Legendsmiths Posted July 21, 2015 Report Share Posted July 21, 2015 For those not on social media: Narosia: Sea of Tears is ready for release at Gen Con. After years of hard work and many bumps in the road we are ready. It is still going to be tight, but the book is finished. PDF will be available by GenCon and we should have books on site assuming nothing goes wrong with shipping (it is tight). I have to especially thank Craig Judd, without whom this last push could not have been possible. Craig took over the layout and design of the project in the 11th hour and worked like a madman to make it happen with a skill and professionalism I look forward to engaging again in the future. Additionally, Matt Sturm stepped forged us some fantastic logos, imprints, and icons (for our iOS app). These past weeks have been a real push, and I am happy to finally be here. My family, with their love and support is also happy I am here. However, I can't ignore the journey and the many individuals that helped make this possible. First, the backers. As an avid Kickstarter supporter, I know how it feels when projects are delayed. There is never enough communication, and doubt creeps in. Throughout this process however I just remembered how I had faced so many trials before, and like that hike up a hill that never ends you get to the top in only one way — one foot in front of the other. Thank you, backers, for making this a reality and enabling us to lay the foundation for good things to come. Second, the team. Darren Watts took on the impossible task of wrangling this book out of my mind. He acted as guide, mentor, and editor — roles for which I am grateful. On the artistic side of things we had Universe-M providing the lion's share of the art, the cover, and the cards. We originally envisioned their art as the single source for the book, but our schedule made that ultimately impossible. Matthew Minor especially was key to the success of this project, working on the preview materials before and during the Kickstarter, and continuing to work with me even after Universe-M had moved on to other projects, finalizing the cards, and doing what needed to be done. Their style set the tone for the book which was then complemented by additional fantastic contributions by Victor P. Corbella Art, Storn A. Cook, Danilo Moretti, Rossana Castellino Illustration, and Craig Brasco. Third, all my playtesters. The list would be extremely long here, going back decades, and I thank them whenever I can. However, three individuals stepped up and helped contribute directly to development, editing, and finalization of the project: Alan Boberg, Shawn Dry, and Ryan O'Grady. Ryan has also joined me in running Legendsmiths so that we can continue to produce great products. Fourth, my cartographers. The genesis of the world map happened over many years, ultimately formalized by Marc Tassin in a Campaign Cartographer map. That map evolved over the years, especially as the world grew, and was made into an old-school hex map by me (and available on our site). That hex map went to Keith Curtis to become the formal map of the world that is used and the book and on the site. Additionally, as a fan of old-school maps that I am, I worked with Matt Jackson (msjx.com) on the adventure map for the introductory adventure in the book. Finally, this project would never have happened without Marc Tassin. Our collaboration on this project made the world live in a way that no other fantasy world has, at least for me. When we started crafting the world we had some key goals in mind, and I am happy to say this product achieves them all. The world is supposed to be both new and familiar at the same time and that the metaplot fits neatly in the GM and player's heads, especially the world history. This is especially important when players are expected to adopt the role of the gods and improvise a narrative that lines up with the current story and the history of the world. A 300 page "history book" doesn't get that done, and for all the discussions, arguments, debates, and hard work that went into it I hope we have achieved that goal. Marc's professionalism and writer's craft form the foundation of this book, and I am so thrilled to bring his creativity to light in this book. Thank you, Marc. See you all at GenCon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted July 21, 2015 Report Share Posted July 21, 2015 Congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted July 21, 2015 Report Share Posted July 21, 2015 Betrayal. Hubris. Punishment. Revenge. Subjugation. Salvation. Cataclysm. Perseverance. Hope. This is the history of Narosia...Were you writing about the world or the process? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted July 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2015 This is excellent news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legendsmiths Posted July 21, 2015 Report Share Posted July 21, 2015 Were you writing about the world or the process? Cheeky monkey! I write what I know.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesguy Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 Done is good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 Extremely late to the party here. Oblivious R Us. When do you estimate this will this hit distribution? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legendsmiths Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 There is a simple answer and a far more complex one. Simple (for print) is either at HEROGames (after GenCon) or Legendsmiths.com For PDF should be this week (likely tomorrow) at HEROGames, IPR, and DriveThru. If I can figure out how to do a Kindle version, I will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
culhwch Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 There is a simple answer and a far more complex one. Simple (for print) is either at HEROGames (after GenCon) or Legendsmiths.com For PDF should be this week (likely tomorrow) at HEROGames, IPR, and DriveThru. If I can figure out how to do a Kindle version, I will. Ohhh!!!!! I would love a Kindle edition!! I hope you figure that out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted July 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 I would love one too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 There is a simple answer and a far more complex one. Simple (for print) is either at HEROGames (after GenCon) or Legendsmiths.com For PDF should be this week (likely tomorrow) at HEROGames, IPR, and DriveThru. If I can figure out how to do a Kindle version, I will. So the books will not go into distribution then. I ask because I spend a lot of time gaming at my FLGS and interest is hard to build if they cannot buy the game there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legendsmiths Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 Actually, they can. Books will be available through IPR and retailers can order direct from CreateSpace. Will there be boxes of Narosia sitting at Alliance? That I don't know. We have some things to figure out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted July 31, 2015 Report Share Posted July 31, 2015 Actually, they can. Books will be available through IPR and retailers can order direct from CreateSpace. Will there be boxes of Narosia sitting at Alliance? That I don't know. We have some things to figure out there. Great to hear there are options, though they (my FLGS) may not be aware of CreateSpace. When things solidify and specifics are out I will make sure to pass it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2015 Now that Narosia is out, what do people think of it? Was it worth the wait? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternaugh Posted August 29, 2015 Report Share Posted August 29, 2015 From my examination of the PDF, it appears to be a good high fantasy setting that uses many of the tropes that are common in FRPGs, with a few of the edges rounded off. There are the various stock fantasy races, converted to the setting, with a decent amount of useful cultural background information. At the core of the setting are the Enaros, Narosia's pantheon. Each god gets a page or so of information, including how that deity interacts with other gods, and how he or she manifests in the world. Character design is heavily guided, which would most likely suit folks new to Hero and the setting.The included Hero rules have been heavily tailored for the setting, and stuff deemed not appropriate to the setting has been trimmed out or heavily modified. The sample adventure looks good, and has notes for including it in a longer Narosia campaign. Narosia would be a good setting for someone new to Hero, or who doesn't want to design their own setting from scratch. For folks with an established campaign, it probably doesn't have as much value. While an experienced GM could undoubtedly borrow stuff from the book for their setting, much of it is heavily customized, and wouldn't necessarily transfer well. And with the core Hero rules modified as they are, it would be hard to use the book as another rule book at the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legendsmiths Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 Thank you, Ternaugh. I appreciate your review and it aligns with our intentions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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