Thursday, July 29, 2010

Thoughts are clogging my brain.

Getting my mind the changes we have wrought with the game is making me look deeply at the way we have been doing the game.

This whole trying to force the existing cards into sets of nine cards is making me look at the cards in a different light. It looks like a straight forward shove them in nines and print them, but it is not that simple.

I was just doing the nine shaman cards for a gallery of the set and I realized that the Spirit Dancer and the Tattoo Artist cards are good cards, but not good in this set. We really need two new cards in there instead. *sigh* maybe a healing spell between Healing Hands and Healing Touch. Healing Contact? 5 pts would get a 2d6+12 card. A good step between the 2 point for beginning and the 8 point for big healing. Give some room to grow the character.

Since currently a shaman can only speak with willing spirits we could use an "Open a Dialogue" card. Choosing the word Dialogue should convey the idea of a two way talk that may well involve disagreements. Do I spend too much time wondering about specific words to use? It seems like people blend together a lot of words that seem to have different meanings to me.

The second problem here is that I really need to be bending my efforts into getting together everything for the Artshow at Gencon in a week. Sue is trying, with huge effort, to get all of her commission work caught up and done. That means I do not have art to put into the new cards.

Well, I guess I will just have to start talking here about some of the issues we are facing in growing DS. Many of those issues have developed because we did not have time before to cover everything, maybe we have become a little more organized around here and we can start to make some progress on some of these things.

Time sent me an updated card list, I really appreciate that. Now I may be able to get some of the numbers right on these cards.

New Cards:
Healing Contact SHA-030. 5cp 2d6+12.
Open A Dialogue SHA-031. 1cp

Now I need to go make a new sheet and a gallery for them. Maybe start a special set for the Magic Anchors.


-- Post From My iPad

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Up and At Them

I can hear the mutterings of the Necromancers in the back of my mind. It is way too early in the morning for me to be up.

OK then, time for coffee and packing for StormCon.

I am trying to explain to Mocha that she will have a sitter for the weekend. She always gets upset when we pack the car.

-- Post From My iPad

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Morning Fog in the Mind

It has been a long and fruitful week. My mind has now reached overload. I feel like there is a fog inside my mind. Thoughts are sluggish and hard to grasp this morning.

I ran a game Saturday with a different group than usual. I am always surprised by how nervous I get when I run for people outside my normal group. They were bemused by all of the "different" monsters, magics and methods. At the same time they were able to Embrace the Chaos and have a good time. The smiling GM card was a hit.

A good start has been made to reforming the Guild. I will be working with Ann and the other High Councilors to bring greater spice to the Clan system. The first enhancement will be the addition of Rescuing Clan Spirits. These will be appearing in convention games to be rescued.

Time is the one resource that Sue and I have in limited amounts. We need to start our time requirements with our ability to cuddle, talk and enjoy each others company. The next most important time task is to be able to enjoy time with our friends and companions. Then there are the routine tasks of accounting, reports, inventorying, production, shipping, web maintenance, communication, layout work, game guideline construction, guild maintenance, newsletters, convention logistics, submissions oversight, game "Spirit" maintenance, housework, yard work, and more that must be allocated time. With the remaining time we need to do the creative fun tasks. Those would be comics, commentaries, fantasy histories, artwork, walking the dog, considering history, listening to music and books, and a lot more.

As with all things in life we need to Embrace the Chaos that is our lives. So, off to the emails with me...


-- Post From My iPad

Friday, July 9, 2010

Busy week comes to a close

This has been a hectic week at the Secret Clanhold. I think for starting the Guild Reformation just nine days ago we have made a good job of it.

I am really pleased with the responses so far. All of the High Councilors have done a wonderful job. Ann has been particularly impressive as she is taking the pressure of getting all of the Clan Roster updated. Everyone should wonder over to the new site and get a new number so they can get their clan characters into the roster.

I am excited about what is happening. Keep those applications coming!
The handy link is right here.


-- Post From My iPad

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Well, the Guild Reformation is Officially here.

It has been a hectic week getting sets into production for StormCon and building the new site.

The most time consuming part has been putting in place the system to make sure the Behind the Guild system is in place. I am trying to get as mush of the structure into place as possible.

The only real change going on is the new Clan Rescued Spirits addition to the Clans.

I really need to public ally thank the new High Councilors for putting up with the last minute workload I dumped on them. Thank You Ann, Russ, Tim, Mark R, and Lee for the help.

I am looking forward to the reformed guild and seeing everyone at StormCon.


-- Post From My iPad

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Blogs, following them and why.

Every morning I go through a short list of blogs of people I know. I like seeing what they are up to. I really hate to admit it, but I do like some people. Some of the blogs don't update often (I am looking at you Tim) and I wonder what they are up to. Others make me hungry for Pot Roast, and I wish I was nearby to help eat the food... I feel like it keeps me in touch with people who I seldom see.

I need to say something here on the fact that I seldom comment on peoples blogs. I have always liked "watching" the world go by. So now I can not only watch the world go by, but I can watch the world of people I know go by.

So if you have a blog out there that I might enjoy following, please let me know about it.


-- Post From My iPad

Monday, July 5, 2010

Dealing with Michigan heat

The heat here is made of "heavy" air. Weighs you down when you are in it for a while. We have moved our operation deeper into the caverns under the clanhold. One bare lightbulb hangs from the rough hewn ceiling. It lights a portion of the area and creates vaguely dangerous shadows when it hits the rock outcroppings from the partially dug cavern.

Really rather a wonderful place. Dark, dank, cool and dangerous. Generally an uplifting type of place.

I have admitted that we are working on the guild on our RPG site. I am expecting those who notice to get concerned, worried, scared and rather wound up. It is all really as simple as it seems. We are working with Russ to spread the workload out among several people. Russ is going to be one of those people. He is one of the new High Councilors. There will be no major changes in the Guild itself. We will just have a volunteer staff instead of a volunteer Russ. Nice sound to that.

Guild Membership Free, new numbers, fill out a form so we can get the membership updated, Monthly email newsletter, wardens are still wardens, guild characters are still guild characters. No trauma involved.


-- Post From My iPad