Found! Free City of Haldane (Iridia #87)

I've been trying to find The Free City of Haldane for the better part of a year. I knew I had it somewhere, but I didn't expect to find it in a bunch of papers sitting inside a box of RPGs destined for storage. All because I was trying to track down by softcover copy of Swords & Wizardry Complete (I think that must currently be IN storage - I'll track it down of Friday).

This was a classic issue in Christian's old Iridia zine. I'm glad I found it just in time for the kick off of The City of Haldane series in his Loviatar zine :)

I'm looking forward to the new version, but I'm extremely happy to have my old version too.

Mini Review - Loviatar #8

Christian has outdone himself with the latest issue of Loviatar.  Not only is the cover awesome but the contents rise up to the same standard.  Nicely done.

Issue 8 is an "All Hex Crawl" issue (just like Issue 7 was).  It isn't what Christian set out to do, but sometimes these things write themselves, and this one certainly did, to the tune of 24 pages Basic D&D goodness.

Issue 8 wins hands down with the NPC personalities presented.  They are so well rounded, as a GM I could play them without hesitation.  I know what they think and why and how they will react to the PCs with just a few short paragraphs of description.  They feel alive.

Personally, I've always Otyughs as a means of garbage disposal.  This issue shows a town's innovative use of such, and the dung they get in return.  Oh, and "high hobbits" and the return of the gnomes ;)
 
The latest issue details Hex 004 (the previous 3 issues gave us hexes 001-003).  If you haven't yet started reading Loviatar, you are missing out on a very organic sandbox setting that you can witness the birth off.

Besides, it's just 3.50 an issue (much less if you subscribe).  He mails it to you.  It's on actual goddamn paper!  What are you waiting for?

Mini Review - Loviatar #6

Picture "Borrowed" From Christian's Blog

One of the things that I want to kick myself for is not having a full collection of Christian's past zines.  I should, as I have his first zine, and I at one point had each and every one, but I never realized how much I missed his older stuff until Loviatar came along.  Loviatar hits the same buttons that the best of his past stuff hit for me.  It's just that good.

Now, I'm going to start out I love the Hex 00X series he started in issue #6,  By itself it is worth the price of admission (and as the price is 3 bucks an issue, mailed to you house, how can you go wrong?).   I don't recall what the scale of each hex is, but what he has given us in the last two issues is a growing sandbox to explore.  It should work with any of the OSR games that draw on D&D for inspiration, but could even work with Tunnels and Trolls with very little work.

Thursday Night Fight Club is Christian's first dabbling into Basic Roleplaying.  While I own the latest rules (and even the Fantasy Grounds 2 mod) I haven't played with the system or any of it's close cousins in years.  Still, Christian is always top notch with character descriptions - they are never just a bunch of stats - that knowing the system doesn't matter all that much.  A perfect NPC for any modern RPG system.

The last article details 2 NPCs for Vampire: The Requiem.  I owned the whole first generation of the World of Darkness Core books and never ran the system.  Could never get my group into it.  Maybe I didn't understand the whole setting behind the closed doors and I couldn't sell it to my friends.  Christian understands it.  Well done as always.

So, simply put, an excellent source for any game master to find inspiration.

Time to pour myself of free tap beer from my Beertender and toast Christian.  Heineken Light lad, but the wife is returning with a mini keg of Newcastle Brown Ale for when this run out ;)

Mini Review: Loviatar 5 and Scrollworks 1

Alright, I'm not really reviewing Scollworks Volume I Issue 1, but I came across it as I cleaned out my old desk (renovations never seem to end) and as it's Christian's first RPG fanzine that I know of, I thought I'd give it a mention along with Christian's latest.

Loviatar #5 has an amazing cover.  When your main article is Hex 001, this cover is the perfect match.  Well done!

As for Hex 001 itself, I'm very interested to see where this goes.  It's a really nice starter area with hints of things beyond the hex itself.  This would make a very nice ongoing feature (hint) building off of previous hexes.

It's been ages since I've opened a GURPS book that wasn't Discworld.  So the GURPS article took me a few moments to refresh my memories of the system, but in truth, the article could have been systemless and worked nearly as well. The set up (fluff if you will) could easily fit any modern age RPG.

Shamble is a short WoD piece for a "Walking Dead" inspired zombie.  Again, well done and is easily adaptable to other role playing systems.

Great as always.  Love mail in my mailbox that isn' junk or a bill ;)

Mini Review - Loviatar Issue #3 (OGL)

Christian continues to do what he does best, which is write zines.  I've been enjoying his zones (and blogs and vidblogs) for years.  Today I received issue #3 of Loviatar in the mail.  Nicely done as always.

The cover is striking, as it has a nosferatu like creature on orange card stock.  Its the October issue and works well as an October / Halloween.

This issue we get a gang of thugs stated out for Pathfinder, some well fleshed out NPCs for your World of Darkness campaign, genetically engineered wolves for GURPS and an NPC for Planescape.  All of these articles have fiction that fleshes out stuff way beyond anything mere stats could ever do.

Christian is an excellent writer and it shows.  Well done lad.

Loviatar Contest! Win a 6 Month Sub to Christian's New Zine!

Matt over at Lapsus Calumni is running a contest to win a 6 month sub to Christian's (unknown destination blog and others) IN PRINT zine: Loviatar.  How awesome is that?

All you have to do is flesh out a small dungeon map he's posted on is blog.  You can use stats for your favorite game or go stat-less.  You have until August 15th.

I've been reading Christian's stuff for about 10 years now.  It's always top notch.

While you are at it, check out Matt's blog for an amazing assortment of dungeon maps.  I might have to add his blog to the "Free Resources" links on he left side of this page ;)

Mini Review - Loviatar Issue #1 (Zine)

There is something about getting SOMETHING in the mail that isn't a bill or a credit card application.  I've been big on "e-formats" for my reading for a while, but I do appreciate getting a hard copy at my door.

Loviatar is just such a thing.  It's a RPG "Zine".  There's no "ezine" format available yet (although I will make the suggestion, as I'm sure it would add to accessiblity for those overseas).  It's available fr 3 bucks an issue, or a 6 month sub for $12.

What do you get?  A quality zine from a man who has been producing zines for as long as I've been reading them.  This issue gives us the starting area / homes for a new party of Pathfinder players set in the Forgotten Realms.  20 pages sized approximately like the OD&D booklets of yore.  It really is a fun way to get your game reading fix in, and doesn't take up too much space in the throne room ;)

I'm glad to see Christian is back at doing what he loves and does best.  Keep up the good work lad :)