Dracula’s Revenge Prototype Spotted

At Human Head Studios, we got a prototype of the Dracula’s Revenge game, in last week. The first thing we noticed is that the cardstock we chose for the boards was too thin. It started to curl soon after we got it out of the box. We thought this was unusual, since we went with a thicker stock than you see in many games like this, but it’s apparently because the thicker stock comes in two layers. The bottom layer expands more than the top, and the piece curls.

We immediately decided to upgrade out stock to the thickness of a puzzle piece. Now the boards should lay flat for sure. We should have a new prototype in next week to show us for sure. This means that the game is going to be a bit later than expected but only by a week or so. We should have a limited number to sell at Origins, but if you want a copy there, be sure to get in line early. They’ll go fast.

Origins Awards Nominations

The Origins Awards nominations were just released. I’m happy to say that two pieces I worked on picked up a total of three nods. Many thanks to those members of the Academy who voted to recognize them.

Redhurst Academy of Magic garnered nominations for Best Roleplaying Supplement and Best Graphic Design in Book Format. Also “The Price of Freedom” got a nod for Best Game-Related Fiction, Short Form.

If you’re interested in “The Price of Freedom,” you can read it for free on the WizKids website. For Redhurst Academy of Magic, you can get the player’s edition for free from the Human Head website.

Brave New Questions

In a comment to one of my posts on Brave New World, AkodoAkira writes:

“So my question is this: why are their no new Alphas? Maybe I missed it in one of the books, but what’s the deal with it?”

Native alphas come from deltas who have near-death experiences. These people are still affected by the Disappearance Effect that happened in the wake of the Bicentennial Battle. They end up transported to the disappeared Chicago.

Alphas can come into the world from other dimensions, and they can also stick around if they’re protected at the moment of their conversion. This is rare, though, and could only happen through tremendous foresight or providence.

“Also: Why do Deltas begin springing up in the 20th century? My friend is arguing that the tears in the fabric allow the Delats to appear, I am arguing that medical science is allowing them to survive the change. Which one is more accurate?”

Your friend is closer to what I had in mind. I like your idea too. I’d never thought of it that way. It could easily be a combination of the two.

Errors Creep In

I just got a prototype of the Dracula’s Revenge boardgame in. A few details need fixing, but that’s why you have a prototype made before you go to press. Otherwise, you end up with several thousand error-riddled copies of the game.

Still, it always seems like the first thing I find when I pick up the first copy of a book or game hot off the presses is a mistake. When it’s your product, it’s painful, but at that point there’s little you can do about it. Over the years, I’ve come up with a number of “explanations.”
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CCG In the Works

Right after I cut down to part-time at Human Head Studios, I started beating the bushes for work hard. Among other things, I flushed out a collectable card game design gig. It’s been a couple years since I’ve worked on one of these babies, but it’s just as much fun as I remember. I can’t say any more about it at the moment, as it’s a long way from seeing print yet.

Free Redhurst Player’s Edition

Human Head Studios, Inc., and Green Ronin Publishing have released a free PDF version of Human Head’s critically acclaimed Redhurst Academy of Magic. This “Player’s Edition” of the full-color, hardcover original is available now in the downloads section of the newly redesigned website of Human Head’s adventure game division (click here).

The Redhurst Player’s Edition is a player-friendly version of the original book. All of the game system information has been stripped out, along with the notes from the spy who has infiltrated the school. Don’t worry, DMs! You can give this book to your players without worrying about them stumbling across a secret you’d rather reveal in play.

We present this book as a thank-you present to those of you who purchased the original book, as well as a showpiece for those who haven’t yet. If you’d like a copy of the original, complete with all game information and secrets you need, you can find it at better game retailers everywhere or order it direct from Green Ronin’s webstore.

Dracula’s Revenge Preview Copy

I just got an early copy of the Dracula’s Revenge comic book from IDW Publishing. It looks great. If you like the edgy artwork of Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), you’ll like this too. It should be in store either next week or the week after, I hear. When I know more, so will you.

Knightly Week

Wizards of the Coast is preparing some great promotions for the Knights of the Silver Dragon series, of which Secret of the Spiritkeeper is the premiere book. One of the things they’re planning is a fan club for the line, along with a website. This week, I wrote a short pick-a-path story for the website. I’d never worked on one of these before, although I loved the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books as a kid. It was a blast.

I also just finished an article about the series for Dragon Magazine. It should run in the September issue, which releases in late August, in time for Gen Con, I’d hope. Despite freelancing in this industry for over 15 years now, this will be the first time I’ve ever had an article published in Dragon. My first published work ever was in an early issue of Polyhedron, though, which is also published by Paizo. It feels a bit like coming full circle, even more so because the article concerns my first mass-market novel.

FullMoonEnt.com No More

Those of you who have my old business cards or who have been following my career for a while might have stopped by my old website at www.fullmoonent.com. It was my first shot at designing a website for myself, and it was all right for the time. However, I had to update everything by hand, which meant it didn’t happen often.

That’s one of the reasons I decided to launch www.forbeck.com instead, using Movable Type as a content-management system. So far, it’s worked like a dream. In fact, I used Movable Type as the basis of a whole set of websites I designed for Human Head Studios.

Success has its victims, though, and www.fullmoonent.com is now one. Earlier today, I set up a redirect so that anyone who visits the old address is rerouted here. This reminds me that I should update my business cards for this summer too.

For those who are curious, Full Moon Enterprises is the corporate name I work under. A few years back, after I left Pinnacle, I set up this S-corporation for my freelance work. It’s named after a bar I used to spend far too much time in when I was in school at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.