You Say Potayto, I Say Potahto

This article is a follow-up to the earlier one about Calidar's Game Mechanics.  Its intent is to suggest a table that helps convert stats listed as percentages into common practical ranges.  In most cases, scores allocated to character or monster statistics in CC1 "Beyond the Skies" are expressed as percentages of practical ranges used in the players’ chosen game system.  For example, a range of scores running from 1-20 is easy to translate from percentiles; on the other hand, the corresponding percent scores aren’t intuitive for a range of 1-36. The table below translates percentile scores into commonly-found numerical ranges. All results are rounded to the closest number.  If you see any other range that ought to be listed in the table below, do let me know.  Thanks!

Table XXX. Range Conversion Chart
%	10 to –10	1–12	1–18	1–20	1–21	1–30	1–36	%
0	10							0
3						1	1	3
5	9			1	1			5
6			1				2	6
7						2		7
8		1					3	8
10	8			2	2	3		10
11			2				4	11
13						4		13
14					3		5	14
15	7			3				15
17		2	3			5	6	17
19					4		7	19
20	6			4		6		20
22			4				8	22
23						7		23
24					5			24
25	5	3		5			9	25
27						8		27
28			5				10	28
29					6			29
30	4			6		9		30
31							11	31
33		4	6		7	10	12	33
35	3			7				35
36							13	36
37						11		37
38					8			38
39			7				14	39
40	2			8		12		40
42		5					15	42
43					9	13		43
44			8				16	44
45	1			9				45
47						14	17	47
48					10			48
50	0	6	9	10		15	18	50
52					11			52
53						16	19	53
55	-1			11				55
56			10				20	56
57					12	17		57
58		7					21	58
60	-2			12		18		60
61			11				22	61
62					13			62
63						19		63
64							23	64
65	-3			13				65
67		8	12		14	20	24	67
69							25	69
70	-4			14		21		70
71					15			71
72			13				26	72
73						22		73
75	-5	9		15			27	75
76					16			76
77						23		77
78			14				28	78
80	-6			16		24		80
81					17		29	81
83		10	15			25	30	83
85	-7			17				85
86					18		31	86
87						26		87
89			16				32	89
90	-8			18	19	27		90
92		11					33	92
93						28		93
94			17				34	94
95	-9			19	20			95
97						29	35	97
100	-10	12	18	20	21	30	36	100

The Countdown is On

It's about to go live... www.StrangerSkies.com 

See you there!

Happy Gary Gygax Day!

Shame on Wallpart.com Updated 7/30/15

These people are thieves. 

They reprint in poster format images people find on the internet -- for profit and without permission. It is a clear violation of copyright laws (despite what they claim).  This illicit business needs to stop immediately. I'm appealing to all fans, artists, and publishers, indies or otherwise, to join the :: Change.org :: campaign against this practice.  If you happen to be one of those people supporting their business, first off "shame on you as well for aiding and abetting," and be advised that what they sell is taken straight from the internet, which means documents are most likely produced from low resolution files.  Also be aware they ship their garbage from China, which costs more than the posters themselves. 

Do you *really* want to trust criminals with your credit card info? 

Please share this article as much as possible, with artists you know.  Thanks!

Update: July 11th, 2015

I contacted a group called :: Piracy Solution :: about Wallpart:com, and chatted with Kelley Manley working there.  He stated that his group is prepared to address the issue (such as handling dmca requests) on a pro bono basis as a service to the art community. You can contact him at info [@] piracysolution [.] com.  If you are an artist and you can see your art showing up on Wallpart:com, you may want to follow this route.  Be sure to save a screen shot of search results showing your art being sold there, without your permission.  I am not personally involved with or related to this group; I am merely forwarding the information.  Kelly has given me written permission to post this information publicly.

Update: July 13th, 2015

I found this site in the UK that goes even further than my article in their accusations.  You might want to have a look.  Click here. Meanwhile the petition against this site as reached 25,816 signatures as of this morning. Thanks for your support.  Please do pass the word!

Update: July 25th, 2015

I received a good deal of information from Alma Soto (Mamasoto) today (see attached G+ comments). In short, he's confirmed the illicit nature of that site.  I'd found out earlier that its business was being routed through a Russian site, and that the risks of phishing there were very high--in other words avoid that site.  Here is what he suggested: "Just contact the ICANN, attn. Alena Keirstead, the ICANN Registrar for the support team of http://www.INTERNET.bs Corp. You can send her your info, links of violation, proof links of the work and screenshots to show them what these guys are doing so they can stop them. The more they get hit with this information the better and faster we may see some action (. . .)"
The email address :: abuse (at) internet (dot) bs ::

Update: July 30th, 2015

Here's more information.  The offending web site is really more about phishing.  It targets professional photographers.  A good article was recently published about this (click here).  Here's an excerpt: "This contact form is the whole purpose of the Poster Shop's website.  The contact form is a phishing platform that is used to spam the user and potentially infect their computer with malware and who knows what other nasty adware and spyware.  (...)"   Whatever you do, run your anti-malware/spyware apps to clean your computer after visiting that site. 

Gary Con 2015

Now this was a fine vintage!

Although I attended in a most relaxed fashion, I spent more time at the convention than I ever did.  Then again, it was the first year that I hosted events.  I showed up Thursday and played a. . . game.  Imagine that!  (I forgot the title of course).  Sitting in the open gaming area, facing toward the lake  in back of the resort, I enjoyed the mist-shrouded landscape as much as the game itself.  We all finished within one victory point of each other.  I was brave enough then to drive away for lunch, leaving my parking spot open some someone else (yes, good parking space comes at a premium at Geneva Ridge).  The resort isn't really designed for a convention, but it's part of its charm.  I headed over to the Delavan inlet, and grabbed a giant calzone at Jojo's.  No way I could eat all of that, so half ended up in the styrofoam doggie box.  It was cold enough outside I didn't worry about the food going bad.  Miraculously, I found another parking spot when I returned.

After a quick chat with Dale Leonard, I received a much desired pass for a VIP parking slot in front of the entrance.  That was a nice touch.  While taking many pictures, I bumped into many old friends.  Time for my seminar came around very quickly.  With convention success come greater challenges: due to lack of space, seminars had been relegated to. . . the bar.  Ouch.  Between 6 and 8 pm, it was pretty noisy there.  And, I managed to misplace my reading glasses.  Great.  Without them, there was no way I could decipher my notes.  A fellow attendee kindly loaned me his.  That made for a rather bumpy seminar.  I'm told seminars will be handled at another location next year, but the exact place remains up in the air, since that's still being negotiated.  I believe seminars will end up in downtown Lake Geneva.  There already is a shuttle service to The Cove, where many participants have their rooms, since not everyone can stay at the Geneva Ridge resort (it is hopelessly full!)  It would make sense therefore that seminars be held nearby, Lake Geneva being a conveniently small town.

Leviathan

I just ran across a post showing a preview of the upcoming SF movie “The Leviathan.” The art is striking in its own right, but for me it really hits home since this parallels one of my original concepts for the World of Calidar. Click here for the original article about this movie, so you’ll know what I’m talking about. I couldn't help make the analogy with a Ghülean grön. Picture Calidaran wind-driven skyships instead of anti-grav gunboats. Replace energy blasters with wizard spells. Imagine tattered, orcish standards fitted on the leviathan, along with defensive turrets for war-machines, and a few metal plates bolted on the beast's skin. Now multiply the leviathan times the number of Ghülean hordes flying through the clouds.

For good measure, I took my original description from CAL1 and posted it here.

These creatures are native of Ghüle, the orcs’ alien world. They are colossal, grossly fat, mangy worms partially covered with gray fur except where orcs have bolted armor plates onto them. Orcish standards and the bones of defeated monsters sometimes adorn the beasts. Like those on humpback anglerfish, appendages with glowing lures extend from the top of the gröns’ monstrous heads. Two huge, greenish eyes complete the picture. Gröns vary from the size of small galleys to something large enough to swallow several thousand orcs and their war machines.

About Old Times and New

The web site Isola Illyon recently published an interview about my early years at TSR and how they compare with being an indie publisher today.  I posted the first paragraph here.  Click the link at the end of this post to follow the remainder of the article.

Tell us your story: how did you become lead designer and product manager for BECMI and Mystara products, and what did you do after TSR’s bankruptcy?

After working as a French translator for Basic and Expert modules, I moved on to administrate freelance acquisitions for the Games Division. This entailed selecting and hiring outside writers to design products that couldn’t be handled in-house. Basic/Expert wasn’t popular among TSR’s designers, at least not initially. In-house staff were more interested in working on AD&D projects at the time because that’s where public attention was. Therefore, leftover assignments became my responsibility. Political turmoil soon resulted in the departures of Gary Gygax and Frank Mentzer from TSR. The last remaining person directly involved with BECMI was me. It wasn’t long before I became the product’s “manager by default.” Since I did well in this function, the position became official over time.  (. . .)

Click here to read the entire article.

Of Podcasts and Obscure Knowledge

The folks at GeekLine 415 kindly invited me to join them on a podcast last night, February 10th.  Many thanks to Chad and his crew for this and the fun hour on the phone with them. I can imagine what joy it is to be gaming with such a happy bunch.  They reminded me of my D&D group back in France, in the early 80s.  What a flashback! The topics covered the years leading up to my move to TSR and my time there, fun bits about Mystara and the Gazetteers, and the connection with Calidar. All of this was sprinkled with jokes about obscure or underused  monsters as an ongoing theme.  What fun!  I listened to the interview a second time, this morning, and attempted to identify the various subjects.  I'll add a few comments below.

Click Here to hear the recording.

04:12 My turn comes up for my choice of monster.  I pick the thoul and give some background about when it came about in the D&D game.  Who did design the thoul anyway?

07:48 Here I explain that I'd started out as a diehard 1st Edition AD&D gamer, until I was hired by TSR and had to master the Basic D&D game line.  It was a bit of shock and a disappointment, but in hindsight I have no regrets!  It sounds like I am a 1st Edtn. player currently, though I am certainly more so than any of the later versions, I'm even more of a BECMI fan, which I didn't make clear in the podcast.

The Ides of March. . . almost!

Two events will focus on Calidar during the popular game convention, Gary Con VII, coming up in March 2015.  A third event follows, unveiling what lies behind creating a universe like Calidar.

The World of Calidar Seminar: Bruce Heard presents his new game world, Calidar "In Stranger Skies", in a two-part seminar. The first section includes a live reading to set the event's tone. An introduction to the World of Calidar follows, defining its heroes, main features, and uniqueness. Though it isn't designed for a specific rules system, Calidar is a fantasy setting for use with leading role playing games. It is the direct heir to the popular "Voyages of the Princess Ark" stories published in Dragon Magazine in the 80s and 90s, focusing on skyships, world-traveling, and space-borne adventures. Previews will be included about the current project's direction and contents. Questions are welcome from the audience, including those from present Calidar users.  Saturday 10am (2 hours).
 
Calidar Adventure:  "Eyes in the Dark" is a D&D adventure for characters level 4 to 5. Rules in use are the D&D Expert Set (Blue Box) or the Rules Cyclopedia hard cover. Pregenerated characters are provided. Set in the World of Calidar (see related seminar, Saturday), this OSR-style adventure starts in the rainforest of Meryath.  Friday 10am (5 hours).

You are senior students at Glorathon's Dragon Slayers Guild, sent to investigate a suspicious event in the tribal lands, as part of your mid-term tests. Rumor has it that a dragonship, vessel of the hated Draconic knights, landed in the foothills of the Matai-Nui. You are to unveil why they came and, if possible, to thwart any of their schemes. At the very least, return to the guild with vital information if you cannot defeat the enemy.

Dark is the jungle. Darker yet is the dungeon.

World Building Seminar: Bruce Heard, best known for his mastery of world building learned from developing TSR's popular Mystara campaign setting, presents a seminar detailing the steps taken to create a new universe, such as Calidar and other universes. This seminar is intended for game referees challenged with the daunting task of creating exciting yet credible fictional worlds, as well as professional game designers and fantasy fiction writers in general. Related questions are welcome.  Thursday 6pm (2 hours).

Gary Con is a convention honoring the memory of Gary Gygax in what he would appreciate the most: having fun and good humor.  Gary Con focuses on hobby gaming, including boardgames, roleplaying games, tabletop miniatures games, and seminars related to game play, game design, industry trends, etc.  The convention runs from Thursday morning, March 25 to Sunday 6pm, March 29 at the Geneva Ridge Resort, W4240 State Road 50, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 53147 (Phone: (262) 249-3800).

If at first you don't succeed

I was getting all cozy this morning, writing about Calidar's Amazing Flying Circus.  Here I am thinking about the look and feel of a magical circus populated with freaks and a menagerie of monsters, with weird stuff here and there.  I imagine a swirl of smells, noises, color, and movement all about, getting deeply immersed in the writing. . .

Boing!  "You Got Mail!"  (Cripes!  What?)  "Bruce, I lost your earlier e-mail. Can you resend those ads for Calidar?"

Groan.  Yeah, okay.  It's urgent.  Let's get this out of the way.

...back to writing.  I need an artifact hidden under the center ring.  That's it, and nobody owns that business, they're all owned by the circus enchantment. And...

Janet runs down the stairs.  "Back in an hour.  Gotta go take care of the dogs."

Hmm?  What?  Oh yeah, dem dang dawgs... Sure.  Drive safely.  Now, what was that about the circus magical thing? 

CC1 Calidar "Beyond the Skies"

So, what am I up to these days?

CAL2?  Not yet.  An adventure module?  Not quite yet either.  There’s been a lot of thinking about what is needed most at this point.  Several ideas came and went before I settled on the current project.  It is one that will cover a lot of ground, though once again the title refers to something hailing from the heavens.  It touches upon the people of Calidar, their histories, and the hearts of their cultures. I’m therefore pleased to announce the next title in the series expanding from the CAL1 "In Stranger Skies" core book:

I’ve let out the news that I was working on the gods of the Great Caldera, and have posted seven big blog articles as previews.  While the book gets fleshed out, this material will, of course, undergo further development and receive additional “meat.”  Certain details will also change to stay consistent with new ideas and directions.  In fact, a lot of extra content is forthcoming on this topic alone.  Other related concepts have emerged as well, making the whole genre of “spiritual patrons” and special powers a lot more substantial and broad-reaching.  This will affect how player characters are developed, and also provide additional dynamics to Calidar’s universe.

So, what does CC1 “Beyond the Skies” offer?  Here’s a general overview:

When Old is New

“Lair of the Vipermen” was a fun idea for a game demonstration at the Burlington Public Library introducing the World of Calidar.  The adventure, which borrowed mechanics from the D&D game’s old Basic/Expert version, took place on January 15^th.  The “dungeon” was fully written in advance, with an eye toward possibly publishing it as a standalone title later.  I’d made myself a promise to keep things short and sweet.  I succeeded, kind of.  The adventure still features three levels and some outdoor adventuring in the foothills of Meryath’s Matai Nui range.  Long story short: a second session will be needed to complete the party’s foray, and perhaps a third to complete the whole adventure.

A few days before the event, I went digging into my trove of old D&D figurines.  I found my old box (nay: ancient, I should say) from Grenadier Models: “Wizards Room” Ref. #2009.  Its pieces had already been assembled in a diorama, which now sits in a larger box.  In the Grenadier’s box, instead, I’d stored original gaming pieces from my (AD&D 1st ed) campaign of 1982, thirty-year-old figurines with which I’d started my gaming hobby.  

Happy New Year 2015

©2014 Art by Terzaa -- please visit http://terzaaa.deviantart.com/

Introductory Game Session

*Special Event*

Bruce Heard will be running a role-playing game session introducing The World of Calidar on Wednesday evening, January 14th 2015, at the Burlington (WI) Public Library, from 06:30pm to 09:00pm.

The next session is scheduled for February 11th.

The game system used will be D&D/BECMI. No prior experience with tabletop gaming is needed (just bring an open mind and a sense of humor). For further information, please contact the library at:

https://www.facebook.com/burlingtonwipubliclibrarypg

or: http://www.burlingtonlibrary.com/

Happy Holidays!

©2013-2014 DragonosX  Please visit http://dragonosx.deviantart.com/

Critical Hit!

     
  Soon after I woke up and while I was having my morning coffee, I discovered a kind e-mail from a friend who brought to my attention #Calidar's rating on EnWorld.org 

Thanks to all of you who jumped in and put in their two-cents' worth!  That this happened largely on Thanksgiving is amusing.  The image's comment says this:

Fun with stats: Calidar, In Stranger Skies is ranked #1 out of 17 products with 10 or more reviews, placing it in the 100% percentile. It is rated 20.8 points higher than the overall average product rating of 79.2%. With 10 reviews, this is the #15 most reviewed product.

Rated by 10 readers at 100% who deem this a CRITICAL HIT. This should be part of your collection. 

Read all 10 reviews | Write Your Own

Happy Thanksgiving!