In addition to that I’ve started updating the internal text (including the preview download) to include updated information about the licenses. At the same time I’m upgrading the interior of the preview to full color, like the 4e version of the products. I don’t want to delay the other existing copies with large-scale interior updates, so I’ll restrain myself and only handle the licensing issues in those.

On the Death by Cliche front, I’ve finished an output of the e-pub version with a table of contents. I did this while gaming at a friend’s house, however, so it hasn’t been tested yet. The Kindle version is still pending. I don’t have news on a cover, there.

That’s the major news, the covers are just dozens and dozens of hours of work. With them receding, however, I hope to get updated copies online over the next weeks.

Regards,

Bob

As I mentioned in my recent post on Playtesting.net (this post will be showing up in both locations), it looks like my HERO System license won’t be renewing. Since I’ve started releasing small conversions for 4e, I’m adding that as my fourth system, although the actual 4e conversions won’t have a place in my schedule I finish getting Death by Cliché up and released. Essentially, I only have time to work on two Final Redoubt projects at once.

As for Death by Cliché, I’ve done my initial page making pass and it is finished. I’ve also done a proof of concept export for Kindle and e-pub and some subsequent exports to handle formatting issues. They all look good now. I’ll need to add a table of contents to the e-book versions for navigation purposes. That’s next on my list. I also need to get a cover. It looks like I’m not going to be able to get a piece of reuse art for the cover—my first choice—so I’m going to need to commission an actual piece. We’ll see how that develops. I’ve found some artists I think would do a good job but I haven’t contacted them yet.

We’re within a few weeks of starting the Rolemaster playtest of the final adventure, O What a Hell Would Heaven Be. I’m very excited about it. I’m halfway through the RM/HARP conversion of the final bonded weapon of the campaign and I’m VERY glad that bit will soon be done. There is only one major NPC in this one, so the statting of the adventure itself should proceed apace. I should be able to keep ahead of the playtest group handily enough once the NPC is statted.

So that’s where we are. I’ll try to keep you posted on events and thanks for your patience.

Regards,

Bob

Some of you might have seen that there’s a bit of a license change happening with some of the rules I license. I just want everyone to know that until things are a little more set in stone, I’ve pulled all products not produced under an OGL or GSL license. At this point, I’m optimistic that most of the products will be back up before too terribly long, but I don’t want to infringe on anyone else’s rights.

Thanks.

Bob

My mother went into surgery last week, but she’s recovering nicely now. Things are something like normal again, so I’ll keep at it.

I have tentative names for the last two interim adventures, the ones that come between adventure 9 and 10. They are The Center Cannot Hold and Slouching Toward Bethlehem.

With the medical stuff, that’s all the news at this point. Talk to you next week.

Bob

At the end of the Introduction, the book was 15 pages long (not to surprising, and that might change when I can do a TOC). Part One details the Faithful and that was a bear to pagemake. It brought the count up to 49 pages. The Eldinarans came next, and I just finished them today, bringing it to 66 pages.

So I’ve already hit my minimum goal of 32 pages of sourcebook and 32 pages of adventure. So that’s not a fear.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw out an update.

Bob

On a semi-related note, I’ve plucking away at a 4e version of the campaign setting (about 5-10 minutes a day and I feel like I’m making progress but not interfering with new work). I’m getting to the end of the geography section, doing a country a day (which is basically just editing the country and adding two little items I’m doing for each country in 4e).

That’s the main events this week. Still unemployed.

Bob

Expect Adventure Seed 4b sometime in May.

Bob

So we’re now past the third week of me being laid off. I’ve received my severance check, but if I get rehired by the same company within 60 days, I have to pay 75% of it back. Since my best lead right now is a job that opened up there the same day I was laid off, I have to be VERY careful with money.

So updates: Product 5 is out of editing. It’s also been proofed and the maps are done. I’ve started working on layout, but right now the big problem is the art. I have some art outstanding that I had to commission outright instead of setting up on a royalty. My contract requires me to pay within a certain time after the last piece is turned in. I have that money, of course, but paying it could put me into a situation where I couldn’t accept a job from my old company. So while I’ve been putting the books together, I’m not asking the artist to start working on the art in earnest. When he finishes, I’ll pay him, but I don’t dare hasten the event from my end as it could mean something of a crises here if the timing is wrong.

Meanwhile we’re currently running the Rolemaster play test of Product 7 and the 4e play test (which is now mostly serving as a story/design play test) on product 9.

As for cancer and chemo, this Thursday is my mother’s last chemo infusion. It will almost certainly be the worst, and I’ve cleared my weekend for it, but after Sunday, every day should be better than the last. Hopefully, forever.

I think that’s everything. Enjoy.

Bob

What am I doing with my free time? Twitter (Among other things, of course . . . Twttter is probably ten minutes of my day). You can find me at @robertjdefendi. I’ll try to tweet things like how recording is going and where we are in the various Echoes playtests. Jump on and follow me if you tweet.

Doesn’t mean that I won’t be updating here as well. I just know I’ll tweet more often, so I thought I’d let you all know about it.

Bob

As for Echoes, here’s the state of things. The entire thing has been written and is back from editing. I haven’t run through the edits on all the versions of Part 8, which is the rules section, and therefore needs to be redited in it’s entirety for every system.

The main document is back from proofing as well.

There are some changes I need to confirm are in the right documents. These were added to the adventure during the last playtest and I just need to double check they are correctly handled, and if not, mark them for proofing and moving over from the HARP version.

Finally, my license with HERO Games expired. We don’t have the new contract yet, but I believe we’ve agreed on terms, so I don’t foresee an issue there.

All the art is in except for one batch. That artist was brought in to pick up the art from another and I haven’t been rushing him, so that’s not his fault. What I’ve gotten from him is great.

I think that’s everything important. Things are pretty busy with the cancer and the chemo, but I’m still plugging a way. Thanks for you patience.