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Bookshelf

Paizo Launches Pathfinder Novel Line

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Sun, 02/28/2010 - 6:30am

Paizo Publishing is launching a fiction line to support the Pathfinder RPG and Pathfinder Campaign Setting. TSR/Wizards of the Coast had good luck with this strategy, and it only makes sense that Paizo would give it a try.

The first two books on the schedule are:

  • Winter Witch by Elaine Cunningham (September 2010)
  • Prince of Wolves by Dave Gross by Dave Gross (October 2010)

These will be "300-page mass market paperback novels", to be sold through hobby shops and book stores for $9.99, but you'll also be able to subscribe through Paizo.com. As is the case with the Pathfinder adventure paths, those who subscribe will get free digital copies of the books.

Aside from Dragonlance, I've never been one for game-related fiction and I'm still on a big science fiction kick right now. As such, I'm more likely to want to pick up one of Paizo's Planet Stories books, but I am curious to see how this new fantasy line shakes out.

FollowFriday: Comic Book Publishers on Twitter

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 1:00pm

Here are my Follow Friday picks for 2/12/2010; inspired by Dark Horse Comic's Knights of the Old Republic giveaway (in which you had a chance to win a complete set of KOTOR books) I decided to do a round up of the major comic book companies on Twitter.

  • @darkhorsecomics Because they publish Star Wars: Legacy, gave Star Wars: KOTOR a great run & are launching a new SW title #followfriday
  • (also because @DarkHorseComics is giving away Volumes 1-8 of the KOTOR comic ... which is a fantastic read) http://bit.ly/9syXk3
  • @marvel and @agent_m because they got the value of Twitter from the beginning and are amusing reads #followfriday
  • @Dc_Nation Follow for a steady stream of DC Comics news, but don't expect the robot to talk back. #followfriday
  • @Wildstorm The feed for the DC line that does Twitter better than its parent company. #followfriday

GameCryer.com: Star Wars: The Essential Atlas

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Sat, 02/06/2010 - 11:25am

The Essential AtlasMy review of Star Wars: The Essential Atlas is up at GameCryer.com. While not an official source book for Star Wars: Saga Edition, I strongly recommend that game master's at least check it out.

This book has extensive maps of the entire Star Wars galaxy, including the Deep Core, Core, Colonies, Inner Rim, Outer Rim, and other major regions, as well as time line maps depicting major events like the Mandalorian Wars, Jedi Civil War, the Clone Wars, and the plots of all six movies. Great stuff and an excellent in-game reference to give players a sense of the galaxy's scale.

Why I want an Apple iPad

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 11:01pm

I want an iPad. It’s not because I’m a raving Apple fan boy or obsessed with the latest gadget – it’s because it fits the way I want to use technology, and addresses frustrations I’ve had with contemporary form factors. There are three specific products that I want to use with a tablet:

  • Pen-and-paper role-playing game PDFs.
  • Comic books and magazines
  • Ebooks

They’re all print-based, and they share characteristics that don’t easily translate to a laptops, netbooks, or PDAs. I’ll preface all of this by saying these are my opinions; you may find reading an eBook on an iPod Touch to be liberating, love Marvel’s pan-and-scan tools for comic books on your Windows 7 desktop computer, and have no problem paging through PDFs on your netbook. If so, more power to you … but I find these options less than optimal.

Off the Bookshelf: Twilight, The Gathering Storm, Star Wars Atlas

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Sat, 01/23/2010 - 12:44pm

Cover: Twilight

Over Thanksgiving break, my wife and I made a deal: I'd read Twilight if she read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It took me a month of on and off reading, but I finally did so. Completing that teen romance horror novel let me read the book I've been waiting months for: The Gathering Storm, Book 12 of the Wheel of Time.

In between the two I've been sneaking quick reads of Star Wars: The Essential Atlas, which is sure to become an indespensible reference for my Star Wars RPG campaign.

Smaug the Magnificent ... in candy

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Wed, 01/13/2010 - 5:17am

The good folks at Miss(ed) Manners have done it again: they've recreated one of J.R.R. Tolkien's most epic scenes ... in candy. This time around, it's the conclusion to The Hobbit, featuring the Battle of the Five Armies and the assault on Lake Town by the dragon Smaug.

As with their previous creations -- The Battle of Helm’s Deep, The Battle of Pelennor Fields, The Mines of Moria, the diorama is truly a sight to behold. A red licorice Smaug rises from a frosted Lonely Mountain to ravage a gingerbread Lake Town. Gummi bear armies of goblins, orcs, humans, dwarves and elves battle for the treasure under the mountain, while overhead eagles and giant bats fight for ariel supremacy.

The Battle of Pelennor Fields ... in candy

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Sat, 12/26/2009 - 5:30am

Of course, it wasn't enough to recreate the Battle of Helm's Deep in candy. The brilliant, creative minds behind that project had to go and make The Battle of Pelennor Fields ... in candy.

It's got it all -- the white icing walls of Minas Tirith, the black licorice corpse of the Witch King's mount. Gumdrop elephant war machines. A functional battering ram made entirely of licorice. A green marshmellow garden. And, of course, a heck of a lot of candy orcs. It's an amazing project, and I hope they follow it up with some other confection creation this year.

The Battle of Helm's Deep ... in candy

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Thu, 12/24/2009 - 5:30am

Every year at Christmas time I spend the better part of two weeks re-watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy in all of its extended glory. But I could be making far better use of my time, say rebuilding the Battle of Helm's Deep in candy. This post first made its round in 2007, but the glory of this sweet, sweet build is worth revisiting.

The walls of the great fortress are made from Jolly Ranchers and Smarties. The orc legions are comprised of Gummi Bears. Sour Patch Kids represent the corpses of the humans and elven defenders. There's licorice rope, Starburst stairs, Nerd gravel and much, much more. So much more that you really need to go and see it yourself.

Geek Holiday Shopping List for 2009

Posted in by Kenneth Newquist on Thu, 12/10/2009 - 9:29am

Looking for ideas for the geek on your Christmas List? Are you a geek looking for ideas about what to ask for? Nuketown has you covered (albiet, a bit late in the shopping cycle but hey, there's still nearly two weeks until Christmas).

Two quick notes: 1) all of the items on this list link to Amazon.com; Nuketown gets a small (very small) affiliate credit if you buy something. 2) Some of these recommendations are based on review copies of games I've received. These are noted with a [RC] designation.