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June 30, 2002: Now Shipping!

A veritable cornucopia of products are shipping to distributors this week. Some are already on the way . . . When will you be able to purchase these fine items at your friendly local game store? Real soon now. Keep watching the skies.

Munchkin (Reprint)
Go down in the dungeon. Kill everything you meet. Backstab your friends and steal their stuff. Grab the treasure and run. Admit it. You love it. This new card game, designed by Steve Jackson, captures the essence of the dungeon experience . . . with none of that stupid roleplaying stuff. You and your friends compete to kill monsters and grab magic items. And what magic items! Don the Horny Helmet and the Boots of Butt-Kicking. Wield the Staff of Napalm . . . or maybe the Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment. Start by slaughtering the Potted Plant and the Drooling Slime, and work your way up to the Plutonium Dragon . . . And it's illustrated by John Kovalic! Fast-playing and silly, Munchkin can reduce any roleplaying group to hysteria. And, while they're laughing, you can steal their stuff.

Boxed game. Stock #1408, ISBN 1-55634-473-2. $24.95.

Munchkin 2 – Unnatural Axe (Reprint)
You demanded it, and here it is. Created by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Kovalic . . . 112 more cards for the game of killing monsters and taking their stuff. Play a new race: Orcs! Face foes like the Hydrant and the Tentacle Demon. Equip yourself with dread armor like the Spiked Codpiece. Recruit allies like the Shoulder Dragon. Wield mighty weapons like Druid Fluid, the Catapult and, of course, the dread Unnatural Axe . . . and show them who’s the greatest munchkin of all.

112 cards. Stock #1410, ISBN 1-55634-554-2. $16.95.

GURPS Character Builder (Reprint)
At last... an official character-creation program for GURPS. The GURPS Character Builder lets you design, optimize, store, modify, and print out characters in all the most popular genres. All the system's standard advantages, disadvantages, and skills are supported. Lots of extras, including a die roller, round out this package. (For Windows only. Sorry, Mac fans.)

CD-ROM in DVD case. Stock #5401, ISBN 1-55634-024-9. $24.95.

GURPS Middle Ages 1 2/e
Welcome to the age of chivalry, fealty and piety. GURPS Middle Ages 1 takes you to the rich, dark world of medieval England, where knights fight for King and God, nobles trade favors and treachery, and peasants work the land.

Three major periods are covered: the Saxon Kingdoms, Norman England, and the High Middle Ages. Medieval combat is described at length, from simple jousts to the deadly Crusades, with details on melee weapons, siege weapons, armor, and castle defenses.

Also included are magic and religion . . . plus maps of castles, an abbey, and medieval England and France.

128 pages. Stock #6050, ISBN 1-55634-655-7. $22.95.

Transhuman Space: Spacecraft of the Solar System
28 different space vehicles and variants for the Transhuman Space setting, including both warships and civilian craft. Special ships include the Nadezhda bioship (a cybernetic organism combining machine with living flesh) and the rogue Automated Kill Vehicles left over from the Pacific War . . . artificially intelligent spacecraft with built-in bloodlust. These spacecraft can be adapted to any science-fiction background or roleplaying system.

Also: an overview of the major space forces: the Chinese PLAN-Space Forces, U.S. Aerospace Force, European ESCA, and the TSA, with background on their history, tactics, and fleet strength.

48 pages. Stock #6706, ISBN 1-55634-597-6. $11.95.

GURPS Castle Falkenstein: The Ottoman Empire
There are many empires in the fantasy-Victorian world of Castle Falkenstein . . . but none like the Ottoman Empire. Written by Phil Masters, GURPS Castle Falkenstein: The Ottoman Empire takes you to a land of ancient magicks, mad Sultans, deadly Djinn, and mazes of mysteries and plots. Stats are included for both the original Castle Falkenstein game and the GURPS version.

What's more, being based on the historical reality of the declining Ottoman Empire, this is a great reference for any game set in the 19th century, from cliffhanging adventures, through horrific confrontations with ancient and uncanny powers, to steampunk exploration of the Arabian deserts or railway-building in the Levant.

128 pages. Stock #6722, ISBN 1-55634-575-5. $22.95.

Munchkin Miniatures
Kill the monsters, grab the loot, and stab your friends . . . in 3-D! Six hilarious metal minis sculpted by Richard Kerr, based on John Kovalic’s cartoons. Use them for ANY roleplaying game where you’re going to munchkin out! Six figures: the Original Super Munchkin with hammer and chainsaw, the Unnatural Axe Warrior Wench, the Spiky Armor Paladin, the Leather Armor Babe, the Killer Cleric, and the hairy-footed Halfling Wizard!

Extra bonus: a cardboard cut-out to let you create that most horrific of monsters . . . the dread Gazebo!

Boxed set. Stock #16-0101, ISBN 1-55634-665-4. $24.95.

Postmortem: The Art of RK Post
From his work on Palladium's Rifts and TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Planescape campaign setting to Wizard of the Coast's Alternity and Magic: The Gathering, RK Post's work reveals a dark, disturbing vision. This book collects the best of Post's work, in both color and black and white, in an attractive hardcover with a brand-new cover painting. A hauntingly fun introduction by renowned fantasy master Brom completes this stunning tome of dark art.

Hardback, 64 pages. Stock #60-1005, ISBN 1-55634-611-5. $26.95.


Warehouse 23 News: Go Forth and Fortify Our Northern Border!

Stormwatch is a low-level adventure for Chivalry & Sorcery. It includes eight pre-generated, beautifully illustrated, character cards with pre-generated characters and can be used with or without the World of Tannoth campaign setting.


June 29, 2002: Welcome, Gilbert Milner

We have brought on Gilbert Milner as our Marketing Director (taking a lot of load off Ross Jepson, who will now be able to concentrate on sales). Gilbert has been in the hobby for a long time. Most recently he was the buyer for Wargames West Distribution, and bought about $120 million worth of games (retail) for them. Before that, he worked as production manager for Chessex Manufacturing and managed a game store. His own game collection is impressive even by the standards of our staff. In his spare time, he claims to enjoy Everquest, live-action roleplaying, and amateur yak herding. We suspect he may be kidding about Everquest.

Gilbert will be working to make sure that the retailers and players of all of Evil Stevie's products are well-informed about our new releases and other plans -- except for the secret scheme for world domination, which he has been specifically instructed not to even mention.

He can be reached at gilbert@sjgames.com.

Warehouse 23 News: For Any Western Roleplaying Game

Bring your next Western roleplaying campaign to life with The Knuckleduster Cowtown Creator, a universal sourcebook featuring over 200 pages of maps, floor plans, period photographs, character profiles, lists, and scenario ideas.

June 28, 2002: Cinéma Vérité

Illuminated Site of the Week: Summer means movies with special effects so great you won't believe your eyes. Just how unbelievable is what the Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics site tries to impress upon its readers.

-- Suggested by Michael Rogers

Warehouse 23 News: All the Myriad Secrets of Magic . . .

A sourcebook of magical knowledge for d20 players and game masters alike, Occult Lore explores ten different avenues of magical study, from the alchemist's quest for immortality through philosophical perfection to the improvised rituals of sympathetic magic.

June 27, 2002: Ogre At Origins

One of our Origins events will be a big Ogre game and tournament, Saturday, July 6, 2002, 3:00 PM sharp.

This will be a big game, using miniatures, on a 12' x 6' table. Up to 12 players are invited to bring 300 point worth of units, PE, Combine or both, with a maximum of 1 Ogre, Cruise missiles are not allowed. The scenario:

It is July 6, 2102, The place is Tobermory Station, Isle of Mull, Scotland.

The last remaining Combine presence in Britain is the small port and power station at Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull. Its defenses consist of three small fire bases, each one garrisoned by elements of the 2nd battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) and a few laser turrets. The port and town defenses are held by elements of a heavy and a light battalion of the 10th Texas Armored division, including one MK V and one MK III Ogre. Supporting the garrison are two companies of the King's Own Scottish Regiment (Reccee) and a captured Fencer named Curly. (How do you "capture" an Ogre? That's another story.)

Each player controls a group of independent units. All 12 of these "warlord" commanders have agreed to cooperate in order to eliminate the Tobermory outpost and remove the last remnants of the old Combine days. However the agreement to cooperate is a gentleman's agreement . . . and not all warlords are gentlemen.

The destruction of the power station building at Tobermory is the primary objective of the game. When the power station is eliminated, all the defender's laser turrets and towers go dead. The player who actually destroys that building will receive 100 points.

Each warlord will will be issued with 4 supply hovertrucks (SHTs) which they must guard. If all 4 of these trucks are killed or captured the player's other remaining units will retire from the field. Each player will collect 10 points for each of the SHTs in their possession at the end of the game, and 5 points for each rival SHT they kill during the game.

The game ends when all the defenders have been eliminated. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins, whether or not that player has any units still alive.

Warehouse 23 News: The Waste World

Utopia, once one of the jewels of the Concordat interstellar colonization program, now lies in ruins, its carefully constructed eco-system ravaged by generations of unending strife. Life on Utopia is second in a series of colony books for the Heavy Gear roleplaying and miniatures game.

June 26, 2002: Maunderings

I'm sick. Sick as a dog. Sick as the sickest dog in an arbitrarily large group of dogs.

This stuff is no fun. I know from observing Andrew, who had it first, that I will be worthless for at least a week, that both mind and body will be pretty well shot, that trying to push a quick recovery will risk a relapse, and that if I'm not careful I can spread this joy to others. Euuuuw.

Interesting weather we're having. I'm sure it was at least 100 this afternoon as I walked across the parking lot . . . and it actually felt good, and I could imagine it baking my little bugs. But around 5 it started thundering and raining from a clear sky. Nice little shower!

To distract myself from my bed of pain I've been reading The Peshawar Lancers, by S. M Stirling. A fun read, nicely worked out . . . good homage to Kipling but has its own story to tell.

-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: Are You Willing to Pay the Price?

The Aegis Handbook, for Conspiracy X, unveils a secret conspiracy buried deep within the halls of government. You have been deemed valuable to their efforts. It can be easy, hard, or terminal - your choice.

June 25, 2002: Our New Favorite Advice Columnist

is clearly The Guy Who Only Plays GURPS, at Nutkinland. Though I was surprised that he overlooked the importance of the Wealth level of the other guy when answering the question from the fellow whose dog got run over.

-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: Understanding Gamers

Dork Tower #18 is now available.

June 24, 2002: Konami, Anyone?

This is a long shot . . . but if any of my Faithful Readers happen to work with Konami, or have a connection there, I'd love to talk. Yes, the console game publisher. I have this peculiar idea that fits in with what they're doing . . .
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: The Masters of Shinobi, the Shadow Arts

Written for the Legend of the Five Rings and d20 roleplaying games, Way of the Ninja is a guide for those who hunt the shadows and those who seek to enter them.

June 23, 2002: INWO Contest Reminder

The INWO deck design contest is half over . . . which means there's still time for deck-building if you haven't started.

Warehouse 23 News: Big Fun for a Small Price

In Cube Farm your goal is simple: design the office (the cards) so that all your people (the counters) are closest to the good stuff.

June 22, 2002: GURPS Prime Directive Set For Origins Release


We've spent a lot of time over the past couple of weeks looking at the newest Powered By GURPS release, GURPS Prime Directive . . . and the crew at Amarillo Design Bureau advises us to expect it at Origins! We're looking forward to it . . .
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: The Pact of Steel

Part of the Gear Krieg alternate-history roleplaying and miniatures game, the Axis Sourcebook details Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy. Three highly disparate countries all bent on conquering the world and bending it to fit their twisted version of the future.

June 21, 2002: Light Reading For The Trip Down

Illuminated Site of the Week: Everybody's a critic. The Skeptic's Annotated Bible takes on the venerable tome and seeks answers to the seemingly contradictory questions it raises with hyperlinks galore.

-- Suggested by Blake Smith

Warehouse 23 News: Imagine a World Where Bugs Rule!

Insecta gives you a bug's eye view as you mix & match body parts to build the perfect mutant insect, then set out to conquer the Hive.

June 20, 2002: Transhuman Space: Personnel Files Now In Playtest

The latest Transhuman Space supplement to enter Pyramid playtesting is Personnel Files. If you've been thinking of subscribing to Pyramid magazine, but for some reason haven't given into our subtle charms, now's as good a time as any!

-- Sage

Warehouse 23 News: Nothing to See Here . . . Move Along

Threats 2 describes twelve influential organizations and entities, each pursuing their own secret agendas in the world of Shadowrun.

June 19, 2002: Looking For Nancy Feldman

We've lost touch with Nancy Feldman, who had been creating Braille versions of GURPS books. If you can help us find her, please drop me a line!

-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: Your Gateway to the Dragon Empire

The Guide to the Galaxy provides all of the expanded rules and setting information you need to run a dramatic and exciting Dragonstar campaign.

June 18, 2002: The Awful Green Epilog!

So you're playing the crew in The Awful Green Things From Outer Space and things are looking pretty bad. You take to the ship's boats and flee. And look! Tom Wham has set the "Epilog" adventure up on his pages, so you can just click and see what happens to you! You'll still need a six-sided die. Or if you don't happen to have a game going, you can play the Epilog right now!


Warehouse 23 News: Three Times the Fun

The newest Knights of the Dinner Table compilation, Bundle of Trouble Vol. 9, includes issues 25-27, plus bonus material.

June 17, 2002: Moving In Fast Company

The Technology section of the June 3 Newsweek highlighted SJ Games alumnus Warren Spector, now with Ion Storm, and called his Deus Ex "the thinking man's first-person shooter." It described Warren's meeting with Laura Ziskin, producer of the "Spider-Man" movie. Columbia Pictures has optioned film rights to Deus Ex.

Warehouse 23 News: If The Mana Storms Don't Get You . . . the Bunyips Will!

A sourcebook for the Shadowrun roleplaying game, Target: Awakened Lands features areas where magic is wild and unpredictable.

June 16, 2002: The First One Seemed So Innocent

And only when the invasion was well under way did the sinister truth become known. If only the significance of the floating silver ball had been understood . . . See the Associated Press story.

Warehouse 23 News: The Hacktrix

Knights of the Dinner Table, Issue 68 is now available.

June 15, 2002: Two New Playtests!

Transhuman Space: Broken Dreams and GURPS Deadlands: Varmints are now both in playtest. Pyramid subscribers can get in on the action here. And if you're not a subscriber already, it never hurts to try.

-- Sage

Warehouse 23 News: Runner's Paradise

A sourcebook for the Shadowrun roleplaying game, New Seattle takes you on a tour of the most exciting city in the world of 2060.

June 14, 2002: An Iron-Clad Guarantee

Illuminated Site of the Week: Freedom follows you wherever you go with the Bill of Rights - Security Edition, though you may end up having to give up your rights.

-- Suggested by Inspector 81


June 13, 2002: Now Shipping!

The following items are now shipping from our warehouse to distributors, which means they will be on the shelves of your friendly local game store in 2d6+1 (approximately) days:

Frag (Reprint)
Game starts. Enemy in sight . . . Frag him! Grab his stuff! Run! Get a bigger gun! Grab some armor! There he is again! Frag him! Whoa, there's another one. Run . . . you're hit! You're down. Respawn! Grab a weapon! Start again!

Frag is a computer game without a computer. It's a "first-person shooter" on a tabletop. Move your fighter and frag your foes; draw cards for weapons, armor, and gadgets; move through the blood spatters to restore your own health! If you die, you respawn and come back shooting!

Easy to learn, fast-moving, fun . . . two supplements are already out, and more are coming!

Boxed game with cards and color game map. Stock #1339, ISBN 1-55634-651-4. $34.95.

Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering (Reprint)
Has your game got the blahs? Are your players spending more time thumbing through your book collection than hunting down clues, more energy heckling one another than in crushing their cruel foes? Never fear, o beleaguered Game Masters, for Robin D. Laws, noted game designer (Feng Shui, Hero Wars, Dying Earth, Rune) and columnist for Dragon magazine) is here to help.

Know your players! Analyze your system! Build your campaign! Design adventures! Prepare to be spontaneous, and improvise like a fiend!

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced roller of the polyhedrals, the insights in this book will improve your Game Mastering faster than you can say, "Roll for initiative!"

32 pages. Stock #3009, ISBN 1-55634-629-8. $9.95.

GURPS Traveller 25th Anniversary Set
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Traveller! Here’s a special limited-run offer to celebrate, just in time for Origins: a copy of GURPS Traveller, plus Alien Races 1, the GURPS Traveller GM Screen and Planetary Survey 1: Kamsii . . . over $50 worth of current Traveller material for only $29.95. A great way to get started with THE classic far-future universe!

176-page book, 144-page book, 32-page supplement, and GM screen. Stock #6628, ISBN 1-55634-664-6. $29.95.

Ogre Miniatures: Combine Set 10 - Fast Convoy
When it has to get there NOW, you want hovertrucks. This set includes six fast cargo hovercraft. Their cargo includes four assorted cargo pallets and two broken-down Light Artillery Drones for instant reinforcement.

The LAD is a brand-new howitzer-type unit designed for transport and quick setup! The set also includes two complete LADs in combat configuration.

Each LAD is worth 6 points. The point value of a hovertruck depends on the scenario.

Boxed set. Stock #10-2110, ISBN 1-55634-628-X. $19.95.

Frag Miniatures
Six murderous metal miniatures for your next Frag game. Sculpted by Robert Olley, these futuristic fraggers don't know the meaning of fear. Or much else. But what does it matter, when they'll respawn in a minute? Also included: new rules and a special ability for each character!

Boxed set of 6 miniatures. Stock #16-0201, ISBN 1-55634-671-9. $24.95.


Warehouse 23 News: Fantastical Creatures and Powerful Magi

With the addition of Unlimited Booster Packs, Warehouse 23 now carries the full line of Magi-Nation Duel.

June 12, 2002: Server Change Tomorrow

We're going to swap our web server for a new box right around midnight Wednesday . . . so if you can't reach us in the small hours of Thursday morning, that would be why.

Warehouse 23 News: Wooden Nickels

Q-Turn is a quick and unpredictable little game played on a dynamic board made up of 16 wooden disks.

June 11, 2002: Last Chance For Origins Voting

If you read this before midnight PACIFIC time (two hours after it posts) you still have a chance to go vote for the Origins awards.

Warehouse 23 News: A Sourcebook of Deadly Machinations

Useful for any d20, Traps & Treachery II includes more than 150 magical and mechanical traps, plus new poison rules and a chapter on puzzles.

June 10, 2002: Yes, You Can!

Last week, after the report on vinyl records as a solution to music piracy, we asked "Now . . . can they get a computer game onto one of those things?"

Marcus L. Rowland, publisher of Forgotten Futures, has the terrifying answer:

"Yes, actually: many years ago a British computer magazine had a cover flexidisc containing programs for several early 80s home computers; ZX80, Commodore Pet, and so forth. You just needed to connect a record player to your cassette recorder, then play the cassette into the cassette port of your computer. I think there were a couple of 1k and 4k games. It would have been possible to plug the record player directly into the computer with the right cable.

And the last home computer I owned with a tape recorder input socket for programs was my first IBM PC, so we're not as many generations removed from that technology as you might think!

Warehouse 23 News: Visions of Giant Mecha

Fight to save the city and win the girls with Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure Ultimate Fan Guide! Both a resource book for the anime series and a supplement for Big Eyes, Small Mouth, it has something for every fan.

June 9, 2002: Letters . . . We Get Letters

An actual email, received at Warehouse 23 this week. I swear, we are not making this up:

Hello,

In the page 'Ultra Weapon, Ultra Healing' By David Pulver, you listed price of Deepsleep Box is USD500 and Sleep Cap USD500. Do you have stock?

It is written Deepsleep Box is Legality Class 6, Sleep Cap is Legality Class 5. Can you explain more details about Legality Class 6 & Class 5?

Are they operated by microwave? Any side effects if using frequently? I want to know more about the specification about these two items, can you advise me the name of manufacturer and website address, so I can understand more.

Thanks

(Name Withheld For Obvious Reasons)

It took us a while to find the items the writer was referring to. Turns out they were in this Roleplayer article David Pulver wrote to promote GURPS Ultra-Tech.

It's a shame we don't have those items in stock. They look handy.

Warehouse 23 News: The Infamous Three Galaxies of Phase World

At last, Rifts Anvil Galaxy presents the third of the three Phase World galaxies, including alien races, new civilizations aned planets, planet creation rules and the advent of the Forge War.

June 8, 2002: Wildlife City

Sighted at the office in the past couple of days: two deer, two foxes, and one very big raccoon investigating the dumpster.

Warehouse 23 News: Carry A Big Stick

KODT: Illustrated, Issue 13 is now available.

June 7, 2002: Sink, Go Forth, And Conquer

Illuminated Site of the Week: Nurture or nature - what determines how brine shrimp will turn out? The Scopes Sea Monkey Trial tests both theories at once by raising the subjects in water from varying sources, including holy water.

-- Suggested by Victor B. Putz

Warehouse 23 News: These Are the Voyages . . .

Take the Star Trek RPG to the next level with the Star Trek Narrator's Guide. It includes advanced rules, original canon, and detailed guidelines for creating and running episodes in every Star Trek era.

June 6, 2002: Digger Pages Dug Up

A few correspondents spotted this Digger page on chat.ru. The latest date that's obvious is in 1999, and that's a guestbook entry - maybe someone who reads Russian can let us know what's going on? The photos are cool . . .

However, as this Pravda page shows, the Diggers were alive and well and offering help on 9-11. Russia Journal did an interview . . . and then there's this translation, which reads like fiction . . . but a little fiction never hurt an adventure. Thanks to Googler extraordinaire Otis Viles for these!

Warehouse 23 News: Meet Vash the Stampede

Vash is credited with the destruction of several towns, but has never taken a life. Trigun Ultimate Fan Guide Vol. 1, from Guardians of Order, is the first of two volumes that explores this mystery, providing episode summaries, character descriptions, lots of full-color artwork, and stats for Big Eyes, Small Mouth.

June 5, 2002: Modern Dungeon Adventure

Explore the mysterious reaches of . . . the Moscow tunnel system? Yes, really. This article from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (yes, really talks about the people who are doing it, the things they're finding (including corpses, an abandoned secret lab, and armed men in cammo uniforms), and the things they hope to find (starting with the hidden library of Ivan the Terrible).

A bit of Googling turns up another piece about the same group, the "Diggers" - this one from Outside Magazine. But, hmm, there doesn't seem to be anything of substance since 1997. That's a long time.

Wonder if they finally crawled down the wrong tunnel?

-- Steve Jackson


June 4, 2002: GURPS Assassins Playtest

Those of you with unique insight when it comes to discreetly killing people will be happy to know that GURPS Assassins is now in playtest. Pyramid subscribers know what to do . . . and if you're not a Pyramid reader, then really, what are you waiting for?

-- Sage


June 3, 2002: Answer To Music Piracy Discovered

And urbanreflex has the story.

Now . . . can they get a computer game onto one of those things?


June 2, 2002: Chez Geek Blank Cards

You asked for them. We've got them. Add your own Job, your favorite Stuff, your idea of the most slackful Nookie . . . whatever you want.

Warehouse 23 News: One Thousand Years of Honor, Glory, and Technique

Written for both Legend of the Five Rings and d20, Way of the Samurai provides new prestige classes, skills, abilities, feats, and techniques, as well as information on important dojo and influential sensei.

June 1, 2002: A Long Way To Go For A Drink . . .

If you've read GURPS Mars (you have read GURPS Mars, haven't you?), you know that scientists have speculated for years that the water that used to be on the planet's surface has gone underground and frozen solid.

Now, thanks to new data from the Mars Odyssey probe, they're a lot closer to proving it. See the CNN story. And CNN also has an interview with Cornell University professor Jim Bell about it all.

-- Scott Haring

Warehouse 23 News: Top 10 for May

Check out Warehouse 23's best selling items for May on the Warehouse 23 Top 10 page.

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