Human Head | Forbeck.com

Free Redhurst Bits

Matt Forbeck — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:13:05 +0000

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!]

Congratulations All Around

Matt Forbeck — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:14:49 +0000

Seems like my friends are breaking out all over. Yesterday, Wizards of the Coast finally announced its long-in-the-works imprint for creator-owned fiction, Wizards of the Coast Discoveries. The initial list of writers includes my pals Richard Danksy and Rob King. \

In other news, podcasting author Scott Sigler just sold three novels to Crown at auction. Scott’s spent some time at the University of Michigan about the same time as me, and among other things he wrote a couple Silent Death supplements after I handed over the reins to Donald Dennis back in the mid-’90s.

In yet other great news, more of my friends are publishing new comics through Archaia Studios Press, the company run by another friend of mine, Mark Smylie of Artesia fame. First, this June, David Rodriguez (who’s day job is with High Voltage Software) returns to Starkweather, with an original story penned by none other than Piers Anthony. Then, in October, Jason Blair and Leanne Buckley (both employed at Human Head Studios) launch The Long Count.

Congratulations to everyone! I’m looking forward to lots of great reading.

Tim Gerritsen Gone

Matt Forbeck — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:41:04 +0000

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!

Prey Goes Gold!

Matt Forbeck — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 15:48:58 +0000

Prey, the fantastic first-person shooter game from my old employers at Human Head Studios, has officially gone gold. This marks the end of a five-year-long development cycle and a triumph for many good friends.

I downloaded the game’s demo the first day it was up, and I played through the whole thing soon after. It’s even better than I remember it when I used to play around with it in the Human Head offices. Of course, they’ve had a year and a half since then to polish it to a gleaming shine, and it shows. This is quality gaming at its best, and I’ll be standing in line to get my copy the day it ships.

Human Head Getting Normal

Matt Forbeck — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:12:48 +0000

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.

Prey Demo Ready

Matt Forbeck — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 15:54:53 +0000

The demo for Prey, the new computer game from my old employer Human Head Studios, is now live and ready for download. You can guess what I’ll be playing tonight!

I watched this game develop over the two years I spent with Human Head, and even when I left over a year and a half ago it looked great. I can’t wait to see how it comes out, but I’d put good money on this being one of the best computer games of the year.

Villainy on the Rise

Matt Forbeck — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 02:24:59 +0000

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.

Prey on the Way

Matt Forbeck — Tue, 02 May 2006 03:20:22 +0000

Human Head Studios shows its hard-core tabletop gamer roots with some of the special bits to come with its limited edition of Prey: three pewter miniatures sculpted and cast by Reaper Miniatures. They even have shots of the greens available in a 360°, rotatable view.

Ah, to have an Xbox 360 or PC gaming rig and the hours to spend on it… Fortunately, I got to play some of the game back when I worked at the studio. It rocks.

Human Head Gets Back to Normal

Matt Forbeck — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 14:29:03 +0000

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!

Prey’s Rhinehart on Attack of the Show

Matt Forbeck — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 02:38:21 +0000

Chris Rhinehart, of my old employer Human Head Studios, will be on Attack of the Show tomorrow night (1/23/06) at 7 PM Eastern. He’s there to show of the latest build of the long-anticipated Prey. Check it out, and you’ll see why this game is reason alone to pick up an Xbox 360. The 3DRealms’ website has all the details.