Way back in 2003, I wrote a d20 system book called Redhurst Academy of Magic for Human Head Studios. The book is out of print, but I still get notes from people searching for bits of it every now and then. I can’t post a PDF of the book, but I do have a number of freebies that used to be hosted on the website of the Human Head Adventure Games Division that I once ran. In particular, I have:

• The preview of the book (5.2 MB PDF)
• The spoiler-free players’ version of the book (34 MB PDF)
• The Redhurst student character sheet (889 KB JPEG)
• The “Adventure Seeds” supplement (1 MB PDF)
• The rules for Spellflag (995 KB PDF)
• The “Founders’ Day Cup” adventure (889 KB PDF)
• The “What’s in Her Name?” adventure (823 KB PDF)

[Update: Alex Jacobs kindly provided me with the PDFs for the "Adventure Seeds" and the "What's in Her Name" adventure. I think that makes for a complete set. Enjoy!]

My pal and former boss Tim Gerritsen has left the company at which I worked with him, Human Head Studios. I had a great time working with Tim and the crew there, although it’s now a much different company than the one I left, complete with brand-new offices and a hit title (Prey) on its hands. My friend Jason Blair, who took over as the head of the adventure games division after I left, is still there though and now working as the company’s spokesperson too.

Best of luck to Human Head in finding a new CEO and to Tim in the next chapter of his life!

Yesterday I ran up to Madison and visited my friends at Human Head Studios. CEO Tim Gerritsen gave me the nickel tour of their fabulous new offices, which include a real train car in the lobby and the best home theater system I’ve ever seen. (The chairs are better than any you’ll find in a real theater—and less sticky too!)

Tim also showed me the latest effort from the adventure games division I used to run for him. Normal, Texas, a roleplaying game of 1950s, B-movie action, is due out this fall, and it looks fantastic. Jason Blair did a bang-up job with the design, and Leanne Buckley gave it a shiny-keen polish graphics-wise. Be sure to pick it up when you can.

While leaving the GAMA Trade Show in March, I managed to forget to pack my copies of Villainy (a new, multi-deck card game from Human Head Studios), which designer Jason Blair had kindly slapped into my waiting hands during the show. Jason, refusing to allow me to get away with such a disastrous mistake, shipped out new copies of each of the three decks, which landed at my house last week. Now I’m itching to have a go at establishing who’s the most villainous member of my house.

I’m betting on my kids.

As reported by ICv2.com, Human Head Studios will publish its first full-fledged roleplaying game this summer: Normal, Texas. I did some preliminary concept work on this line back when I was with the company, but after I left Jason Blair took it the other 99 yards down the field for the touchdown. The preview edition that showed up at conventions last summer looked great, but it only whetted the appetite for the real thing, which we should see at this year’s Gen Con Indy.

In the meantime, we’ll have to content ourselves with playing Villainy, Jason’s first card game. It looks great, and I can’t wait to play it. Sadly, though, I left my copy in the Playmates Toys booth at GTS in my mad dash to find my luggage before my flight left. (Some helpful GAMA staff had locked my bags in a closet for me on my departure day, but they’d gone to lunch when I needed to go. I found someone to open the closet, but there were a few harrowing moments of dull panic before that.) So, I’m still aching to play, and hopefully I’ll get my chance soon!