It has begun! We launched the Kickstarter yesterday and thanks already to everyone who is spreading the word! In case you haven’t seen it, follow the link below!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michaelbielaczyc/the-elves-of-uteria-rpg-sourcebook
Playtesting the Ferryport Adventures rpg Series
So the group got together tonight and we ran through another section of the Ferryport Adventures. And it was so much fun! We have a really good crew of players and thanks to some of my recent research into RPG programs, the game went extremely smooth tonight.
I have been using MapTool a lot lately while designing, and this has really changed the way I design and GM. Being an artist, I always figured I was a little more visually stimulated while playing RPGs, but tonight I realized how much.
I spend quite a bit of time coming up with the story arcs, character back stories, and locales, but tonight, when I had a map projected behind me, it really helped with acting though many of the scenes. I am not an actor, but when I had a token with a character face in it, and a general feel for how a environment is, I had a much easier time confronting the players as that NPC. If they went to see the captain of the watch, I made a quick map of his office and they had to position their character tokens to show how they stood in the room. In the dungeon part, MapTool easily shows what characters had line of site of monsters, or if monsters were partially concealed, and that lead to a much more strategic style of gameplay.
Here is a screen cap during our game tonight to get a feel.
Deep in the Sewers of Fish Town
MapTool is completely free, so if you game, I highly recommend using it!
Most times after running a game, I am reminded why I got into the fantasy genre, but tonight I felt like a 13 year old kid, watching my world come to life.
In other news, I am on the road for the next two weeks, but should have time to work on the elf book some more. As March approaches we are getting a lot closer to starting the Kickstarter, so keep your eyes open!
Another new RPG tool!
I recently found Maptool, which is a GM’s dream. I love describing a place to players, but I have often found that in large groups (which is what I tend to play with) without a visual representation, players can get unfocused and forget whats happening. I have always wanted a way to display maps to players without revealing whats coming.
And Maptool does this.
I will be posting some maps soon for everyone to check out.
Added a page to track all the tools I use
It’s the digital age. Game Mastery has become that much easier with the web at our fingertips. I use a variety of programs while playing, designing or researching.
So I decided it would be nice to list what programs, sites and generators I found most useful. Click the link below to visit my GM E-Tools page!
GM Tools of the Trade
Black Friday Sale!
Want to get the brand new module at a big discount! Head over to Drive Thru RPG and get the Tomb of Kochun at 20% off!
This sale will go through November 10th!
Click the image eblow to visit DTrpg anf pick it up!
Tomb of Kochun accepted by Drive Thru RPG!
Everything's moving so fast now! I submitted the Tomb to Drivethrurpg.com this morning and they already approved it for pdf sales! So if you want the Tomb on your ebook reader or tablet you can purchase it by following the link below.
The Tomb of Kochun – Print Edition
Finally! The Tomb of Kochun adventure is available for print! It is a 42 page full color book packed with monsters, traps and more to challenge your players!
This is a level 6-7 adventure set in the World of Uteria. The players have to bargain to gain entry to the Town of Aerville and fetch a couple of artifacts from a nearby catacomb to appease the mayor. The tomb is that of Kochun, a once powerful warlord, who in his aging dementia created a fortress out of his final resting place to keep graverobbers and looters at bay. Traps, monsters, and more await inside the Tomb of Kochun!
This adventure runs on the OGL Pathfinder license.
Site Redesign
So as we approach the publishing of the first book based in the world of Uteria, I have realized that the site needed some love. There will be many changes in the upcoming days, and hopefully most of them will be good!
Stay tuned for more,
-michael
Alfiren Enchantress
Just finished a new drawing last night and getting ready to print!
- Alfiren Enchanter, Pencil on Paper, 12×18.
This is a drawing that will be featured in my upcoming E-Book “The Elves of Uteria”, written by Dane Collins and myself. We are releasing a sample soon that will feature information on the Elflings of the Vale. Here is a little description of them:
Elflings, or Alfiren as they refer to themselves, average around three and a half to four heads tall. They are ordinarily quite thin, though they don’t exhibit the frailty one might expect in such a small frame. Most have medium to dark brown hair, though I have seen a few with fiery red. Their eyes call to mind the goats of the north more than human beings. They are quite large and wide-set compared to our own, resting on the sides of their heads and pointing outwards, giving them little depth perception but allowing them to see in most directions (it is nearly impossible to sneak up on an elfling). Their pupils are large, diagonal slits in the center of reddish, green, or orange tinted irises. Their ears are large and pointed like the fey, and they point straight out from the sides of their heads. Both men and women alike wear their hair long, and typically keep it braided or pulled back into some sort of ponytail. Their mouths are also a bit large in proportion to humans, which is accentuated by their perpetual broad smiles. The Alfiren are quick, and as experience has shown, they are quite adept at getting into and out of places without raising alarm.
For more about Uteria, visit: https://www.darkreturn.com
Adding Art Galleries!
So those who are following the development of the World of Uteria, can now star to see the different artwork that is based the the world! Click the image below to visit the Art Galleries!
