Archive
Targum Magazine #4 Now Available
Highmoon Media Productions, in association with Green Ronin Publishing, presents Targum Magazine – Issue 04.
Welcome to the fourth issue of Targum Magazine, the magazine in support of Eternal Rome: Roleplaying in the Age of Gods and Emperors, Trojan War: Roleplaying in the Age of Homeric Adventure, Testament: Roleplaying in the Biblical Era and all Ancient World campaign settings. In this issue you will find the following articles:
- Ostraca: The Extra King by Spike Y Jones – Exploring the Biblical mystery of an apparent extra king of Israel.
- Kalevala Mythos by David Schwartz – The deities of this epic poem from Finnland for your d20 game.
- Era Spotlight: The Time of Akhenaten – Part 2 by Scott Bennie - The concluding article bringing you a mini-gazetteer of Egypt in the time of the monotheistic Pharaoh.
- Legions vs. Hordes by Spike Y Jones – Bring the might of the Roman Empire to the Biblical/Homeric Battlefield Resolution System.
- Free Paper Minis from Arion Games.
- Testament: Official d20 v3.5 Update – Part 1 by Scott Bennie, Christopher Heard and Spike Y Jones – Update your Testament game to the v3.5 rules of the d20 System with this official guide. Part two will appear in the next issue.
Come adventure in the lands of the ancient world today!
Liber Sodalitas: The Pathfinders of Talus – Now Available
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Highmoon Media Productions is proud to present Liber Sodalitas: The Pathfinders of Talus.
While most gods are honored by a formal church and clerical order, Talus, the god of travel and safe voyages, prefers the service of his Pathfinders. The organization was founded over 200 years ago by a group of caravan guards who were saved from bandits and other perils on their journey by a priest of Talus. Upon arrival at their destination the priest disappeared, though not before he had imparted much of the wisdom of Talus to the guards. Today, Pathfinders are found everywhere, aiding travelers as cartographers, guides, protectors, and explorers.
The Pathfinders of Talus is an 8-page ebook detailing a drop-in organization for your d20 Fantasy game, complete with history, tenets, organizational structures, ways of joining, and ready-to-use NPCs. It also includes the pathfinder prestige class, two new spells and two new feats.
Written by: Martin Greening, with James Gabrielsen
Artwork by: Anthony Cournoyer
NOW AVAILABLE from RPGNow & DriveThruRPG!
[WttE] West to the Empire PBeM Report
Ever since I posted that I was going to start playing in a D&D/d20 Play by eMail campaign called West to the Empire I have not said anything else on the subject. It has been mostly due to real life stuff and my attention drifting to other things, but fret not, I have been playing and it has been awesome.
This is my first time playing pre-gen characters–Squire Fisner, in my case–and while, indeed, at first I had absolutely no attachment to the character, little by little that faceless pre-packaged set of stats has become MY character, Squire Argus Fisner, of the noble Fisner family of Argalis, novice in the Order of the Red Griffon, and now heir to the honor and legacy of his falled mentor, Sir Galwaith. I very much look forward to playing Argus a lot more.
Mark, our DM, has been doing a bang up job running this play by email game. The main problem is the lag time between actions, and at one point or another we all have been either waiting or causing the wait; it happens, it’s part and parcel of the format, you deal with it. One thing Mark has been doing that I am incredibly glad for is that, as a DM, he treats this as a narrative, so even though the technical part is a bunch of statement declarations and dice rolls being emailed back and forth, Mark takes the time to, every Action, weave all our disparate orders and rolls and whatnot into a narrative block of description that incorporates all the ambiance of our environment.
So, to summarize, it’s been awesome, and now we are heading back into the dungeon to begin the final act, and track down this minotaur that has been terrorizing the forest and villages nearby, and enslaving a tribe of kobolds to do its bidding.
You can check out the West to the Empire website Mark put together for our mutual benefit.
Episode 02 – OGL/d20 Panel at Gen Con
Breaking format just a little, The Digital Front – Episode 02 brings you the OGL/d20 Panel held by Wizards of the Coast at Gen Con.
This panel was held Friday, August 17, at 6:00 pm, immediately after the closing of the Exhibit Hall, meaning a lot of publishers were either not present or arrived late. The panel, hosted by Scott Rouse and Bill Slavicek, was meant to discuss the issue of the OGL and d20 Licenses under the newly-announced 4th Edition D&D, though it was more of a townhall meeting as WotC admitted they did not have a clear idea yet and wanted to hear opinions.
The audio file is long, almost an hour and a half, but given the small amount of publishers that made it, we thought it a good idea to distribute the recording as widely as possible. Special thanks go to Zachry Ashmore of The Groovecast podcast for recording the panel as a favor to Daniel.
Please feel free to discuss this episode on our forums or call our voicemail line at 206-350-4441.
[HMP] Targum Magazine #3 Now Available
Highmoon Media Productions, in association with Green Ronin Publishing, presents Targum Magazine – Issue 03.
Welcome to the third issue of Targum Magazine, the magazine in support of Eternal Rome: Roleplaying in the Age of Gods and Emperors, Trojan War: Roleplaying in the Age of Homeric Adventure, Testament: Roleplaying in the Biblical Era and all Ancient World campaign settings. In this issue you will find the following articles:
- Ostraca: Lost Tribes by Spike Y Jones – Spike explores the Lost Tribes of Israel in great detail (14,000 words worth of detail, to be precise).
- Bless Me, For I Have Sinned by Allon Mureinik – Exploring sin and redemption as themes in your games.
- The Passover by Scott G. Carter – Using this pivotal holiday in your Testament games.
- Era Spotlight: The Battle of Thermopylae by Eric Hansen – A mini-gazetteer for roleplaying alongside King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans; usable with Trojan War and with standard d20 rules.
- Free Paper Minis from Arion Games.
Come adventure in the lands of the ancient world today!
NOW AVAILABLE from RPGnow!
And remember there is a 4-issue subscription available as well.
Scion of Masada: Orthodox Jews That Kick Ass
Last Thursday I went to check RPGnow.com as I normally do, and one of the new releases immediately called my attention due to the big Israeli flag on the cover. It was a d20 Modern Advanced Class from Skortched Urf Studios called Scion of Masada. I went to the publisher’s site, listened to the audio commentary (a very neat idea) and bought the product. It was just simply great: the class presented a special operative of Israel’s MOSSAD agency called Scion of Masada who, armed with very unique blades and esoteric Torah learning, could defend Israel against regular and supernatural enemies. On top of everything, the class demanded the character be an Orthodox Jew and stick to Halacha (Torah Law) lest he loose access to his abilites.
Dude, where do I sign up!
There were, however, some minor issues with the class where the abilities and description did not match with Halacha, so I sent an email to Skortched Urf’s Mark asking him if he’d mind me pointing these issues up. He didn’t, so I sent him a very detailed rundown of things that needed to be changed along with suggestions on how to implement those changes. Mark surprised me by asking me to write up the edits myself, and I worked hard overnight so I could send him the edited file early on Friday. My main objective was to simply change the little things that did not match Halacha to version of the same idea that did, because I though Chris A. Field’ idea was just brilliant. I think, in all modesty, that I achieved that goal, and already the updated file has been uplaoded to all the RPG e-tailers and sent out to all early buyers.
Thanks to Chris Field for writing such a cool class in the first place, and for making it be an Orthodox Jew specifically, and to Mark and Skortched Urf for publishing it. I am honored to have had a small part in the project. As an Orthodox Jew and a gamer, this product is dear to me and gives me something I can play at the table that fully allows me to bring in my heritage to bear.
In the end, I get to play an Orthodox Jew who gets to kick terrorist and supernatural ass in defense of Eretz Ysrael.
[HMP] DaVinci Labs, Volume One: UDR-4 Arrowhead
Highmoon Media Productions, in association with Reality Deviants Publications, is proud to present the first in our new line of d20 Modern/Future support, DaVinci Labs.
DaVinci Labs is a research and development facility specializing in mechanized systems, ranging from civilian solutions to military contracts. Simplicity of design and innovative concepts are our driving force, applying these ideals to everything we produce, be it cyber-organ replacements, nanotechnology, zero-G construction systems, mecha units and systems, or orbital and sub-orbital ships.
DaVinci Labs, A Renaissance in Mechanization. (TM)
UDR-4 Arrowhead
DaVinci Labs, Volume One focuses on the UDR-4 Arrowhead mecha, providing a history of the mecha, 2 variants of the design, new weapons and equipment and suggestions for using the mecha in your own campaign as well as in the popular Dawning Star campaign setting by Blue Devil Games.
, Volume One focuses on the mecha, providing a history of the mecha, 2 variants of the design, new weapons and equipment and suggestions for using the mecha in your own campaign as well as in the popular campaign setting by .This PDF comes with a screen version and a RTF file for your convenience.
Written by: Joshua Hoade
Mecha Artwork by: Adam Dickstein
Dawning Star is a trademark of Blue Devil Games, used with permission.
RDPDVL001 – $3.95
Buy it today from RPGnow.com.
This is the product that almost never happened, seriously. The whole idea to start Highmoon Media Productions was due to me coming up with this series about 2 1/2 years ago. Since then, I have been trying to get it going, and for various reasons, I could never do it. I was almost resigned to have it be the product series that would break my heart (and part of my wallet, as over time I had paid for a number of pieces of mecha art to use), until David Jarvis came along.Reality Deviants had been putting out a series of single mecha PDFs called OGL Mecha that I thought were pretty cool. On a complete whim, one of those “why not” moments, I emailed David to see if he would be interested in collaborating on a modification of his OGL Mecha series, morphing it into the brand I had already been at work to get off the ground. I explained to him my idea of DaVinci Labs, what I wanted to accomplish with it, and the plan I had for our collaboration. I honestly expected to be told that it was neat, but no, thank you. To my surprise, David loved the idea, and wanted in.Â
With the help of our mutual friend/freelancer/uber-helper Mark Gedak, David took the raw materials I gave him for this first issue and expanded them with excellent new material that further developed the concept of DaVinci Labs, and ended up with this awesome product. Thanks to David Jarvis and Mark Gedak, DaVinci Labs is now a reality, and my heart’s happy as hell.
We are already at work on further releases, so keep an eye out for more innovation from DaVinci Labs, A Renaissance in Mechanization. (TM)
[HMP] MonkeyGod Presents: The Maze of Screaming Silence now available
Highmoon Media Productions and MonkeyGod Enterprises present The Maze of Screaming Silence. Now for sale at RPGnow.com and ENGS.
Highmoon Media Productions and MonkeyGod Enterprises present . Now for sale at and .High up in the mountains called the Wall of the World, where the air grows scarce and the dome of the sky draws close, one may find the cruel and mysterious Empire of Yagga Kong. The Yagga Kong rule a vast domain of gorges, crags, deep hidden valleys and desolate plateaus. It is said that they worship death and keep the bodies of their ancestors in their homes with them. They know many horrible secrets, use diabolical machines and fiendishly potent sorceries. No one really knows why they are so cruel. Perhaps the thin air and cold has driven them mad or perhaps it is the crazed Worm-Gods they revere.The “City of the Damned” (it has no real name) sprawls at the feet of the Yagga-Kong’s most remote outpost, the so-called Last Redoubt. The City has no real economy. It produces nothing and lives like a parasite on the skin of the Last Redoubt. For hundreds of years the Yagga Kong have offered a handsome reward to anyone who can enter the Labyrinth and emerge again alive. Every generation or so, someone lives to claim it. The Yagga Kong’s motives for doing this are unclear-apart from cruel whimsy. Perhaps the Thing in the Labyrinth might get hungry if they didn’t supply it with victims and the contest is the cheapest way of providing it with the sustenance and entertainment it craves.
Can you brave the Maze of Screaming Silence? Then come walk the crooked streets of the City of the Damned.
The Maze of Screaming Silence is a d20 Adventure and City Sourcebook for 3rd to 4th Level Characters. Written by: James Thomson; Cover and Artwork by: William O’Connor; Pages: 110, Fully Bookmarked.
WARNING: This book is intended for Mature Audiences only, due to its graphic violent content. Readers’ discretion is advised.
Now for sale at RPGnow.com and ENGS.
Our first Mature title. Should we celebrate?
Please heed the warning, though. When James Thomson wrote this for MonkeyGod in 2002, there was a small bru-ha-ha over whether it should be published or not due to its ultra-graphic depiction of evil in the realm of the Yagga-Kong. In the end it was published, obviously, and it was a good seller, a trend I expect will continue on PDF. To get an idea of what to expect, take a look at one of the reviews available at ENWorld. Enjoy!
HMP Releases Liber Sodalitas: The Pneumaphagoi
Highmoon Media Productions is proud to present Liber Sodalitas: The Pneumaphagoi.
The Pneumaphagoi, or the Eaters of Spirits, are a loose organization of individuals that share one bizarre common activity: eating ghosts. Learned from ancient texts or from begrudging tutors, the secrets of trapping and consuming spirits yield numerous benefits, and thus appeal to people with a wide variety of motives. For some it is the thrill of consuming an exotic substance, which like all highs is fleeting and ever more elusive; for others it is the power, which quickly fades. The promise of longevity draws some, although the added years can be gray and thin. Others have more noble motives in their quest to destroy the undead, a nobleness that is quickly clouded by the addictive nature of the task. Many are the paths to becoming an Eater, few that lead away.
The Pneumaphagoi is an 11-page PDF detailing a drop-in organization for your d20 Fantasy game, complete with history, tenets, organizational structures, ways of joining, and ready-to-use NPCs. It also includes six new feats, two new spells, two new incantations, and all the necessary rules to bring spirit eating into your campaign along with the possible consequences.
Written by: Scott G. Carter
Artwork by: Nathan Rosario
Available now from RPGnow.com and ENGS
Not too long ago I placed an open call for submission to the Liber Sodalitas line. That very same day, Scott Carter replied to me with an idea for a group of people who ate spirits. I okayed it on the spot. Scott had already written one adventure for us, No Other Gods (our adventure for Testament), as well as a secret project that we have been working on for almost a year, so it was a pleasure to get to work with him once more. Scott is a publisher’s/editor’s dream freelancer, in that his ideas are great and interesting, and his manuscripts come in with minor need of editing work, which means little time from submission to release.
This organization is simply cool. Scott mentioned he got the idea from a book he read, and thought it would make an interesting new system for fantasy gaming. The use fo feats means most, if not all, characters could have access to it, and the rules are sumple but engaging, driving home the point that eating ghosts and spirits brings power but at a possibly incredibly high cost. What’s more, the group can actually work out quite well in a Modern setting as well, so we’ll probably be adapting it to release it as part of a possible Modern Sodalitas line of drop-in organizations for Modern-type games.
To top it all off, just today I got another submission from Scott for a Modern mini-setting that brings together two genres that by all means should never, ever, be put in the same room, let alone in the same game. Let’s just say that H.P. Lovecraft would be either proud or dead ten times over.
[HMP Open Call] Seeking Writers for Liber Sodalitas line
Highmoon Media Productions is seeking writers to contribute to our Liber Sodalitas line of products.
From our website:
Liber Sodalitas (LEE-ber So-DA-lee-tas), the Book of Societies, presents different organizations from a variety of backgrounds, each generic enough to be easily usable in any fantasy campaign, but with enough detail to give you a fleshed-out group to simply drop into your game. Each group is presented along with its history, tenets, ways of becoming a member, as well as with iconic NPCs, generic NPCs that can be used to introduce the group to your players, and new rules such as new feats, spells and prestige classes.
Writers for Liber Sodalitas should be well versed with d20 fantasy rules. You will be expected to write both crunch and fluff. It’s ok to use existing OGC, though we like to present around 60%-70% new material. The Liber Sodalitas organizations should be interesting, and explore new concepts of fantasy or, alternatively, present staples and archetypes in a new light. Though we do have a template of information that each product should present, the rest is really up to you. I try to be flexible with my freelancers and give them the opportunity to really get creative.
Payment for this project would be in royalties, and paid monthly via PayPal.
We already have three titles in the series, which I strongly encourage would-be applicants to be familiar with. You can find more info about them at our website: Liber Sodalitas product line info.
We are looking to expand the series to at least 15 throughout the rest of the year, though if we can make more, then all the better. Once we have between 10 and 15, we will collect a number of them into a Liber Sodalitas book to be offered both as a PDF and POD.
If you are interested, and/or would like more information, please just email me at submissions@highmoonmedia.com and we’ll talk.
