There is still time for you to enter the Create-A-Monster contest. Simply check out the rules below and submit your monster. This week we have reviews of Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk and Book of Templates - Deluxe Edition. Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk is one of the prizes in our contest, and the Book of Templates - Deluxe Edition I picked up off the sale tables at GenCon.

On the news front this week, we have the release of the new Halo ActionClix. Other than that, news has been pretty slow.

   Ever fancied yourself a master monster creator? Ever built a monster solely for the thrill of the TPK? Now is your chance to use that skill to score yourself some loot. Simply submit your monster, template, or new race to savingthrow@rpgamer.com. Be sure to include stats, a sample monster, a detailed description and any other information such as tactics, ecology and lore regarding the monster. Sketches are not necessary, but feel free to include them. The Saving Throw staff will narrow the submissions down to seven and then our guest celebrity judges, Erik Mona and James Jacobs, will choose a grand prize winner and runner up. We have a copy of Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, autographed by the three authors; Erik Mona, James Jacobs and Jason Bulmahn, and other prize we have is a copy of Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land. The grand prize winner has his or her choice of which title they want.

Rules:
1. All submitted materials must be submitted by October 7th at 11:59:59 PM PDT.
2. All submitted materials must conform to OGL/3.5 rules.
3. By submitting an entry in this contest, you give RPGamer the right to post said materials on www.rpgamer.com.
4. Winners will be notified via email on or before October 15th, 2007.
5. Winners must respond by within three business days, or another winner will be selected.
6. Judges decisions are final.
7. This contest is open to anyone with a valid email address and valid mailing address, except for the employees of RPGamer and their immediate families, and the celebrity judges and their immediate families.

   WizKids Inc., creator of runaway hit games like HeroClix, Pirates of the Spanish Main, and the Star Wars PocketModel trading card game (TCG), announced Wednesday the release of its Halo ActionClix collectable miniature game (CMG). The Halo ActionClix game can be purchased at retails chains such as Target, Frys and Game Stop, as well as at local hobby and game stores.

The Halo ActionClix CMG brings the incredible content of the Halo universe to the tabletop via the award-winning Clix miniatures game engine. Players are able to replicate the exciting multiplayer action from all three Halo games using high-quality, prepainted plastic miniatures of Halo characters (such as Master Chief and the Flood) and vehicles (such as the Warthog and Banshee). Each unit has a unique combat dial that lists the unit, constantly evolving stats and a character card that lists specific abilities of that piece. Using different move and shoot capabilities, players move their units and vie for the perfect shot.

Halo ActionClix is accessible to all levels of players, letting them jump right into the action and enjoy Halo game mechanics like weapon swapping, figure respawning and vehicle-based combat. The game also shares basic game mechanics with other Clix product lines, so players will be able to play Halo ActionClix with other Clix products.

Halo marks the debut of the new ActionClix line, which takes great video game content and combines it with the revolutionary Clix game play engine, according to Lax Chandra, WizKids president. "With its well-developed characters and intense game play, Halo was a slam dunk for our ActionClix brand. Now a week before Halo 3 hits the shelves, Halo fans can for $10 delve into the Halo universe deeper than ever before with over 90 characters and vehicles that include Halo 3 previews."

As part of the launch, WizKids worked with Target to offer an exclusive Halo ActionClix 2-Pack with pre-orders for the Halo 3 Xbox 360 game. The promotion includes Master Chief and Elite Halo figures. These miniatures can be obtained only through this offer and will be made available when customers pick up their Halo 3 games at Target beginning September 25, 2007.

WizKids' Halo ActionClix: Series One set features more than 90 units, including those found in the Hunter Combat Pack, Warthog Vehicle Pack and Banshee Vehicle Pack. Series One is packaged in two main Game Pack varieties: a $9.99 pack (four units, four characters cards, two dice, rules, tokens and a map) and a $10.99 pack (five units, five characters cards, rules, tokens and a map). Players can even purchase the largest figure that WizKids has ever created, the Scarab, from Halo 3. Available at hobby game stores, this figure (MSRP $249.99) is an actual game piece that measures 20"x20"x24".

Another week past, and another column down. There is just another couple weeks left to submit your monster, so if you have been dwaddling, now is the time to stop. Even if you have never created a monster before, but have had an idea rolling around in the back of your brain, give it a shot, you never know, you might just come up with the winner. Next time I will have reviews of Monte Cook's World of Darkness, Pathfinder Volume 1: Chapter 1 - Rise of the Runelords and The Forge of War.

Again, if you have any suggestions, ideas, or other things you think might improve the column, just click on the email link below and send me an email.

Martin "More 'Tar Hero Daddy!" Drury