Welcome to the first Saving Throw of June. This week, there appears to have been a flurry of releases; I found no less than ten releases for the last week, with four more scheduled for sometime next week. So, yes, the release list is very long in today's column. I also have an update on the status of Palladium Books; it appears they are beginning to recover from the losses they took as a result of unsavory activity.
Today's featured and only submission is from SamuraiMarmoset, who interestly enough, wrote about a disastrous moment in a Robotech RPG game, which is a Palladium product (or was, as they do not currently have the rights for it). At any rate, although he was not really responsible for the disaster in question, I found it to be a very entertaining story, and so at my whim, I award SamuraiMarmoset a golden caret: ^
I hope it's appreciated; the caret award might just be deserved for the amusing alias, anyway. At any rate, it's time for the meat of the column...
Gaming Tip of the Week
"When deciding on your attack, always consider the environment around you, especially when you're going for overkill."
A critical hit is often the last hope of a tabletop gamer when his or her character is in a desperate situation, but every now and then, there comes a situation where a critical hit is the last thing you want. Naturally, this is when it'll happen.
Silven Publishing is looking for their next RPG designer, and has decided to find him or her by holding a contest during Gen Con 2006. Interested designers will be given a chance to present d20 game proposals on August 11. The price of admission to this event is $6.00, though the prizes given even to those eliminated in the first round have a higher value than the admission fee.
In the first round, contestants will be given three minutes to present their proposal to the three-judge panel. There are two following rounds; those who make it must be prepared to thoroughly explain and defend their proposals. Spectators are welcome and can watch for free, but only paid ticket holders can participate in the contest. Details on how to acquire tickets can be found here.
Steve Jackson Games is looking for forty playtesters for GURPS Martial Arts. Both individuals with martial arts experience and without are being sought. The playtest will be on a closed mailing list and last from June 12 to July 21. In order to be accepted, applicants must be Pyramid subscribers. Information on how to apply can be found here.
On April 20, 2006, as previously reported in the Saving Throw, Palladium Books announced that it was in dire financial trouble. On June 1, the company released an update on its current situation. 1,535 copies of the The Megaverse United print by the owner, Kevin Siembieda, have been sold thus far. These prints were being sold for $50 in an effort to raise needed funds. The company is still hoping to sell 1,500 more copies before the end of the year.
In addition, in response to demand from fans, Palladium Books set up a PayPal account for accepting donations. Those interested in making a direct donation can do so via a button on the Palladium web site. The company also reports that sales of its RPG books are up across the board, and is expressing hopes of reacquiring the rights to the Robotech RPG line. While the company is not yet on solid financial ground, it appears to be confident that it is on the road to recovery thanks to the support and generosity of its fans.
FanPro Still Looking for Gen Con Gamemasters for Shadowrun
Fantasy Productions is looking for Shadowrun gamemasters to run games at Gen Con 2006. In response to Shadowrun players who have inquired about gamemastering but have no experience, Fantasy Productions is working on a "GM-in-Training" program. Participants in this program will get a crash course on running Shadowrun adventures and have the opportunity to run a few games. These gamemasters-in-training will be compensated as well, but at a lower rate than experienced gamemasters. Those interested in gamemastering, whether experienced or not, should email runningcow@gmail.com to express their interest. A short adventure blurb of about 150 words should be included describing the adventure to be run.
And so it ends. . .
Oh, you're probably wondering about the contest, right? Yeah, well, like I said, no promises. I'm waiting on the arrangement of some sort of prize or prizes for it, and it just wasn't to be this week. I'll give you more information when I have some; I'm hoping to get this sucker running soon myself.
And that concludes this week's Saving Throw. See you again next week for another one; may it be a natural 20!