Chaosium Inc. - Newsletter

The latest news from Chaosium...
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#79 the straight scoop from the well of chaos... Hello members of the Chaosium tribe, The ENnies are the annual fan-based celebration of excellence in tabletop roleplaying gaming. Last year Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition performed exceptionally well, winning nine of the record ten ENnie Awards it was nominated for, thanks to your support. This year, the Stars Continue to Be Right because the judges awarded Chaosium another record eight nominations (equal with Paizo). ENnies voting for 2018 has opened, and once again we need your support! Anyone can vote! Here's how you can vote for Chaosium at the ENnies: 1. Go to the ENnies voting page: http://www.ennie-awards.com/vote/2018 2. Vote 1 for the Call of Cthulhu/Chaosium product in these categories: BEST ADVENTURE—The Two-Headed Serpent BEST ART COVER—Down Darker Trails BEST FAMILY PRODUCT—Khan of Khans BEST FREE PRODUCT—RuneQuest Quickstart and Adventure BEST MONSTER/ADVERSARY—Down Darker Trails BEST PRODUCTION VALUES—The Grand Grimoire BEST RPG-RELATED PRODUCT—Khan of Khans BEST SUPPLEMENT—Reign of Terror FAN FAVOURITE PUBLISHER—Chaosium Your second favourite gets a "2" vote, third favourite gets a “3”, and so on. So please also vote for our licensees and friends! Stygian Fox Publishing: Hudson & Brand—Best Electronic Book Darker Hues Studios: Harlem Unbound—Best Cover Art, Best Rules, Best Setting, Best Writing, Product of the Year Miskatonic University Podcast: MU Podcast—Best Podcast. 3. Choose Chaosium as your FAN FAVOURITE PUBLISHER - we'd be flattered! Like the Great Old One himself, Chaosium has arisen from the depths, and your support keep us above the waves. 4. Tell your friends who are Chaosium fans to submit their vote too! Voting is live and runs until 11PM EST on July 21st. The winners are announced at a ceremony at Gen Con on August 3rd. We encourage all members of the tribe to get behind Chaosium and Cthulhu! Congratulations to the many talented writers, artists, creators and fans world-wide involved in Chaosium's continuing success—these nominations are a testament to your talent, dedication, and support! Again, here's the link to the Voting Booth: http://www.ennie-awards.com/vote/2018 Many thanks, from all the team at Chaosium Inc. Chaosium ENnies Nominations BEST ADVENTURE—The Two-Headed Serpent BEST ART COVER—Down Darker Trails BEST FAMILY PRODUCT—Khan of Khans BEST FREE PRODUCT—RuneQuest Quickstart and Adventure BEST MONSTER/ADVERSARY—Down Darker Trails BEST PRODUCTION VALUES—The Grand Grimoire BEST RPG-RELATED PRODUCT—Khan of Khans BEST SUPPLEMENT—Reign of Terror FAN FAVOURITE PUBLISHER—Chaosium ENnies Voting Booth

What is Ab Chaos? (...from Ab Chaos #7, May 31 1992) Ab - Latin "from" Chaos - (1) Any condition or place of total disorder (modern vernacular); (2) the disordered state of unformed matter which preceded creation (since Milton, Paradise Lost); (3) the dark, empty space which preceded creation (Greek Mythology); (4) the [formerly] Californian roleplaying game company. Ab Chaos is an informal newsletter for Chaosium fans. Through our history we have tried to serve the players and gamemasters through craft and art as well as (and sometimes at the expense of) marketing and moneymaking. We appreciate your loyalty, and offer this communication to those who are curious about us, beyond the mere "product". It is planned to be informal and irregular. We are, after all, not the Orderium.

Copyright © 2018 Chaosium Inc., All rights reserved.

Chaosium Inc. - Newsletter

More Call of Cthulhu and other RPG news from Chaosium...
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#64 the straight scoop from the well of chaos... Reign of Terror - Out Now in Hardback Mythos Horrors during the French Revolution Reign of Terror is an epic two-part historical scenario, set during the French Revolution. Developed by Call of Cthulhu mastermind Mark Morrison, it is playable as a stand-alone adventure or as an historical interlude for use with Chaosium’s premium campaign Horror on the Orient Express. Now available in hardback (+PDF included) from Chaosium! What the Critics Say... "Morrison’s love for this work shines through, and a reader easily recognizes the care and painstaking attention he and his team spent on this project… (There are) times when the players — the actual players — will want to run screaming from the room. It’s scary and it’s creepy and it’s gross and it will definitely give your more impressionable players nightmares. Just like it ought to."—Reckoning of the Dead. Have you checked out the Miskatonic Repository yet? The Miskatonic Repository is an official online collection of user-made content, allowing creators to sell their own original Call of Cthulhu material. Creators can make money from their published community content, or make it freely available – it is entirely up to the creator. Interested in submitting content? Go here to see the guidelines, and here for the additional guidelines. No extra license is required. Get started and download the MS Word template or the InDesign template for Miskatonic Repository submissions, and check out our other free creator resources. Interested in checking out the content? More material from creators is being added each week! New - and free! - on DriveThruRPG: the solo Call of Cthulhu adventure Alone Against the Flames. You don’t need to read the rules before you start playing. Just settle in a comfortable chair before a roaring fire. Then read on and follow the instructions. …On second thought, don’t sit too close to the fire. Alone Against the Flames. Chaosium's Susan O'Brien and Lynne Hardy are Special Guests at Orcacon this weekend   Chaosium's Susan O'Brien (board games line editor) and Lynne Hardy (assistant editor, Call of Cthulhu) are special guests at Orcacon in Bellevue, WA this weekend. They'll be taking part in panels and demos, and will be happy to chat about the many exciting things Chaosium has in store for 2018, including Susan's forthcoming Reiner Knizia game, Miskatonic University: The Restricted Collection, the new edition of Masks of Nyarlathotep, and Call of Cthulhu campaign book Lynne has in development, The Children of Fear.  We'll also be running Chaosium games and demos at Orcacon - looking forward to seeing you if you're attending! "The artwork is fantastic. Each card bursts with charm and irreverence, the cartoonish artwork not only drawing the players in but providing a foil to the sometimes harsh game play. It is a really endearing and imaginative interpretation of the world of Glorantha... If you are looking for a quick and easy game that offers both challenges and entertainment then Khan of Khans is an excellent choice." —The Campaigner reviews Khan of Khans Licensee Focus New at Chaosium.com!—MOTHER OF MONSTERSis a HeroQuest Glorantha adventure by Robin D. Laws with illustrations by Dan Barker. Produced as a fundraiser for The Kraken, the "baroque gathering of international gamers, gamemasters and game creators to play, develop and test fine quality games" that takes place every year at the Prussian Château Schloss Neuhausen. Licensee Focus The eldritchly amazing Call of Cthulhu Metal Dice our friends Q-Workshop unleashed on Kickstarter last year are now available to buy from their web store! Chaosium on Social Media 2017 - connecting with the tribe Since August 2015 the new team at Chaosium has striven to reconnect with our tribe all around the world—rebuilding and restoring communications with our existing customers and fans, and reaching out to new ones. With the release of new products for Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, and HeroQuest Glorantha, and returning to Chaosium's roots with our first board game for two decades, it's been great to see our audience continue to grow. Our fans are our lifeblood after all, and this is reflected in Chaosium's social media presence. In this time: our Facebook following has grown 1486% to 29,266 followers our Twitter following has grown 670% to 8767 our Google+ following has grown 624% to 3622 followers In 2017, we also revived the Chaosium Instagram page (after MOB noticed his 13 y.o. son's Instagram page had more followers, and his son mainly posts photos of his soccer boots). Chaosium Instagram now has 1170 followers (hey, almost three times more than Leo's football boots!). And we've started a Chaosium Youtube channel, and most recently a Chaosium Pinterest page. Plus, for the business-orientated, we also now have 182 followers on LinkedIn (which was, of course, started by a Chaosium alumni). Recent Releases from Chaosium - Available Now! REIGN OF TERROR Mythos Horrors in the French Revolution Rules: 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu ISBN: 978-1-56882-451-2 Page Count: 128 Format: Color Hardcover, comes with PDF included Authors: Mark Morrison, Penelope Love, James Coquillat, Darren Watson Cover Art: Victor Leza DOWN DARKER TRAILS Mythos Terror in the Wild West Rules: 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu ISBN: 978-156882-448-2 Page Count: 256 Format: Color Hardcover, comes with PDF included Authors: Kevin Ross, Mike Mason, Scott David Aniolowski, David Cole, and Todd Woods Cover Art: Sam Lamont ALONE AGAINST THE DARK Defying the triumph of the ice Rules: 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu ISBN: 978-156882-453-6 Page Count: 102 Format: B&W PDF (print edition available in Q1, 2018*) Authors: Matthew J. Costello, Mike Mason Cover Art: Petr Štovik PETERSEN'S ABOMINATIONS Five Epic Tales of Modern Horror ISBN: 978-1-56882-452-9 Format: Color PDF (full color hardback available in Q1, 2018*) Pages: 200 Authors: Sandy Petersen, Mike Mason Cover Art: Victor Lesa   *Buy the PDF now, get a coupon for hardcover version later! So you want to purchase the hardcover version, but really want to get your hands on the Alone Against the Dark and Petersen's Abominations PDFs now so you don't have to wait. We have you covered! When you buy the PDFs now, we will send you a discount coupon that will offset the PDF purchase price once the hardcover version is available.

What is Ab Chaos? (...from Ab Chaos #7, May 31 1992) Ab - Latin "from" Chaos - (1) Any condition or place of total disorder (modern vernacular); (2) the disordered state of unformed matter which preceded creation (since Milton, Paradise Lost); (3) the dark, empty space which preceded creation (Greek Mythology); (4) the [formerly] Californian roleplaying game company. Ab Chaos is an informal newsletter for Chaosium fans. Through our history we have tried to serve the players and gamemasters through craft and art as well as (and sometimes at the expense of) marketing and moneymaking. We appreciate your loyalty, and offer this communication to those who are curious about us, beyond the mere "product". It is planned to be informal and irregular. We are, after all, not the Orderium.

Copyright © 2018 Chaosium Inc., All rights reserved.

Chaosium Inc. - Newsletter

Lots of RPG news from Chaosium...

#57 the straight scoop from the well of chaos... Masks of Nyarlathotep Expansion for Fantasy Flight's Eldritch Horror Board Game We have the privilege of getting to work with incredible people and companies inspired by our work, who want to bring new forms of Lovecraftian horror to you...like this newly-announced upcoming release from Fantasy Flight Games: the Masks of Nyarlathotep expansion for the Eldritch Horror board game. The Masks of Nyarlathotep Expansion for Eldritch Horror is available for pre-order now and will be released in the first quarter of 2018. And don't forget, as we previously announced, around the same time we'll be releasing the print version of our new RPG edition of Masks, with the PDF coming out before the end of 2017! The Art of Call of Cthulhu the Coloring Book - Now Available on Redbubble The amazingly talented Andrey Fetisov has gone and colored in all his pictures from the Gold ENnie award-winning Call of Cthulhu the Coloring Book. And now you can get these Lovecraftian masterpieces on t-shirts, posters, notebooks and the like from the Chaosium Redbubble store! New Board and Card Game Submissions Guidelines Released Chaosium’s first-ever release was a board game, Greg Stafford’s epic wargame White Bear Red Moon, back in 1975. As Chaosium began to make its mark publishing roleplaying games, it also produced memorable board and card game titles—such titles as Nomad Gods (1978), Lords of the Middle Sea (1978), Raiders & Traders (1979), Dragon Pass (1980), Arkham Horror (1987), Credo (1993) and Mythos (1996), among others. In 2016, with design legend Reiner Knizia’s Gloranthan family game Khan of Khans, we’ve returned to making board games and card games again, after some twenty years. If you’ve got a proposal in mind for us, our new board and card game submissions guidelinestell you what we’re looking for! NOMAD GODS RULES BOOKLET PDF REISSUE Greg Stafford's game NOMAD GODS was originally published in 1977. This PDF is the 72 page rulebook for the game, featuring richly detailed and delightful information on the history, magic, battles, culture and treasure of the Praxian tribes. Many elements have been expanded upon in later publications, but this is where Prax was first described in incredible creative detail. Available now! Fantasy Grounds users, there's a must-see sale going on this week!   S. Petersen's Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors is a lush collection of 53 creatures, providing a preternaturalist cornucopia of insights to various Lovecraftian horrors. (Regularly $17.99, now $14.39.) The Call of Cthulhu Keeper Rulebook gives you the rules to play the 7th edition of the cult classic that has haunted dreams for decades. (Regularly $27.99, now $22.39) The sale ends Sunday night (Oct 8) at 11:59 PM EST. https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/ Licensee Focus   Metacreator is Alter Ego Software's RPG character generator, and it now supports the 7th edition of Call of Cthulhu, enabling you to rapidly create investigators! Game system rules and adjustments are built in with hundreds of data items ready to use from the Call of Cthulhu Keeper Rulebook and Investigator Handbook. All data is fully customizable, with character sheet, spell book, encounter group, and HTML stat block outputs. Demo the system template, purchase Metacreator, and learn more here: http://alteregosoftware.com/Cthulhu7th.php Licensee Focus   Kevin Ross's "The Dare" by Sentinel Hill Press A new Kickstarter by our friends Sentinel Hill Press, Kevin's Ross's 1996 one-shot "The Dare", revised for Call of Cthulhu 7th edition. Three times the length of the original, with new art, maps and ten pre-gen characters. Sentinel Hill are running a quick 10 day Kickstarter campaign - it concludes on Monday October 9, so don't delay if you want to back it! Licensee Focus Devil's Swamp is a licensed 1920's era Call of Cthulhu adventure by New Comet (formerly Dark Cult) Games. The setting is 1920s of the Hockomock swamp in Massachusetts. It's live on Kickstarter now—the next stretch goal ($20K) sees Christopher Smith Adair, one of the writers for the ENnie award winning Doors to Darkness contribute a bonus 7th scenario. You have a week to venture into Devil's Swamp: the Kickstarter finishes on the eldritchly-appropriate Friday 13th October.  Licensee Focus   Infinity Engine launches new officially licensed RuneQuest Miniatures on Kickstarter Our friends at Infinity Engine have launched their Kickstarter for the adversaries from the RQ Quickstart's Broken Tower scenario. Two Sprul-Pa, a Dream Weft, three Menhir and the Stone Woman. And two iconic Rock Lizards! There are backer levels from cardboard stand-ups right through to fully-painted sets where you can customise the colors! With all the original stretch goals blitzed through, Richard has unlocked a new one with a Great Troll, a Dragonewt, a Rubble Runner, a Morokanth, a Rock Dawrf, a Jack-o-Bear, a Broo and a Duck with crossbow on offer. Kickstarter has met its funding goal already, and runs until October 9—check it out at the link while you can! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/infinity-engine/runequest-quickstarter-miniatures

What is Ab Chaos? (...from Ab Chaos #7, May 31 1992) Ab - Latin "from" Chaos - (1) Any condition or place of total disorder (modern vernacular); (2) the disordered state of unformed matter which preceded creation (since Milton, Paradise Lost); (3) the dark, empty space which preceded creation (Greek Mythology); (4) the [formerly] Californian roleplaying game company. Ab Chaos is an informal newsletter for Chaosium fans. Through our history we have tried to serve the players and gamemasters through craft and art as well as (and sometimes at the expense of) marketing and moneymaking. We appreciate your loyalty, and offer this communication to those who are curious about us, beyond the mere "product". It is planned to be informal and irregular. We are, after all, not the Orderium.

Copyright © 2017 Chaosium Inc., All rights reserved.