[My New Column] Dice Castle: From Commoner to Freelancer…

I am pleased to announce that my first column has been published at Geek’s Dream Girl. Since the site already had articles written about the topic, I decided to take a different approach and turn a commoner into a freelancer. For once-a-month we’ll be headed to Dice Castle.

This first column talks about character creation.

Before we head out on our quest to Dice Castle, there are a couple of things we need to figure out. First? We’re going to take a look at your character sheet to see what’s already there. Oh, and for those of you who decide to min/max this process? There will be some opportunities for that, too. You’re a Commoner at the moment, but with any luck you’ll be a Freelancer in no time. So sayeth the GM, so shall it be done. — SOURCE: Calling All Freelancers! Adventure to Dice Castle at Geek’s Dream Girl

Then, I go on to provide some tips and insight into the industry to help a budding freelancer dispel some of the myths and figure out what they want to do.

Things like:

  • Penning fiction is not the same thing like writing flavor text.
  • I think this series will be good for people who need something a little more hands-on when they’re thinking about freelancing. By turning it into a workshop, I hope I’ll be able to reach a few writers and help them plan for their future.

    Check it out!

    Announcing Scenes of the Embrace and Our Design Notes

    Scenes of the Embrace | White Wolf Publishing | Vampire the RequiemHi everyone, I am pleased to announce that Scenes of the Embrace was just released from White Wolf Publishing for only $2.99. This was a stand-alone project that I had worked on with developer Eddy Webb, who was the developer.

    To celebrate the release, Eddy and I compiled a few of our design notes for Scenes of the Embrace and released them, along with a preview, at FlamesRising.com. I really enjoyed writing these notes, because this particular collaboration didn’t start out smooth. When you work online, writing a new project, that does happen more often than you might think. The product turned out great, though, and I’m really happy that Eddy loved the results.

    Included with Scenes of the Embrace are fourteen, stand-alone scenes that a Storyteller can use. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the terminology for Vampire: the Requiem, this product has a narrow focus on the moment when a vampire transforms a mortal into a new vampire. As Eddy had mentioned, although the word “toolkit” seems to be a buzzword now-a-days, that’s really what this product was designed for. There’s a lot of fodder in here for Storytellers that also ties back to a sire’s covenant, too.

    If you’re interested in Scenes of the Embrace, you can purchase it as an e-book. To read more about this new supplement for Vampire: The Requiem, take an Inside Look at Scenes of the Embrace at FlamesRising.com.

    Hack/Slash Card Game and my Role as a Developer

    Cassie Hack from HACK/SLASH by Tim SeeleyHi everyone,

    I am excited to announce that I am one of the developers of a card game based on the horror comic HACK/SLASH by Tim Seeley!

    Produced by Eden Studios, the game was designed by Matt Papa and the development team includes M. Alexander Jurkat, James Lowder, who is also the current editor for the HACK/SLASH comics series, and yours truly!

    Currently, the comic is published through Image Comics. You can read a really good interview with Tim Seeley conducted by Newsarama.com about the move from DDP to Image.

    Both the HACK/SLASH card game and the RPG will be published through Eden Studios, who published the BUFFY: the VAMPIRE SLAYER, ARMY OF DARKNESS and ANGEL RPGs.

    Here’s a quote from the press release:

    HACK/SLASH creator Tim Seeley will take an active role in the development of the games. “I grew up reading comics and playing RPGs,” Seeley explains, “so I’m thrilled that a company as great as Eden Studios is giving people a chance to play around in the world of HACK/SLASH. And it’s fantastic to see Cassie and Vlad on a roster alongside such stellar horror licenses as Buffy and Army of Darkness!”

    A prototype version of the HACK/SLASH card game will be available for demo play at the Eden Studios booth (#209), at the upcoming Gen Con Game Fair, August 5th through 8th, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. — SOURCE: Eden Studios To Bring Fan Favorite Comic HACK/SLASH To The Gaming World

    I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of this for many reasons on so many different levels. As a fan of HACK/SLASH and horror, well, everything, I can tell you that this card game really targets the mood and theme of the comic. Matt Papa did an exceptional job as the primary designer and the collaboration that we’ve done on this game has made it even better.

    Don’t take my word for it, though, because you know I’m going to rave about it. So, if you’re going to GenCon: Indy, stop by the Eden Studios booth and play the game for yourself. Or… as Cassie would say… “Suck it.”

    Three Non-Fiction Releases about Gaming

    Hi everyone,

    I am pleased to announce that I’ve got three, non-fiction releases related to hobby gaming available for you to check out.

    Family Games: the 100 BestFirst, if you haven’t had the chance to check out FAMILY GAMES: the 100 BEST, I’d recommend that you consider getting your copy signed if you’re heading to GenCon in Indianapolis. Several of the essayists, including yours truly, will be at the convention. Also, you might want to head over to the Green Ronin booth and track down James Lowder for his signature. Not only did he edit the book, he’s also an outstanding author in his own right.

    This year, you can find me at the GenCon Writer’s Symposium which is managed by author Jean Rabe. I’ll be writing a post about what panels I’ll be on later.

    My second release is a very “heady” essay about dice and divination for THE BONES, which was edited by Will Hindmarch and published through Gameplaywright. What is this book about?

    The Bones gathers writing about fandom and family—about gamers, camaraderie, and memories— and ties them together where they meet: our dice. These are essays and anecdotes about the ways dice make us crazy, about the stakes we play for and the thrill we get from not knowing what the next roll will bring. –SOURCE: THE BONES at Gameplaywright.net.

    My contribution to THE BONES took on a more intellectual, esoteric approach. I talked about how the act of rolling dice draws upon a form of divination that employs the use of dice; I also mentioned how players like us often take on the role of the divine, because we typically determine what happens to our characters through a simple roll of the die.

    After reading through our limited edition copy, I have to say that I feel Will did an absolutely outstanding job as editor. He provided a healthy potpourri of entertaining anecdotes and intellectual discourse that offers something for everyone to read. If you like to game, you can order a copy now or buy one in the dealer’s room at GenCon this upcoming August. Similar to FAMILY GAMES: the 100 BEST, several of the essayists and contributors will be floating around to sign your copy of THE BONES.

    Last, but not least, I also wrote an essay about how powerful convention demos can be to attract new players for this year’s release of the RPGirl Zine. RPGirl is a project led by Emily Care Boss that highlights women in the gaming industry. In addition to this essay and my bio, Emily was kind enough to promote THE QUEEN OF CROWS e-book. I’m not one-hundred percent sure if she’ll have her own booth presence this year or not, but I do know that the RPGirl Zine will be available, along with THE BONES, at the Indie Press Revolution booth.

    Family Games 100: Essay List Announced

    Hey folks, FAMILY GAMES: THE 100 BEST just left the printer and I’m pleased to share with you the full list of authors, games and essays. The game that I talked about was GLOOM, which is one of my favorite card games. How many of these games have you played or can recognize?

      Foreword by Mike Gray
      Introduction by James Lowder
      Afterword by Wil Wheaton
      Appendix A: Games and Education by David Millians
      Appendix B: Family Games in Hobby Games: The 100 Best by James Lowder

    List of Family Games and Essayists

      Carrie Bebris on 10 Days in the USA
      Steven E. Schend on 1960: The Making of the President
      Dominic Crapuchettes on Apples to Apples
      Mike Breault on The Awful Green Things from Outer Space
      Jeff Tidball on Balderdash
      Keith Baker on Bang!
      Bruce Harlick on Battleship
      James Wallis on Bausack
      Paul Jaquays on Black Box
      Lewis Pulsipher on Blokus
      Teeuwynn Woodruff on Boggle
      Fred Hicks on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
      James Ernest on Candy Land
      Ian Livingstone on Can’t Stop
      Bruce Whitehill on Careers
      Jared Sorensen on Cat
      Wolfgang Baur on Cathedral
      John Scott Tynes on Clue
      Alessio Cavatore on Condottiere
      Elaine Cunningham on Connect Four
      Will Hindmarch on Cranium
      Erik Mona on Crossbows and Catapults
      William W. Connors on Dark Tower
      John D. Rateliff on Dogfight
      Robert J. Schwalb on Dungeon!
      jim pinto on Dvonn
      Gav Thorpe on Easter Island
      Jeff Grubb on Eurorails
      Kenneth Hite on Faery’s Tale Deluxe
      Richard Dansky on Family Business
      Warren Spector on Focus
      Corey Konieczka on For Sale
      James M. Ward on Fortress America
      Stan! on Frank’s Zoo
      Bruce C. Shelley on The Game of Life
      Phil Orbanes on A Gamut of Games
      Monica Valentinelli on Gloom
      Matt Leacock on Go Away Monster!
      Steve Jackson on The Great Dalmuti
      David “Zeb” Cook on Guillotine
      Jason Matthews on Gulo Gulo
      Joshua Howard on Halli Galli
      Bruce Nesmith on Hare & Tortoise
      Mike Pondsmith on HeroClix
      Anthony J. Gallela on HeroQuest
      Chris Pramas on HeroScape
      Ed Greenwood on Hey! That’s My Fish!
      Colin McComb on Hive
      Alan R. Moon on Hoity Toity
      Jon Leitheusser on Ingenious
      Uli Blennemann on Java
      Luke Crane on Jungle Speed
      Monte Cook on Kill Doctor Lucky
      Emiliano Sciarra on Knightmare Chess
      Todd A. Breitenstein on Liar’s Dice
      Marc Gascoigne on Loopin’ Louie
      Andrew Parks on Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation
      Seth Johnson on Lost Cities
      John Yianni on Magi-Nation
      Bill Bodden on Master Labyrinth
      Andrew Greenberg on Mastermind
      Ken Levine on Memoir ’44
      Scott Haring on Mille Bornes
      Steve Jackson on Monopoly
      Sheri Graner Ray on Mouse Trap
      Kevin G. Nunn on Mystery Rummy: Murders in the Rue Morgue
      Dale Donovan on The Omega Virus
      Darren Watts on Othello
      Charles Ryan on Pandemic
      Michelle Lyons on Pente
      Thomas M. Reid on Pictionary
      Nicole Lindroos on Pieces of Eight
      John Wick on Pit
      Matt Forbeck on Pokémon
      Robin D. Laws on Prince Valiant
      Stephen Glenn on Qwirkle
      Sébastien Pauchon on Ricochet Robots
      Peter Olotka on Risk
      Richard Breese on Rummikub
      Jesse Scoble on Scotland Yard
      Richard Garfield on Scrabble
      Mike Selinker on Set
      Rob Heinsoo on Small World
      Hal Mangold on Sorry!
      Jess Lebow on Stratego
      Eric Goldberg on Strat-O-Matic Baseball
      Andrea Angiolino on Survive!
      Karl Deckard on Thebes
      Dan Tibbles on Time’s Up!
      Tom Wham on Trade Winds
      Susan McKinley Ross on TransAmerica
      Ray Winninger on Trivial Pursuit
      Leo Colovini on Twixt
      Matthew Kirby on Uno
      David Parlett on Upwords
      Lester Smith on Werewolf
      John Kovalic on Wits & Wagers
      Philip Reed on Yahtzee
      Kevin Wilson on Zendo
      Jess Hartley on Zooloretto

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