Sneak Preview: WysaertZ

For those who also enjoy (my) card games, WysaertZ is the return of a golden oldie once in extremely limited supply. The game predated a certain trading card game which swooped the market in the nineties - with a similar idea. You can imagine how shocked I was when their company bought TSR!

Except that my game is not a trading card game, and it plays much faster, with much more humour.

Soon Now on DriveThruCards  - WysaertZ print-on-demand! 

80 cards of magick mayhem, rules included, playing time 10-20mins, 1-6 players, age 9 and up.

Also available now:  the 80 card Ultimaete Destrucktion Decke expansion!


So, and now for some posts on regular roleplaying...

Samaris Hardcover on DriveThru!

Update: You can now buy The World Beyond's Samaris Game Companion in full color print (also inside) from DriveThru. It's a full city setting for more narrative role playing, with over a hundred contacts, as many locations, creatures, adventure ideas and artifacts. It was written for The World Beyond RPG, but you could use it with minimal tweaking in any favorite fantasy game system, be it O5R or something else.

The black and white version (older Dark Dungeon rules) is no longer available. That is, unless you want one of the few remaining ones I have left. Leave a message if you're interested. The Samaris color print and pdf is right here.


Have a look at the positive reviews of the first (B&W) edition of Samaris here. The new version is even better.

Here is a picture of that first edition's b&w print. I had some issues with the printer at first, with big black spots appearing instead of transparency. I was so proud when I finally got it right :-)

Ringworld Zombie Cards

Update: Ringworld Zombie is a fast Zombie card game where you try to escape from the zombies in a derelict space prison. I first did it as a 24 hour game design challenge, and now made it into a professional game with all new artwork.

Here's some of the Ringworld Zombie cards... which you can find on DriveThru as print-on-demand, fine quality playing cards. My daughters love the game - except that they're kind of scared that the next zombie card may eat their hero - so we have to take over their heroes while they watch us getting eaten...

Believe it or not, yes, it is also a role playing game - also fit for zombie hunters with short attention spans.

Ringworld Zombie

Coming to your galaxy... right now. Ringworld Zombie card game. Try at your own peril.

Samaris for Sale!

Ever wished for a Fantasy City Guide you can leave on your table while playing? Ever wished you could page through the book and just TELL your Game Master you want to GO there? Join in imagination, and meet exciting people, visit mysterious places, investigate strange rumours, and fight monstrous creatures with bad tempers?

Then Samaris may be the book for you. It's a guide for Players AND Game Masters, to use together during play. With innovative new game mechanics players can influence the story by calling on their contacts; and game masters can truly engage the heroes, by using their personal rivals, patrons and hangouts.

Samaris is also a companion book to The World Beyond, the elegant and lean role playing system: Samaris features sixteen new hero templates, dozens of new skills, new magick, gunpowder weapons, and many new treasures and creatures.

And even if your favorite game system is not The World Beyond (why not?), it's easy to adapt and use in any fantasy role playing game. You can find some pointers on that in the extensive Game Master section, where you'll also find loads of adventure seeds and a full adventure module.

Over a hundred locations; over a hundred contacts for your heroes to meet, befriend, and hate; hundreds of rumours. 320+ pages, full of illustrations, full of inspiration. The Samaris PDF is out, so is the Lulu print, and the Lightningsource hardcover is available in full color now will soon follow!

Update: Samaris is now updated for the World Beyond RPG (formerly Dark Dungeon 2nd Ed) - and available in full color hardcover and pdf. Visit here for the Samaris Game Companion for the World Beyond.

Pick #90: Xenobiology

Alien lifeforms, completely different from our own typical build can be the spice of your science fiction, or fantasy games. But how do you imagine lifeforms that you've never seen? Before you know it, everything starts to look either like insects, like Lovecraftian creatures, or like the Aliens from the Ripley-driven film sequels. This in itself isn't bad. But there are a few other possibilities.

Here's some sites I stumbled upon that may give you entirely new ideas. You could see them as a jumpstart to Xenobiology 101.

The first is Furahan Biology blog, run by a Dutch scientist. It features quite a few nice thoughts on xenobiology and the imaginary planet Furaha. Similar blogs are The Xenobiology of Nereus, run by Evan Black from Utah, Xenoblog by the mysterious lady Amoeboid, and Biology in Science Fiction by Peggy Kolm.

The second thing to look at would be the Aldebaran, Betelgeuze and Antares science fiction comic series by Leo, a Brazilian artist. You can find some on the english translations of Leo's Aldebaran series here. The creatures of these series are thought through quite well, being quite weird and alien indeed.

A third thing to look at, when you're able, is Falling Skies, a science fiction series now in its fourth season, produced by Steven Spielberg. It features quite a few special effects and weird creatures.

Good luck imagining! - oh... and if you can stand Niven, read the Ringworld series!

A request: Proofreader & reviewer wanted

Samaris, the Dark Dungeon "Expert Set" and city adventures book is nigh finished.
The only thing missing for launch is a good proofread and review by native English speakers.
If you can help me out, you'll receive at the very least a free PDF of both books, honorable
mention, and my eternal gratitude. My target release time is the very end of June.

Samaris is chock-full, also with illustrations on every other page, for 322 pages. Samaris introduces some new ways of structuring your adventures, and gives the players new possibilities and new depth with Friends, Patrons and Rivals. Also, you'll find 17 new templates, new monsters, skills, magick, maps and stuff. It's both for players AND storyteller-game masters.

Let me know, when you want to help - many thanks!