Well, it's the last week of the contest, and the outcome is anything but certain. It was fun to run, and I'll probably roll another one up before too much longer. There will be at least a couple of normal weeks for the Saving Throw, though, so please be sure to send in some normal submissions in the meantime.

We have two contest entries this week. I submitted one about my character uncovering an unusual and dangerous secret, and Macstorm gives us one about a message board RPG that just didn't get going. At any rate, let's get on to the column...

Arbor Productions, the recently launched publishing division of Beauman Enterprises, Inc., is reported to be focusing on comic book, novel, and roleplaying game products. They have debuted with the Hunter and Prey series, and will also be releasing the Autumn Arbor Campaign Setting sometime in the near future. Both lines rely on the Mutants and Masterminds RPG published by Green Ronin Publishing for use.

Steve Jackson Games reports that it has a game submission for which stick-figure art would be appropriate. As such, the company is currently looking for an artist skilled in created very expressive stick figures and stick figure possessions. Interested artists should send samples or URLs linking to samples of their work to Art Director Will Schoonover.

Fantasy Productions is looking for Shadowrun gamemasters for two upcoming conventions: DragonCon and SoCal. Gamemasters interested in running events at DragonCon, which is scheduled for September 1 to 4 in Atlanta, Georgia, would be running prepackaged adventures or Shadowrun Missions as event submissions are closed for this convention. Those interested in running events at SoCal, which is scheduled for November 16 to 19 in Anaheim, California, can run prepackaged events, Shadowrun Missions, or submit their own events. Either way, interested gamemasters should email runningcow@gmail.com for more information.

Politically Incorrect Games has announced this week that it has gained the rights to the Story Engine and Maelstrom Storytelling roleplaying products originally created by Hubris Games, which closed down in 2001. Story Engine was a roleplaying product focused on running story-centered games while avoiding the overhead of "wargaming" rules present in many other RPGs, and this product has already been released in PDF format. Maelstrom Storytelling is based in a setting of shifting realities, home to alien cultures, gunpowder, magic, and pseudoscience. This product and its supplement are to be rereleased in PDF format soon.

Yep. That's all for this week. See you again next week.

Shawn "Not in the mood for long goodbyes" Bruckner