2016: Downs and Ups and More of Both

2016? It was a year of ups and downs, with the ups very, very up but some of the downs pretty far down, as well. It was a year in which a lot of personal heroes passed on, including my older brother Michael. It was a year in which a turbulent election roiled a lot of uncomfortable currents around my country.

On the other hand, there were definite high points, worthy of celebration, and that’s what I’ll focus on here, in more-or-less chronological order.

Savage Worlds in ’16: the Year in Review

It’s safe to say 2016 has been a banner year for Pinnacle Entertainment Group. With more than 20 years under our belt going through cycles of highs (and lows) that’s not a statement we make lightly.

This year we continued the story of Weird Wars with Weird War I, brought new fans to our award-winning Savage Worlds system with our partnership to produce (and we’re shipping now!) Rifts® for Savage Worlds with Palladium Books, Inc., and we’ve celebrated the 20th year anniversary of Deadlands Classic and released the fourth and final Servitor campaign for Deadlands Reloaded: Good Intentions. We also shipped Kickstarter rewards for our campaigns Rippers Resurrected and Deadlands: The Cackler graphic novel. Another Deadlands novel released through Tor Books. And several companies licensing Savage Worlds released product in different languages and/or for settings of their own–frankly brilliant—creations.

“Of course it hurts. Everything hurts. If you’re alive, you hurt. Don’t think of yourself as bleeding out; think of yourself as more alive.”

Horror is all about the stakes. And most commonly, pain, injury, and death are those stakes. Hurt Locker is all about the stuff that hurts. We talk why it hurts, how it hurts, and how to deliver pain at your table beyond just rolling the dice and marking health boxes.

Hurt people hurt people. Weíre talking ramifications of violence and how pain perpetuates pain down the line. Weíre talking about how even after wounds heal, scars always remind you.

Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling is an anthology of short stories, poetry, and essays edited by Monica Valentinelli and Jaym Gates.

Over two dozen authors, ranging from NYT-bestsellers and award winners to debut writers, chose a tired trope or cliche to challenge and surprise readers through their work. Read stories inspired by tropes such as the Chainmaille Bikini, Love at First Sight, Damsels in Distress, Yellow Peril, The Black Man Dies First, The Villain Had a Crappy Childhood, The Singularity Will Cause the Apocalypse, and many more…then discover what these tropes mean to each author to find out what inspired them.

Chaosium has just released two new supplements to Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition RPG!

Calling All Heroes! It’s Time To Take The Fight to Cthulhu!

Pulp Cthulhu is a game of two-fisted adventure, weird science, dark deeds, and brave heroes. With this book, some roleplaying dice, and the Call of Cthulhu Rulebook, you have everything you need to adventure and explore games set in the pulp genre.

Tired of your investigators dying in quick succession when jaunting around the world in a desperate bid to save humanity? Wishing that sometimes your investigator could make a stand instead of hiding and waiting for the eldritch horror to pass? Pulp Cthulhu ups the ante and provides you with tougher, more capable heroes—ready to take on the villainous machinations of the Cthulhu Mythos!

Onyx Path Publishing continues its support of the 20th Anniversary Edition of the Vampire: the Masquerade Role-Playing Game. Vampire has always been loved by its fans for the rich setting filled with tragic anti-heroes and horrifying villains among the damned. Throughout the game’s history White Wolf and now Onyx Path have published a variety of novels and anthologies allowing authors to explore that setting even further. Here are two new Vampire anthologies exploring both the Dark Ages and the Modern Nights.

The Cainite Conspiracies Anthology

Step back into the Dark Ages…

…into a time when the clans, high and low, battle for blood and power.

Apex Publications is happy to announce the upcoming release of Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling edited by Jaym Gates and Monica Valentinelli.

Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling is an anthology of short stories, poems, and essays that will highlight the long-standing tradition of writers who identify tropes in science fiction, fantasy, and horror and twist them into something new and interesting.

Onyx Path Publishing, the official licencor for the World of Darkness, Chronicles of Darkness, and Exalted game lines, as well as the forthcoming Pugmire, Scarred Lands, Scion, Trinity, and Cavaliers of Mars game lines, is very pleased to announce that Matt M McElroy is joining the team as Operations Director as of November 21, 2016.

McElroy’s new position follows a 10 career with DriveThruRPG, where he’s worked with dozens of publishers while championing initiatives to find, retain, and reach out to fans.

Dungeons & Dragons was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong Museum for Play.

First published in 1974, Dungeons & Dragons has inspired many millions of gamers to create stories and adventures and has brought people together from all backgrounds to share those experiences. We are extremely proud D&D has been recognized by the Strong Museum, and we owe what the game is today to you, our fans. As stewards of D&D, we will continue to make great entertainment to inspire your creativity.

Nathan Stewart, Senior Director of D&D at Wizards of the Coast, was on hand in Rochester, NY to witness the induction ceremony and speak on behalf of Dungeons & Dragons. D&D means so much to so many people, but it is especially important to young people as they learn and grow.

Twenty-five years of Vampire: The Masquerade

Twenty-five years of storytelling, adventure, and exploration. In celebration, we bring you eighteen authors that explore the evolution and development of the world of Vampire. From tales of wanton diablerie to the fulfilling of centuries-old religious vows, lover’s sacrifices, and searches for truth. Peel apart the layers and discover the endless ages of beauty and betrayal.

Celebrating 25 years of personal horror, the eighteen stories in Endless Ages range in style and aesthetics from the very first edition of Vampire released in 1991, all the way to the latest books put out for the 20th Anniversary Edition.

Like most children, I wanted to stay up late and watch the “grown up” television shows and movies that my parents would watch. I would beg, plea, and attempt to make a deal in the hopes of having one night of being able to be just like them; watching a late-night syndicated Star Trek marathon, the comedy of Saturday Night Live and SCTV, or the sultry stylings of Benny Hill.

One evening I was sent to bed and was allowed to read some comic books and other stories before sleeping. One of those comics was an issue of Godzilla from my Dad’s collection. It was the first time I ever heard of it and I read it from cover to cover ten times straight before falling asleep.

Long out of print, the Blood of Kerensky Trilogy by Michael A. Stackpole is finally available in eBook formats thanks to Catalyst Game Labs!

The Clan invaders have chosen their next objective – Luthien, capital of the Draconis Combine. House Kurita must now fight for survival on its homeworld.

Nothing we have can stop them.

Hanse Davion is presented with a situation undreamt of … final defeat of the Dragon – House Kurita. Should he attack his distracted foe and destroy the enemy his family has battled for over 300 years? Or should he reinforce a fellow House of the Inner Sphere against a force that Davion and the Federated Commonwealth might not otherwise defeat when the time comes?

The Clans.

Award-winning composers and dark music pioneers Midnight Syndicate have released the Zombies!!! Official Board Game Soundtrack.

The new release features Midnight Syndicate’s signature blend of sound effects and instrumental music set in the modern day, post-zombie apocalypse world of the Zombies!!! board game. “We wanted to design a soundtrack that would not only heighten the Zombies!!! game play experience, but also appeal to all fans of zombies and our friends in the haunted attraction industry,” said Edward Douglas. “I think we were able to achieve that.”

A scorned lover (with a flair for the dramatic) unleashes Shakespeare’s Ophelia, a vengeful spirit which goes on to wreak bloody havoc on a modern-day Renaissance festival. This new comic from Red Stylo Media is a ghoulish celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare death. Help Red Stylo Media bring Ophelia (back) to life! For […]

Walk through the ages…

As a companion to Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras this anthology reveals secrets of the mystics, whispers rumors of the dead, and shines a light into the darkest corners of the world.

This collection includes historical stories based within the shadowed past of Vampire: the Requiem, Mage: the Awakening, Werewolf: the Forsaken, Changeling: the Lost, and other Chronicles of Darkness settings.

In the Chronicles of Darkness…

You are a pilgrim now, one of the Created. You rose to life from dead flesh or inert matter, under the ministrations of one of your own, or a mad scientist, or perhaps just the power of the Divine Fire. You wander the world, sometimes alone, sometimes in the blessed company of your own kind, driven by memories of events and facts you never knew, all in the service of one Great Work…

…to be human.

Humans don’t make it easy, though. The Divine Fire that animates you burns too bright, blinds people, and scorches the land if you linger too long. It masks your disfigurements and makes you appear human, but that mask slips and people see your hideous, true form. The Pilgrimage is a long, difficult road, but it is yours, and you know, somehow, that the salvation of the New Dawn waits at the end.

Today, FlamesRising.com is pleased to present you with a preview of the Eel Hounds, a monster from the Wrath of the River King published by Kobold Press.

Wrath of the River King is a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 4th- through 6th-level characters is full of hijinks and trickery, and fits nicely into any campaign setting in which fey are regal. Their courtly plots are dangerous and will test bold adventurers’ skills to the limit!

Today, FlamesRising.com is pleased to present you with a preview from Mask of the Other, a Lovecraft-inspired novel written by Greg Stolze. If you like this excerpt, you can also read a chapter preview on Greg’s website, or you can support the author by picking up a copy at DriveThruFiction.com. Excerpt from Mask of the […]

Today, FlamesRising.com is pleased to present you with a preview of Punch the Maker-Killer, a monster from Arc Dream Publishing’s Puppetland by John Scott Tynes. The PDF is on sale now, and the hardcover edition will be available in October.

Puppetland is a storytelling game. You play a valiant puppet who speaks aloud every word you say. You speak for your puppet and the Puppetmaster says the rest. You surprise each other at every turn, collaborating moment by inspired moment to unlock your own creativity and find the puppet within. This lavishly illustrated edition of Puppetland has been significantly revised and expanded. It includes a grim storybook fable of the Maker’s foul murder; the true story of the creator’s life in Puppetland; and new Tales ready to be played, written by a brilliant collection of authors.

Jyhad.

–Beckett