Four Shadows: Music for Trail of Cthulhu

“There in the narrow hall, outside the bolted door with the covered keyhole, I often heard sounds which filled me with an indefinable dread-the dread of vague wonder and brooding mystery.” -HP Lovecraft, The Music of Erich Zann

What better to set the tone of your Trail of Cthulhu game than some superbly crafted music? Talented musician James Semple has created four tracks specially for Pelgrane Press to enhance your horror roleplaying experience.

Four Shadows: Music for Trail of Cthulhu and more Gumshoe products are available at the Flames Rising RPGNow Shop.

New Music from Nox Arcana! Hearken ye pirates and black-hearted sea dogs. Nox Arcana beckons ye to set sail upon the haunted seas where ghost ships prowl the misty dead of night and ancient treasure lies buried far below the endless waves. This epic soundscape explores the mysteries of the deep with dynamic orchestrations, ghostly […]

Privateer Press has announced that Monsterpocalypse, their new collectible miniatures game, has an official street date of October 10th, 2008. The long-awaited, action packed strategy game has already riveted the attention of the hobby game industry, making a big impression at the GAMA Trade show, International Comic Con in San Diego, Gen Con in Indianapolis and PAX in Seattle.

For most people, the world appears to be a relatively safe place, filled with the usual problems associated with day to day living. There are no monsters beneath the bed, nothing waiting in the darkness…

But for others, there is the maddening truth; unimaginable horrors lurk in dark places beyond the world we know, horrific things who regard humanity as little more than cattle; insignificant creatures to be used and cast aside at their whim. Ever watchful, they seek to pry open the gates to this realm, to reclaim that which was once theirs.

Shadows of Cthulhu is available at the Flames Rising RPGNow Shop.

As with the previous edition the tactic with Exalted in this addition appears to be the release of ‘uber’ splatbooks. Apparently a successful model as it’s one that’s spread across various of the larger companies now in selling their products. While you have some fill-in material to use to play the various high-powered factions in Exalted they only come into their own with these larger splatbooks where they’re properly filled out, given access to all their powers and secrets and become a force in their own right.

This splatbook – or ‘Manual of Exalted Power’ – (a touch unwieldy as a name in my opinion) addresses the Abyssal Exalted, after the Dragon Blooded perhaps the most persistent enemy of the Solar Exalted, their twisted ‘undead’ antithesis.

Review by James ‘Grim’ Desborough

The first trailer to the The Dead Matter movie is now online at www.T3nTh1rtyOne.com, a Halloween website hosted by Hot Topic. The site features the trailer, production stills from the movie, music from Midnight Syndicate’s new The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates CD, and a The Dead Matter Flyaway Contest sponsored by Midnight Syndicate Films and Hot Topic.

The savage Titans have escaped their eternal prison to wage war with the Gods once more. Their battles in the Overworld have spilled over to ours. Armed with abilities and weapons granted by their divine parents, the Scions stand as humanity’s only defense.

These materials normally retail for $104.97, but in PDF form for the next seven days, you can acquire all three supplements for $46.99 (USD).

The Destiny, Myth & Fate Bundle is available at the Flames Rising RPGNow Shop.

There has over the last couple of years been a resurgence of various “Old School” games to hit the market. We have companies dedicated to giving us the feel of the first time we have gamed with newer rulesets, companies that give us updates on old rulesets, and companies again that publish supplements for older games. The fact that these companies can co-exist in this market must mean there is at least enough financial interest to give this resurgence some credibility.

Review by Timothy Brannan

Suffer Not the Witch To Live

With words of power and forbidden wisdom, they unlock the doors of reality. But when those doors are unlocked, anything is free to slip through. Too often, these sorcerers call up what they cannot put down. Against the devastation of unleashed horrors and unchained magic, one must be vigilant.

A Character Book for Hunter: The Vigil

Witch Finders is available in print at Amazon.com and in eBook format at the Flames Rising RPGNow Shop.

Jaleigh Johnson’s second Forgotten Realms novel, Mistshore, opens with a letter from a grandfather to his infant granddaughter. “Someday,” the letter concludes, “you will go forth into the world and find your own adventure waiting. I want this for you, above all things, granddaughter. The world is spread out before you, and life is meant to be lived. Be well, and be happy…”

Mistshore tells the story of the granddaughter, Icelin, as she flees into Mistshore, a district of Waterdeep built upon the wreckage of sunken ships, warped planks, and violent crime. Mistshore is, as Ed Greenwood, the creator of the Forgotten Realms, says in his introduction to the book, “a corner of Waterdeep much whispered about by the fearful, who believe all manner of sinister half-sea-monsters, half-humans lurk in its sagging riggings and rotten cabins. Creatures with webbed fingers, gills hidden under high-collared robes, and sly, stealthy tentacles waiting to throttle or snatch.”

Interview by Jeremy Jones

Crafty Games LLC has reached an agreement with popular fantasy writer and author of the final volume of the Wheel of Time, Brandon Sanderson, to publish a roleplaying game based on his epic fantasy trilogy Mistborn. The game will arrive in 2009 and let players create their own exciting adventures in the Final Empire.

“Mistborn is an enchanting and innovative dark-fantasy series that’s tailor-made for gaming,” said Crafty Games partner Alex Flagg. “We’re thrilled at the opportunity to work with Brandon to create a product capturing the unique magic, action, and intrigue that’s made Mistborn such a hit with fantasy fans across the world.”

This is a supplement to the role playing game created by Evil Hat called Don’t Rest Your Head. It is a game that has more than a few horror aspects to it. If you are unfamiliar with the game you can read a review of it -here-.

WARNING! This is an adult game and this supplement is a VERY adult book. If you decide to check it out someday you should know that. Adult language and adult themes are prevalent in this book. If you are easily offended or squeamish, it may not be the right one for you. Just felt like I should warn you.

We now return to your regularly scheduled broadcast.

Review by Stacey Chancellor

MDC owners of the RPG Host Network are upgrading their entire network (200k monthly users) and consolidating many of its resources and features into one mega RPG social site called:

RPG Life (www.rpglife.com)

Now, today is your lucky day as we have more FREE PDFs for you all!

Within the realm of fantasy books, there are often stories that wander behind-the-scenes of a traditional sword-and-sorcery plot, describing knights, princesses and faraway places as real as if the author imagined Merlin himself lived right next door to you.

In James P. Blaylock’s The Knights of the Cornerstone, due out on December 2, 2008, we meet Calvin Bryson, a recluse deeply affected by his broken engagement and his love of rare books and pamphlets. Carefully living off of his family’s inheritance, Calvin dabbles in drawing cartoons and doesn’t really care to think much about what’s going on in the world.

Epic Words (www.epicwords.com) is a new, FREE RPG Campaign Tools website. It was built by players, for players, and is currently looking for new users, and their feedback, while in its Beta release. The site is compatible with all RPG’s.

Epic Words is a great way to keep players involved in-between games with blogs, wikis, and a host of other tools. It provides a place to take care of campaign housekeeping so your game time is really your game time. Some GM’s are even incenting their players with experience point rewards for participation, and enjoying the creativity of the resulting posts.

Permuted Press proudly presents a brand new serial novel by James Melzer: The Zombie Chronicles. The Zombie Chronicles will be serialized free in both text and podcast (audio book) formats.

Read or listen to episode one now on the official site: www.thezombiechronicles.net

Freelance writer Monica Valentinelli likes to play around with ideas, forms, rules, words… and just about anything else that can be thrown into a creative stew pot. She blends a love of history and philosophy with a love of dark fantasy and horror to create startling and exciting fiction and games.

“Monica possesses a genuine passion for creating and a sharply self-critical eye, both of which are essential for someone to grow as a writer,” said James Lowder, author and editor, whose most recent anthology, Worlds of Their Own was released last month. “She has lots of good ideas and the discipline to develop them in interesting, genre-expanding ways.”

I’ll start this with a confession. Witchblade Volume 5 is the first example of the Witchblade universe that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I wasn’t completely ignorant of the series. I wrote a profile of artist Mike Choi a few years ago which required some research, but Witchblade is one title that’s never screamed, “Read me!” Why does this matter? Because this review will split everyone into one of three camps – Those of you who, like me, have never read the series, Witchblade fans curious to read a rookie’s perspective, or Witchblade fans who angrily utter the word, “Duh!” over the next few minutes more times than is ever appropriate. The value you get out of this review will depend squarely on where you decide to camp.

Review by Jason Thorson

The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates, the long-awaited follow-up to The 13th Hour, arrives just in time for the Halloween season. Inspired by the themes of vampirism, living dead, and occult relics explored in the upcoming The Dead Matter movie, the new CD was created in the style of Midnight Syndicate’s other releases, taking listeners on a musical journey of their own creation.

“The themes from The Dead Matter movie were a perfect match,” says Gavin Goszka. “They allowed us to expand on familiar territory as well as explore new musical ground and add to our instrumental palette.”

New Mage Bundle available at RPGNow!

After the Fall of Atlantis, mages wandered as exiles in the wilderness, forced to eke a living without the protection of their grand city. With new eyes, they explored the world they had so long ignored, unhindered by Atlantean creed. They discovered that magic was not born in Atlantis — it had always existed, hidden in the land itself.

These materials normally retail for $53.98, but in PDF form for the next seven days, you can acquire both Mage supplements for $20.99 (USD).