tyranid force can be put together using this method. Want to know more? Be sure to talk to me or Seth next time you're in the store and we'll explain and show you some examples.

Details on City of Heroes RPG

Last week I mentioned the Eden Studios would be publishing a City of Heroes tabletop RPG based on the popular MMORPG in passing. Well, here are some details about it:

The City of Heroes roleplaying table-top game will use a special version of CJ Carella’s Unisystem, Eden's inhouse roleplaying game rules, that captures the highlights of the online experience yet remains compatible with other Unisystem games. Players take the role of super-powered heroes with a full array of power choices. They take the fight to numerous villains, including Circle of Thorns mages, Council thugs, Clockwork robots, Vahzilok zombies, and others popularized in the online game.

The Registration Manual core book will be authored by Eden insider M. Alexander Jurkat, editor of the majorityof Eden’s Unisystem game books, designer of the Army of Darkness card game, and author of GURPS Conspiracy X. The core book will be followed by the Paragon City source book, the Monitor’s Support Pack, the Super-powered Operative’s Dossier and other supplements.

Read the full PDF press release...

WOTC wants you to destroy the world

In 150 days (according to the web page today) Wizards of the Coast will release something called "Hecatomb" - a new CCG where players try to be the first player to build up enough power to destroy the world.

I could try to say something funny or insightful here but frankly, I'm at a loss. Anyway, if you want to find out more check out their discussion forum.

New Skaven on GW's Preview Page

Being the Rat-loving guy that I am I was excited to see the new Skaven posted to the Sneak preview page. I may have to finally get around to building that army that I started last summer...

Portent.net Respawns?

Portent.net might not be dead yet. Sure, the body is still on the table and the doctor is still jabbing it with needles, pounding on its chest, and giving it mouth to mouth... but it's possible that it could pull through.

If you go to http://www.portent.net/forums/ you'll get something that looks surprisingly like Portent.net... with this additional message:

This is a temporary forum which we hope will eventually become the new Portent forums under the control of the moderators from the original forums.

Of course, the traffic is only a SMALL portion of its former self (which is probably a good thing for their server) and they are rebuilding the member list from the ground up because it looks like that was all lost from the problems they were having originally. I couldn't tell who it was exactly that was trying to make a go of it this time but it should be worth keeping an eye on.

A Blast From the (D20) Past

This one Hit our shelves today. D20 Past a supplements for D20 Modern similar to the way that D20 Future is. It takes the rules from the core game and tweaks them for a different period. In this case... pre-modern.

I'm a big fan of the D20 modern rules set so I'm pretty excited to get a look at this one. Of course, for "modern" rules I think that I like Spycraft's rules, or more specifically the way they were presented in the Stargate SG-1 rulebook... but this is pretty good too.

Hilarious Boba Fett Rap

Be sure to put the milk down before you listen to this unless you want it to shooting out of your nose.

This is a rap called "Fetts Vette" from MC Chris. His work has been described as "nerd-core rap"... which I think explains it well.

My backpack's... got jets

Well I'm Boba... The Fett

Well I bounty Hunt.. for Jabba Hutt.. To finance.. My vette.

Listen or be disintegrated (unless you're at work and they frown on naughty language).

Check out the Fett video... (this one has the naughty language wookied out)

Testors to produce "A Song of Ice and Fire" Game

Gaming Report reported that Testors Corporation - well known manufacturer of plastic model kits - it going to be producing a game and line of pre-painted miniatures based on George R.R. Martin's popular A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novel series.

There weren't too many details on the game but the basics are this:

The game is produced by Testors, designed by Andy Chambers (who recently designed the Starship Troopers miniatures game for Mongoose Publications), and the miniatures will be 1/18th scale, pre-painted and collectible. The release date is scheduled for September of this year.

Magic in the new Warhammer FRP

I'm not sure when Black Industries posted it, but there's a pretty detailed explanation about how the magic system in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay works on their site and it's got me pretty excited. And I was already excited about the game. Here's one of my favorite tidbits:

While Priests don’t have to worry about Tzeentch messing up their day, they do have their own problems – and their own miscast table. This is called the Wrath of the Gods. There are a number of bad things that can happen. These range from a (literally) stunning Unearthly Vision to very dangerous Daemonic Interference which succinctly states “Your prayer is answered, but not by your God.” The new rules are full of pithy little gems like this. I really appreciate the fact that the game has maintained its dark sense of humor.

It's a pretty long read and goes into a lot of detail so if you're thinking of picking up the book it's worth the effort.

Read the whole thing here...

Shadowrun 4th Edition coming this summer

If you think you’ve played Shadowrun before ­think again!

In August 2005, Shadowrun gets a new edition for the 21st century ­and beyond! The Fourth Edition of this highly successful cyberpunk-fantasy game still has the same high-tech, low-life mix of man, magic and machine that has made Shadowrun one of the top-selling roleplaying games of all time, along with many new features:

• The core mechanics are completely revised to be simpler and more streamlined for quicker, easier and more consistent play.
  Matrix 2.0! An all-new level of wireless “augmented reality” overlays the real world, unleashing hackers to be mobile digital wizards.
• The year is 2070 ­five years since the System Failure took down the old Matrix, nine years since the passing of the comet unleashed wild and unexplained magic in the world. The Sixth World has changed. Some of the players are familiar, but there are new faces­and new forces­at work in the shadows.
• Complete rules and world information in one volume ­ playable the day you buy the book!

Read the entire press release...

Your thoughts on the Game of Thrones RPG?

So, I'm curious. How much interest is there out there in the forthcoming Game of Thrones RPG? I know the the books are hugely popular (I know that I devour each one as they are released) and the CCG ALMOST took off here... but the new RPG is going to be on the expensive side for an RPG. $50 is not unheard of (the Conan book was $50) but it's not often that they come out at that price point.

So.. and here a good chance for you to test-drive the new comments feature... What do YOU think? Is this something you think that you'd be interested in picking up? Have you even read the series? Do you know what I'm talking about at all? Did you happen to wander over here while looking for pictures of Griffons?

We want to hear what you have to say.

The Ultimate Roleplaying Table

Tired of using the overhead projector pens on the vinyl matte to reveal your dungeons? Well, this guy did too. His solution? A laptop and a projector. You have to see it to believe it. In the end it's probably a lot more expense and setup work than I'm willing to do, but it is pretty cool.

New Release Date for Warhammer FRP

I should have posted this sooner (because I've known for about a week) but the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game won't be coming out on the 18th as we originally announced. The new date is the 29th. I'm still not sure if that's the intended street date (the date we should have it), the date that distributors should have it, or the date that the printers ship it to distributors. Hopefully it's the first one.

Iron Kingdoms World Guide Review

I spotted this on RPG.net. It's essentially a very in-depth (and positive) review of the World Guide that we just got in for the Iron Kingdoms setting from Privateer Press. The book is meaty. I picked it up but haven't really had a chance to dive into it yet. I just figured that with the number of people that we have in the store who have been interested in the Warmachine game and the IK setting you might want to check this out.

Star Wars Miniatures news from GAMA

The Gaming Report had some news this morning about plans for upcoming sets of Star Wars minis. It looks like this is what we'll be seeing this year:

April 2nd - Revenge of the Sith
August 19th - Universe
November 11th - The AT-AT

As you might expect the AT-AT is going to be one of those huge figures like Wizkids periodically produces for their games. There will also be three more Ultimate Missions books coming out to support the miniature line as well.

Warmachine News

Hold on to your warjacks... because Privateer Press is pulling out all of the stops this year.

Not only will they continue to provide pretty butt-kickin' minaitures but they're a new magazine and a new expansion coming.

No Quarter Magazine will include hobby and modeling articles, original fiction, new art and illustrations, new miniature releases and stats, and behind-the-scenes articles with Privateer Press design and production staff. Other features will include in-depth background and storylines that will appeal to miniatures and RPG fans alike. Coming in July.

WARMACHINE:Apotheosis introduces new rules that improve the depth of play and enrich the gaming experience for new and veteran players alike. In addition to new warcasters, some old favorites return with new abilities and updated models to reflect advancement and changes to their characters. The book also includes a new map-based campaign system providing story-driven play. Coming in August.

The 20 new products introduced in WARMACHINE:Apotheosis are large, complex masterworks for the discriminating modeler and collector. One of the largest of these sculptures is made from close to 30 parts and is nearly 3 times the weight of previous heavy warjacks.

AEG to produce COH CCG

In the "I'm not so sure about this one" category comes the announcement from Alderac Entertainment Group that they've picked up a license to produce a collectible card game based on the popular massively multiplayer online RPG - City of Heroes.

I guess my main problem with this idea is that they will essentially be competing with the VS (Marvel/DC) game which has turned out to be incredibly popular with a game with something that only people who play the MMORPG will really care about.

You have to applaud the City of Heroes guys for doing a fantastic job of getting their name into everything that they can. There's already an RPG in the works from Eden Studios, a comic book, a breakfast cereal... okay, there's no breakfast cereal. But the point is that NCSoft is doing a great job of expanding their brand outside of just the one game. I'm just wondering if any of us gamers who AREN'T playing CoH are going to care.

Valten's Beach Party - Revealed!

As promised, I have taken all of Seth's photos and put them into an easy-to-digest format here on our new fangled website. Of course, I used the old website template to do it. Not because I miss the old format.. I'm actually quite partial to this one.. but because I thought that the theme fit well with the subject matter.

So what was Valten's Beach Party? It was a super-sized Warhammer battle complete with ships landing on the beaches and trying to take the fortress. It was amazing to watch. I'm still hoping that Seth gets past his fear of anything new and uses the new tools provided to him to talk a bit about how the event went - since he was there for the whole thing.

Portent.net Closes Its.. er.. doors

The Portent webmaster, Pete Closs has posted a final goodbye to all of the users of Portent.net. If you don't already know, Portent was one of THE places on the web to discuss Games Workshop related stuff and the miniature gaming hobby in general. They always had the latest news and the coolest pics from around the world.

The Site had recently been suffering from numerous server problems and this apparently became too much for the webmaster... but you can read his whole story on the website. He even manages to take a couple of parting shots on those he thinks "deserve it".

Pictures of the big Warhammer event are coming

Did you miss the huge Warhammer event on Saturday? You mean you didn't get to see the ships assaulting the beaches in an attempt to take the fortress walls?

Don't worry, landlubber we won't leave you high and dry. Seth took a bunch of photos of the event and Jay will make sure that they get posted soon. It's entirely possible that Seth will write up some sort of battle-report on the event so that you can get an idea of what you missed.

Did I mention that Seth calls this event "Valten's Beach Party"?

Hopper Bug Preview

Mongoose Publications has released their latest preview for their soon to be released Starship Troopers game. You can hae a look at it here.

Steven Jackson Games' Annual Report

It's pretty cool to see this kind of thing. They did this last year (and possibly in previous years). It's essentially a look at what went right and wrong over the previous year. Good stuff for all of you young business majors or people thinking of starting your own game companies.

Oh.. click the title above to get there (that's a stupid place to hide a link...)

The Forum is Still Available

Until I get a new link into the nav bar you can just use this link to get to the forum. Sorry about that.

A New Page Layout Beta-test

Well, If you're a regular to the website then you're probably noticing that the page has changed a bit. We're trying to create some new functionality that allows us to more easily post updates to the site. This current design might not be as thematically appropriate to the store, but it is pretty clean. I can't say that we'll stay with this design. It's just a template that I'm futzing with in order to learn the blog code needed to make the update process easier. At the moment you can even comment on our messages. I may take that functionality away though. Again, this is all essentially a beta-test.

Testing Testing Testing

This is a test of the blog network.