Whispers

Volume 57, December 2003

As the hard-core among you know, it’s been some time since our last Whispers.  Let’s just say we are going through a transition time here at the old Eden newsletter.  It’s not entirely clear what the future will bring for Whispers, but we’ll do our best to get you loyal subscribers Eden news on a more regular basis.  The latest news can always be found at www.edenstudios.net/news.html.

In the meantime, there’s lots to talk about.  Here’s what’s been going on.

The following products have been released over that last several months.  We’re also listing our intended releases in January.  If you’ve heard of an Eden book, and it’s not on this list, we can’t provide a definite release date yet. 

September: Armageddon (new Unisystem corebook; EDN5000, ISBN 1-891153-21-8); War of Shadows (Archipelagos Shadows Trilogy, Book I, EDN7101, ISBN 1-891153-27-7); Little Town of Hamlin (AFMBE PDF; EDN8021)

October: Book of Hod (WitchCraft; EDN4003, ISBN 1-891153-32-3)

December: Angel Roleplaying Game Corebook (Angel; EDN6200, ISBN 1-891153-97-8); Angel Roleplaying Game Corebook Limited Edition (Angel; EDN6201, ISBN 1-891153-99-4); Fields of Blood: The Book of War (Eden Odyssey d20; EDN 7005, ISBN 1-891153-55-2); Atlas of the Walking Dead (AFMBE; EDN8006, ISBN: 1-891153-30-7)

January: Book of Archetypes II (AFMBE; EDN8009, ISBN: 1-891153-16-1); Zombie Smackdown (AFMBE; EDN8005, ISBN: 1-891153-77-3)

December was a big month for Eden releases.  The premier release was the long-awaited Angel RPG Corebook.  Like the Buffy the Vampires Slayer RPG, this gorgeous stand-alone game is hard cover and full color.  It’s a bit darker, more grown-up, and features more powers (including demon Cast Members).  New rules allow players to form and run their own organizations, from private investigation outfits like Angel Investigations or Gunn’s street gang to multi-national groups like Wolfram & Hart.

If you need more convincing, check out the terrific review of new book at http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9937.phtml.  We’re also sponsoring a contest in the official Angel magazine by Titan Press on sale later this month.  Check it out and maybe you could win a copy of the Angel Corebook.

We’ll be following up the Angel RPG Corebook with a Director’s Screen chock full of tables, charts, and play aids.  The Screen will also feature the second part of the two-part adventure begun in the Corebook.  It should be arriving in early 2004.

We also have a full slate of supplements on tap for the Angel RPG.  The first two are the Investigator’s Casebook, running down the mean streets and how to survive on them, and the Encyclopedia Demonica, covering all the monsters needed to plague your gaming group.  Look for those in 2004.

For those looking for more info on Eden and its licensed games, check out my interview with Mark Bruno over at Gaming Report.com.  It located at http://www.gamingreport.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=87.

The Welcome to Sunnydale supplement has passed through most of the textual approval stages and has headed to layout.  This puppy brings the Buffy RPG mythos up to date.  It covers through Season Seven . . . at least just short of the finale.  To avoid acting as spoiler for our UK fans, we’ll say no more about that.  In any event, Welcome to Sunnydale features a full history of our favorite burb, a detailed timeline, lots of folks that we have met over the years, updated stats, maps of houses and best of all—a map of Sunnydale itself.  All of that should be coming your way in early 2004. 

Next up for the Buffy RPG is the Military Monster Squad.  This tome gives the low down on the Initiative (and whatever that organization turned into after is was “disbanded”).  It combines military firepower with conspiratorial intrigue, both domestic and international.  Look for this fine book later in 2004. 

The latest “great-read” review by Dan Davenport of the Buffy line, covering the Magic Box, can be found at http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9877.phtml.  A second review, similarly complimentary, is located at http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9508.phtml.  Thanks to both reviewers.

The Buffy Corebook is still garnering praise.  Ogrecave.com posted a nice review at http://www.ogrecave.com/reviews/buffy.shtml.  The book even made a splash at the d20 Magazine Rack (even though it’s not a d20 system book).  There’s a review at http://www.d20zines.com/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=544&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.

The second big release in December was Fields of Blood: The Book of War.  This book provides everything you need to rule a nation, raise an army, and assault your enemies on the battlefield.  From realms to units to battle to magic, your character can now be a hero both in the dungeon and on the battlefield.  Fully compatible with version 3.5 of the d20 system, this book is packed with realm building and mass combat essentials.

The good news is that the book actually arrived early from the printer and pre-orders were shipped out with the Angel RPG.  The bad news is that the book lists the wrong order number.  The ISBN and price are correct but Fields of Blood: The Book of War should be EDN7005, not EDN7003.  Sorry for this screw up.

The d20 Magazine Rack at www.d20zines.com did a nice review of Secrets of the Ancients, one of our vignette sourcebooks.  Take a look at http://www.d20zines.com/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=617&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.

The third release in December was Atlas of the Walking Dead.  Atlas of the Walking Dead features descriptions of more than 60 worldwide walking dead from Aptrgangr to Zmeu, divided into 18 easy-to-use sections, nearly 50 new zombie aspects, more than 60 story ideas tied to these new creatures, and an appendix covering undead animals from around the world.

The first AFMBE download-only PDF arrived in October, Little Town of Hamlin.  Based on the Pied Piper of Hamlin legend, the book is set in the Dead at 1000 Deadworld from the AFMBE Corebook.  This small adventure—we call it an AFMBE Appetizer—gives you a ready-to-run adventure for a one-off AFMBE game or expanded material for a Dead at 1000-style campaign.

 In July, we released the Book of Archetypes, a plethora of characters ready to head out . . . and run screaming from the zombie hordes.  From the great response, we’ve learned it’s just not enough.  So, coming soon is another attack of the Archetypes.  You got it—time for Book of Archetypes 2.  It includes more than 30 new Archetypes, complete with personality, quote, gear, full game stats, and ready-to-eat gray matter.  There’s also more equipment and rules to promote massive hemorrhaging.  This supplement contains material written by fans of the AFMBE RPG.

Newly announced for AFMBE is Dungeons and Zombies.  This book from first-time Eden writer Jason Vey combines swords, sorcery, and shambling!  It covers all aspects of fantasy role-playing, from gritty swords and sorcery to literary high fantasy, from King Arthur to the mysterious orient.  It should be arriving in the first quarter of 2004.

And if that’s not enough AFMBE for you, Valkyrie 27 has a nice AFMBE scenario entitled Curse of the Wendigo.  Get more info at http://www.caliverbooks.com/valk%20website/V27.HTM.  Also, the always entertaining Dan Davenport posted a review of Fistful o’ Zombies, the AFMBE Wild West sourcebook, at http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9663.phtml.

Eden’s zombie anthologies continue to get favorable mention from critiques.  The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror (St. Martin’s Griffin, 16th edition, 2003), edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, has some kind words about the Book of More Flesh.  Ellen Datlow noted: “The Book of More Flesh, edited by James Lowder (Eden Studios, Inc.) is a worthy follow-up to the 2001 zombie anthology, The Book of All Flesh, itself inspired by Eden Studios’ role-playing game.  I freely admit that I dreaded reading another zombie story, so I was pleasantly surprised by the variety and verve of many of the twenty-three original stories by writers such as Tom Piccirilli, Scott Edelman, Paul Finch, Darrell Schweitzer, and others.”  Twelve of the 23 stories in The Book of More Flesh made the Honorable Mention list for 2002.  Elsewhere, All Hallows (#34)—a very good small press publication featuring both fiction and scholarly reviews—contains a long review essay covering all three of the anthologies. “In all, I read some seventy-two stories, each one following editor James Lowder’s directive to the authors to bring something ‘different’ to each story.  They did indeed, as I spent many an hour shifting between laughter, discomfort, and downright fear.”  Finally, in the September issue of CHRONICLE, Don D’Amassa reviewed the Book of Final Flesh.  He asked “how much can you do with a shambling, animated corpse?  Well, as it turns out, you can do quite a lot as this, the third in a series of zombie anthologies, demonstrates quite clearly.  The settings range from the historical to the futuristic, from America to Asia to outer space, and they aren”t just clunking automatons.  They’re dangerous, deadly, and sometimes intriguing as well . . . the overall quality is surprisingly high.”  Congrats to the authors and James Lowder.

The War of Shadows, the first book of the Archipelagos Shadow Trilogy translation for the d20 system was released in September.  Set on the islands of the Archipelagos, this adventure pits the characters against a rising evil power as they try to stop a war between two nations.  The storyline can be integrated in any d20 system fantasy world, or played as part of a unique setting all its own.  More than just an adventure, The War of Shadows lays the foundations of an epic campaign.  Are you ready for the tempest of terror soon to wash over the Archipelagos!  Ideal for 1st- and 2nd-level characters. 

The second book, The Hero’s Shadow, is currently in the final stages of layout.  This adventure can be played on its own or as a direct follow-up to The War of Shadows.  The character must search out an ancient tomb and an evil artifact, before it falls into the wrong hands.  Look for that in January 2004.

September saw the arrival of Armageddon!  Years in the making (or re-making) and stalled for over a month at the printer, this sweet hardcover RPG takes your Unisystem game to a different level. 

In Armageddon, angels and demons walk the Earth, but their apocalyptic struggle has been pre-empted by another, more fundamental conflict.  Ancient foes must bury their grudges and join forces, and even work together with humans—the sinful, apparently weak and powerless humans who are the key to victory.  As the world is wracked by war, humans and supernatural beings must fight for their very existence.  Let the Reckoning begin!

Check out nifty preview and demo package for that game at http://www.edenstudios.net/armageddon/armdemo.pdf.  A quality review can be found at http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9891.phtml.

In October, Eden released the Book of Hod, the first of the Sephiroth books for CJ Carella’s WitchCraft.  The books includes three new Associations and two new Solitaire Groups, an overview of Hod’s Realms, new Metaphysics, and background on the denizens of the Dream Realms.  Specific information updating the material for those playing in the Armageddon universe is also featured.

Unfortunately, Christina Stiles, the Book of Hod’s primary editor, was inadvertently left off the credits page.  I take full responsibility for that oversight and want to extend my sincerest apologies to Christina.  Her work was outstanding and she should have been given prominent credit for it.  I urge all who are fans of Christina’s work to peruse the Book of Hod.

As special bonus and thanks to all our fans, we have posted the entire WitchCraft corebook on our web site as a free PDF download.  Always wanted to try the game of modern secrets and magic?  Here’s your golden opportunity.  Download your copy from the WitchCraft home page.

Terra Primate, the premier roleplaying game of intelligent apes, is included in the Games Under the Tree recommended Xmas list from Ogrecave.com.  See all the great games at http://www.ogrecave.com/features/12xmas_2003_2.shtml.  That Ogrecave guys!

The prolific Dan Davenport posted a review of Terra Primate.  Check it out his kind words about the game at www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9460.phtml.

For all you game writers and designers, Derek Stoelting has established the The Garden of Eden, an Eden Studios Fan Submission web site.  This month the Garden of Eden unleashed a horde of zombie submissions. Check it out at http://www.shinies.net/garden.

Looking for players in your area to play All Flesh Must Be Eaten, WitchCraft, Conspiracy X or some Buffy? The Eden Studios Player Registry has been updated for our latest games and is available to all.  Head over to http://eden.ratatosk.org/, log yourself in and find a new game group!

Alex Jurkat
Eden Studios
1238 Central Avenue
Albany, NY  12205
whispers@edenstudios.net
www.edenstudios.net