Topic: Random Updates from Terry Amthor

[Neee-Wom]

I printed out Powers and SWMA4. Boy, did those use a lot of ink. I've since become a big fan of layered PDFs, where you can stop some layers from printing.

Agree with layered pdf's, also useful for maps, the same file can be the GM map and the handout for PC's, you can even keep adding things when they discover new places.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Today my copy of Jaiman arrived and ... well... not sure how to put it: It surpassed my expectations in every single aspect! Volume, detail, reference, color, plot hooks. You name it! I pulled my copies of the new Emer books off the shelf for some comparison and I am inclined to say that to me, this is the best Shadow World book to be released in the new series, period.

I can see that assembling this tome of information (CODEX is more fitting) must have been a long, arduous and painstakingly intense research and writing experience.

Chapeaux, good sir, to a work outstandingly done!

Well, thank you!  If you are so inclined, please write a review (or at least click a rating) at RPGNow.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Resumed statting NPCs for Haalkitaine. So many projects, kind of overwhelming. Many are partially done...
• Haalkitaine.
• Emer IV Adventure
• Emer IV Book
• Emer I 2nd Edition
• Emer II 2nd Edition
• NE Jaiman (Wuliris)
• Second Loremaster Legacy novel.
• Editing Lethys
• Probably others I cannot recall now...

[Jenkyna]

• Probably others I cannot recall now...

Cornering the worlds supply of Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz is in there somewhere I am sure.

[Terry K. Amthor]

The completion of Haalkitaine is in sight!

[RandalThor]

Awesome. Why you up so early? (Insert big grin emoji here: I still cannot use them.)

[Terry K. Amthor]

Awesome. Why you up so early? (Insert big grin emoji here: I still cannot use them.)

I dunno, I get into a cycle where I am up between midnight and 3 am, and crawl in bed early and watch TV. But I do my best work early in the morning, so no worries.

[Spectre771]

The completion of Haalkitaine is in sight!

Now that is awesome news!  What perfect timing too. 

[Terry K. Amthor]

It is fascinating to me that the PDFs of the Rolemaster Classic (RM2?) remain top sellers on RPGNow after all these years.

https://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/461/Iron-Crown-Enterprises

[Spectre771]

It is fascinating to me that the PDFs of the Rolemaster Classic (RM2?) remain top sellers on RPGNow after all these years.

https://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/461/Iron-Crown-Enterprises

All of us die-hard players have books that are 30 years old.  The binding quality back then was horrible.   Spell Law, ChL&CaL, RMC-I, RMC-II, Elemental companion...  The pages just fell right out of the books.  AL&Cl was stapled, but the middle 2-3 pages fell out of mine.  The staples rusted over the years and the paper wore out at the staple.

Finding replacement hardcopies is challenging, maybe expensive too and you have to wait for shipping.  PDF's are the fast, easy replacement.  I'm not a fan of PDF's though, so I look for the hardcopies

The new players I've been introducing to RM2 have been getting PDFs.  Maybe those higher stats are my fault.

[jdale]

I like books during play, but PDFs are super convenient with the search function and bookmarking.

[Spectre771]

I like books during play, but PDFs are super convenient with the search function and bookmarking.

I would love to have the PDF version when I travel.  I don't want to risk my books being damaged or lost.  The obvious savings in space an weight helps too.  The downside, I would need to carry a heavy laptop computer. LOL.  I don't have those nice little tablets and e-readers.  I don't travel enough to warrant the e-reader and PDFs though.  Still hardcopies for me.

[Siltoneous]

Like many older players, I've got most of the original soft-cover books and modules (at least pre-95). However, I don't like to use them much (as others have noted) due to fragility.  The PDF's are nice, even if they are only scanned, as they travel easy, and are searchable. I even print a few and use my coil binding machine to bind them up, giving me the same material at the table without the wear-and-tear.

Of course some aren't so great (such as my recent purchase of "School of Hard Knocks: The Skill Companion").  I simply re-OCR'd and scanned it in a full blown PDF editor, and it was golden.  Used the heck out of those "Example Difficulties" to supplement RMU skill descriptions for my new players. 

[Terry K. Amthor]

Like many older players, I've got most of the original soft-cover books and modules (at least pre-95). However, I don't like to use them much (as others have noted) due to fragility.  The PDF's are nice, even if they are only scanned, as they travel easy, and are searchable. I even print a few and use my coil binding machine to bind them up, giving me the same material at the table without the wear-and-tear.

Of course some aren't so great (such as my recent purchase of "School of Hard Knocks: The Skill Companion").  I simply re-OCR'd and scanned it in a full blown PDF editor, and it was golden.  Used the heck out of those "Example Difficulties" to supplement RMU skill descriptions for my new players. 

Yeah back when I worked at a print shop, I trimmed all my old Rolemaster RM2 (red binding) books and coil bound them. So much easier to use than perfect binding.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Okay, I know it has been years, but I am officially back to working on the 2nd Shadowstone novel in the trilogy, (while I finish the Haalkitaine adventures, and work on the short EMER IV adventure...). The WORD file is open.

As I have said, most of Book II ("Secret Circle") is done, but some chapters are incomplete. Book III is tentatively named "The Soul Sword."

First I need to re-read the first book to get my bearings!

[Spectre771]

Like many older players, I've got most of the original soft-cover books and modules (at least pre-95). However, I don't like to use them much (as others have noted) due to fragility.  The PDF's are nice, even if they are only scanned, as they travel easy, and are searchable. I even print a few and use my coil binding machine to bind them up, giving me the same material at the table without the wear-and-tear.

Of course some aren't so great (such as my recent purchase of "School of Hard Knocks: The Skill Companion").  I simply re-OCR'd and scanned it in a full blown PDF editor, and it was golden.  Used the heck out of those "Example Difficulties" to supplement RMU skill descriptions for my new players. 

Yeah back when I worked at a print shop, I trimmed all my old Rolemaster RM2 (red binding) books and coil bound them. So much easier to use than perfect binding.

Coil binding would be awesome!  I did photocopies of relevant material and stuck them in sheet protectors in 3-ring binders.

[egdcltd]

I coil bound a few PDFs I printed out. Emer I and II, SWMA 4, Powers, the Guild Companions. I also have the coil-bound Haalkitaine.

[Jenkyna]

It is fascinating to me that the PDFs of the Rolemaster Classic (RM2?) remain top sellers on RPGNow after all these years.

https://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/461/Iron-Crown-Enterprises

It's still the best version of Rolemaster.

PDF's are the reason I wanted to see all the old books brought back though. Setting aside the binding issues, being able to highlight and make notes is a huge plus. I object to marking up or dogearing books on religious grounds too.

Having all the books on tablet along with Scrivener is nice too. I can work on my campaigns anywhere, and have my RPG library as a reference.

First I need to re-read the first book to get my bearings!

Looking forward to the sequels, and it's worth re-reading for its own sake. You're a great storyteller.

[Siltoneous]

Coil binding would be awesome!  I did photocopies of relevant material and stuck them in sheet protectors in 3-ring binders.

I have to admit I was a late-comer to the idea, but am a convert now. A few months ago I found a nice GBC Combine C20 on ShopGoodwill that was $10, with $15 in shipping.  I've used it to make a bunch of physical reference copies of PDF's, and all my players have coil-bound character binders. The players binders have the basics; Character sheet, attack, crit and fumble tables, skill sheets, spell references, etc...  When something changes, then the binder allows us to reopen the coil, replace the sheets, and seal it right back up. You can also put heavier covers over them (clear or not), and simple overhead transparency plastic sheets in front of certain pages so the players can use markers to annotate their sheets, instead of pencil.

Earned lots of dirty looks from other GM's when they started boasting of it though. LOL. =D

[Siltoneous]

Okay, I know it has been years, but I am officially back to working on the 2nd Shadowstone novel in the trilogy, (while I finish the Haalkitaine adventures, and work on the short EMER IV adventure...). The WORD file is open.

As I have said, most of Book II ("Secret Circle") is done, but some chapters are incomplete. Book III is tentatively named "The Soul Sword."

First I need to re-read the first book to get my bearings!

Huzzah!  Best news I've had all week.  My wife will be thrilled (she's about finished the first one now), and has seemed to enjoy it greatly.  Of course I've had to answer questions like "why does that sword the crazy guy have sound a lot like a light saber?" (sigh...."Asimov and Fritz Leiber....  "