Fantasy

Steampunk Role-Playing Tips

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Are you looking to GM a steampunk role-playing game campaign? I just stumbled upon this recent article on CBR.com that has a nice top-ten list of steampunk RPG tips. Some of these are pretty good tips for creating a steampunk world or plotline for a novel or short story as well.

Basically:

  1. Make sure you understand your reason for running a steampunk campaign.
  2. Find a good game system that works (D20, GURPS, Iron Kingdom, etc.).
  3. This is steampunk, so steam should power your vehicles, ships, war machines, automatons, etc.
  4. Give your NPCs a distinctive steampunk feel.
  5. Consider the impact on the natural world (the environment, animals, monsters, etc).
  6. Make steampunk-oriented adventure hooks.
  7. Make sure the main villain is steampunk, too.
  8. Be sure to have maps and props.
  9. Subvert a few steampunk tropes!
  10. Setting is everything. A good setting can really breathe life into your campaign.

You can read all about here here: https://www.cbr.com/pro-tips-need-to-know-dming-steampunk-campaign-dungeons-dragons-pathfinder-dnd-tabeltop-rpg-castle-falkenstein

Even Newer Mortal Engines Trailer!

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There is now an even newer trailer out for Mortal Engines, based on the book by Philip Reeve and directed by Peter Jackson. I have a feeling this is going to be great! At least, I certainly do hope so.

Mortal Engines Full Trailer

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And now I bring you the full trailer for “Mortal Engines.” The movie is based on the book by Philip Reeve and is directed by Peter Jackson, who directed “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit.” I really hope the movie is as great as the trailer seems to suggest, and this might even the first of a series!

The Clockwork Horseman

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My steampunk fantasy short story, The Clockwork Horseman, is published and available now on both Amazon and Lulu and it can be found in the anthology Devil’s Armory III. Alas, there does not appear to be an e-book version! Oh well. The story will one day be available in e-book form whenever I compile and release my collected short stories.

In the mean time, you can order the printed version of Devil’s Armory III from Amazon or Lulu.

Sanjay’s Super Team

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With all the superhero movies that have been coming out of late, perhaps it’s time for something a little new, a little old, and a little different? Well Disney Pixar has a nice little animated short film called Sanjay’s Super Team, in which young boy finds a new, and very old, brand of super heroes…

Check it out!

DIY Gaming Table

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Here’s a DIY video for making your own gaming table. It’s pretty sweet! I just wish I had more skills. And a workshop.

The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello

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The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello is an animated short film by Anthony Lucas. It is a beautiful blend of Gothic horror and steampunk aesthetics, complete with iron dirigibles, a grungy Victorian city, a mad scientist, a tragic hero, and a horrifying monster. It doesn’t get better than this!

See it here, or on YouTube!

A Map of Literature

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17-year-old Martin Vargic has created this amazing Map of Literature as a graphical visualization of how the world’s literature evolved from the ancient era to the present day. The map is incredibly detailed, and features genres, authors, best selling books, best selling authors, and Nobel Prizes in literature. I’ve not been able to find full resolution images, and I can only assume that is because the Map of Literature is featured in Martin Vargic’s new book, Vargic’s Miscellany of Curious Maps: Mapping out the Modern World.