The Fourth Dimension Is Crossed

1 - Monograph update: if any of you really don't know what to make of this strange book that keeps getting mentioned, a more concise explanation can be found here, along with a description of all its contributors. Thanks for that, Josh!

2 - Can I just say, as much work as it is, I'm such a sucker for setting consistency. It's been fun contacting—perhaps some would say pestering—various Eberron authors and Wizards of the Coast employees (mostly my editor) on various points. Like most writers, I've long since harbored my own world ideas, but for now, I'm having a blast playing around in a pre-existing setting. Eberron really has grown on me.

3 - On the Goodman Games front, I've committed myself to another project. What's wrong with me? It's not like I'm swimming in free time. I'm really not. The dayjob has been rough lately and there's always much to do at home. But somehow I'm doing this anyway.

Joseph Goodman was nice enough to pass along this along from a GM (gamemaster) who posted on a public forum, regarding my module, DCC #31:

"I volunteered at my local game store to run an event for InternationalD&D Game Day (Nov. 4). This is what I put together: It's a simplified dungeon for Dungeon Crawl Classics: The Transmuter'sLast Touch made from Castlemolds. I had to shorten a lot of the hallways to get it to fit on the table, and a lot of the pieces don'thave finishing touches (a lot of hallways are missing walls even), but the players seemed to really enjoy it. Thanks to Goodman Games for an adventure that I think turned some newplayers on to D&D!"

The Artifice of Many

I'm hesitant to promote something too much that I'm involved in, even here on my weblog. Sure, there's a boxed set out with my name on it, but that thing is expensive. I'll talk all about it but I won't go asking people to head out and lay down the cash for it. You've got to really be into gaming or fantasy for that. It's not enough just to know me.

So the second time I will really promote something will be my actual Eberron novel, whenever it comes out—possibly after pigs fly, which is a distinct possibility. Heh.

But the first time I'll really promote something and say, "Hey, this thing is really cool—you should buy it," is right now. I'm a fan of collaboration, and also a fan of several of the people involved in this particular project:

Sidedown Monograph #1, a book mentioned previously here and in other places, too. You can get the book itself for $50, or a book and an undoubtedly kick-ass CD for $60 during this presale timeframe. The sooner the better, too, since there are actually limited edition (with cool extra stuff) copies going first. I'm getting a free copy myself, but I'm still laying down some money so my parents can have one (what with their too artsy-fartsy sons being involved in it).

Monographical Mania

In five days' time (Monday the 13th), should you be interested, you will be able to pre-order Sidedown Monograph #1. I've got a short story in there, my brother has some writings, as do misters Ed Gentry and Harley Stroh, my brother, Jeremy Simmons, a handful of others....and of course the man who put all this together, Josh Wentz.

So what the heck is this monograph thing that a few weblogs have mentioned? Basically, an unorthodox and well-ordered, thematic collection of multi-media art. It even ties in with a CD of original music by yet another (and overlaping) group of creative people. Josh Wentz is again at the hub of that project.

If anyone's interested, check in at Sidedown.org or here again on Monday. You can get a pretty sweet package of both book and CD during the presale period. I've seen some of this stuff, and heard some of it. It's worth having.

Bound By Iron

This is what book #1 in the Inquisitives series—written by Ed Bolme—will look like. I can't emphasize enough how fortunate I am to eventually have the same artist for my book's cover art.

The artist is Michael Komarck. Aside from a ton of amazing paintings he's done—you can spend an hour persing his website and drooling at the samples (http://www.komarckart.com)—
he also did covers for Don Bassingthwaite's Dragon Below trilogy for Eberron.