Sorry for the long sabbatical, but things have been rather up and down over here. On the up-side, She Who Must Be Obeyed, the minions, and I have been looking for a new Lair and think we have found the perfect one for our current needs. It was however, a long and tedious process. I'm hopeful that all will go as planned and I can finally have my long desired library room!
On the Evil DM Productions front. Dicey Tales #1 has been available in print and is selling. I wish it was selling faster, but I really haven't put a great deal of effort into promotion, so I figure much of the blame is mine.
Dicey tales #2 is ready to go. We just need an open spot on Jason's schedule for cover art and layout to finish it up.
I have been discussing the next Barbarians of Lemuria project with Simon and he seemed enthused about it (so much so he even offered some of his own work that was sitting "in development").
The working title of the project is "Sulan" and is basically the BoL engine powering an Oriental/Asian flavored setting similar to that found with shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Kung-Fu Panda, and Jet Li and Jackie Chan's Kung-Fu fantasy film Forbidden Kingdom.
In Sulan I'm working on a world combining elements of Chinese, Punjabi, Arabic, and Southeast Asian Myth and culture. Careers have been added and Boons have been re-worked to add Wuxia flavored Martial arts. I've also been working on Chi Powers-similar to the psychic Powers found in Dicey Tales #1.
As is said Sulan is in the early stages of development and play-testing, so it may not see completion until the first part of 2012.
Here are a few sample paragraphs from an early rough draft:
Barraku
Barraku are “handlers of the dead” in Sulanese society. A character with
this career is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These
tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well
as the planning and arrangement of the actual funeral ceremony. It might even
involve making the casket to put the body in, but unless the Barraku is a
skilled carpenter, these boxes can be very basic. Because they deal with death,
they are also trained in the tanning of animal hides, taxidermy and they are
even called upon to execute convicted criminals. Barraku also have extensive
knowledge of the Undead and the ways of destroying or dismissing them. Barraku
do not tend to favor any particular attribute over the others although Appeal
is the attribute that would be least required in the performance of their work.
Elemental Sorcerer
These Sorcerers specialize in one of the four
core elements; Wind, Flame, Earth, or Water.
Some practitioners learn traditionally from a Master but many learn the
basics of their craft at schools. Elemental Sorcerers follow the same rules
from the magic section of the BoL Legendary Edition in regards to spell power,
cost, and magnitude. Each element has an
associated school the students in these schools learn not only the skills to
summon and shape the elements but also specific martial arts fighting style
which they use for inner discipline and self-defense.
· Wind
School- Crane style
· Flame
School – Tiger Style
· Earth
School - Stone Rhino Style
· Water
School -Water Snake style
Magic
The five different types
of magic found in the lands of Sulan are Elemental Sorcery, Celestial Magic,
Shamanistic Magic, Witchcraft, and Wizardry. While magic is not an everyday
occurrence in the lands of Sulan, those who practice magical arts are not as
shunned or reviled as they are in less civilized places. Much honor is bestowed
upon practitioners of magic who use their skill for the benefit of mankind.
City-State
of Quai
Between the southern jungles kingdoms and the borders of Great Sulan lies the powerful
city-state of Quai. Quai’s well manned castles and fortresses
control the passes through the mountains and therefore the flow of trade for
the entire region. The Raja of Quai leads an army of hardened warriors, Bound
Earth Elementals, and a fierce contingent of War elephants. Though officially a
tributary state to Sulan, past efforts to conquer this mountain state have
always failed. With the current treaty, honor is maintained, face is saved and trade flows to the benefit of
all.
