Topic: Random Updates from Terry Amthor

[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

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.

Well, thanks! And I promise more action in Book II

[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!

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....  " 

Well, it basically is a lightsaber  ;-)  Sorry, I don't get the 'Asimov and Fritz Leiber' reference. I have read a lot of Asimov but not Leiber.

[Jenkyna]

Well, thanks! And I promise more action in Book II

You're welcome. I actually thought the level of action in book 1 was fine. I like it when books or film rely on character dialog and relationship development over action, but for sure that style isn't for everyone. Good examples of it in my mind are Asimov's Foundation Trilogy or C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner series.

I was also really fond of the story intro's on the old MERP line. Like the one at the start of Thieves of Tharbad was pretty awesome. Not sure who penned it, but Ciramir's internal dialog has a lot of impact and really gives you a feel for the setting.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Well, thanks! And I promise more action in Book II

You're welcome. I actually thought the level of action in book 1 was fine. I like it when books or film rely on character dialog and relationship development over action, but for sure that style isn't for everyone. Good examples of it in my mind are Asimov's Foundation Trilogy or C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner series.

I was also really fond of the story intro's on the old MERP line. Like the one at the start of Thieves of Tharbad was pretty awesome. Not sure who penned it, but Ciramir's internal dialog has a lot of impact and really gives you a feel for the setting.

I loved Foundation (and the Caves of Steel series), and I have not read CJ Cherryh's Foreigner, but I highly recommend her 'Serpent's Reach.' I have read it several times. I also love Clarke, especially 'Rendezvous with Rama' (only the original, not the sequels, which he did not write). I think Rama would make a great movie, if they stayed close to the book.

re Thieves. Hmm, I edited that book, but don't recall if I wrote that. It might have been Jessica Ney. I'd have to go back and find it.

[Siltoneous]

Well, it basically is a lightsaber  ;-)  Sorry, I don't get the 'Asimov and Fritz Leiber' reference. I have read a lot of Asimov but not Leiber.

Asimov had a force-field penknife talked about by two traders in the first Foundation novel, which IIRC was early 1950's.  Fritz Leiber had a flashlight thing called "rods of wrath" which projected a violet energy force field from the top and at least once was used to dual.  I think it was even earlier, like early 40's.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Well, it basically is a lightsaber  ;-)  Sorry, I don't get the 'Asimov and Fritz Leiber' reference. I have read a lot of Asimov but not Leiber.

Asimov had a force-field penknife talked about by two traders in the first Foundation novel, which IIRC was early 1950's.  Fritz Leiber had a flashlight thing called "rods of wrath" which projected a violet energy force field from the top and at least once was used to dual.  I think it was even earlier, like early 40's.

Ohhh, and Larry Niven also had a 'flashlight laser' in the Ringworld books. I think it had an adjustable length.

[Jenkyna]

I loved Foundation (and the Caves of Steel series), and I have not read CJ Cherryh's Foreigner, but I highly recommend her 'Serpent's Reach.' I have read it several times. I also love Clarke, especially 'Rendezvous with Rama' (only the original, not the sequels, which he did not write). I think Rama would make a great movie, if they stayed close to the book.

re Thieves. Hmm, I edited that book, but don't recall if I wrote that. It might have been Jessica Ney. I'd have to go back and find it.

If it was Jessica then she's awesome.

The Foundation precursor novels 'Pebble in the Sky', 'The Stars like Dust', and 'The Currents of Space' are great too. This really more apropos to the Spacemaster forums, but I am kind of curious if any of the Spacemaster Terran Empire was derived from Asimov's galactic empire? I had read it was derived from Dune, but I haven't actually read Dune so I can't compare. The Empire always felt a bit like Asimov's to me. In point of fact as I tailored it to my own campaign the world at bureaucratic center ended up being called Proxima Trantor as a nod to both my own sci-fi roots in Asimov, and to Warhammer 40k. One of my players was really into Warhammer.

Cherryh's Fortress series is worth reading. I never knew if the series itself had an official name, but the first book was 'Fortress in the Eye of Time'. Great fantasy series.

I'd also recommend 'Fifth Quarter', and 'No Quarter' by Tanya Huff. It's an off the beaten path approach to a setting, but some of her social ideas were well ahead of their time. The story is very original too imo.

Niven's Ringworld makes me think of the Hindmost. Talk about an awesomely amusing racial concept for an alien. XD

[Terry K. Amthor]

I loved Foundation (and the Caves of Steel series), and I have not read CJ Cherryh's Foreigner, but I highly recommend her 'Serpent's Reach.' I have read it several times. I also love Clarke, especially 'Rendezvous with Rama' (only the original, not the sequels, which he did not write). I think Rama would make a great movie, if they stayed close to the book.

re Thieves. Hmm, I edited that book, but don't recall if I wrote that. It might have been Jessica Ney. I'd have to go back and find it.

If it was Jessica then she's awesome.

The Foundation precursor novels 'Pebble in the Sky', 'The Stars like Dust', and 'The Currents of Space' are great too. This really more apropos to the Spacemaster forums, but I am kind of curious if any of the Spacemaster Terran Empire was derived from Asimov's galactic empire? I had read it was derived from Dune, but I haven't actually read Dune so I can't compare. The Empire always felt a bit like Asimov's to me. In point of fact as I tailored it to my own campaign the world at bureaucratic center ended up being called Proxima Trantor as a nod to both my own sci-fi roots in Asimov, and to Warhammer 40k. One of my players was really into Warhammer.

Cherryh's Fortress series is worth reading. I never knew if the series itself had an official name, but the first book was 'Fortress in the Eye of Time'. Great fantasy series.

I'd also recommend 'Fifth Quarter', and 'No Quarter' by Tanya Huff. It's an off the beaten path approach to a setting, but some of her social ideas were well ahead of their time. The story is very original too imo.

Niven's Ringworld makes me think of the Hindmost. Talk about an awesomely amusing racial concept for an alien. XD

I found 'Thieves, and I don;t think I wrote that intro and neither did Jessica, must have been one of those listed authors.

I Had read Foundation, but the Space Master universe was mostly inspired by Dune, not Asimov.

I LOVE the puppeteers from Ringworld. Actually Pete ran this multi-universe game where I was a puppeteer in one. I made two sock-puppets and carved a foam eye to stick on each. I had them speak, and sometimes look at each other. In another near-future universe I was a member of the high-tech Planetary Geographic society, and had glasses shaped like the iconic gold rectangle. Of course I made a pair.

[Peter R]

I have heard about your puppetry at the gaming table.

[Jenkyna]

I have heard about your puppetry at the gaming table.

That sound pretty epic doesn't it?

[Terry K. Amthor]

I have heard about your puppetry at the gaming table.

Oh really? From whom? Actually I did some puppetry when I was younger, so it seemed like the natural thing to do. I tended to role-play more than the rest of the group.

[Peter R]

I have heard about your puppetry at the gaming table.

Oh really? From whom? Actually I did some puppetry when I was younger, so it seemed like the natural thing to do. I tended to role-play more than the rest of the group.

http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?topic=15239.msg185922#msg185922

[Terry K. Amthor]

I have heard about your puppetry at the gaming table.

Oh really? From whom? Actually I did some puppetry when I was younger, so it seemed like the natural thing to do. I tended to role-play more than the rest of the group.

http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?topic=15239.msg185922#msg185922

Ooof! ;-)

[Terry K. Amthor]

Haalkitaine is nearly complete! Just need to finish adventures then hand off to Nicholas for edit review and RMSS stats. Could be out this Spring! 

[Siltoneous]

Gratz!  Looking forward to ordering it.

[Jenkyna]

Haalkitaine is nearly complete! Just need to finish adventures then hand off to Nicholas for edit review and RMSS stats. Could be out this Spring! 

Looking forward to this, and Emer IV, and Emer II, and Emer I.

Plus anything else the Amthor psyche can come up with. XD

[Terry K. Amthor]

Haalkitaine is nearly complete! Just need to finish adventures then hand off to Nicholas for edit review and RMSS stats. Could be out this Spring! 

Looking forward to this, and Emer IV, and Emer II, and Emer I.

Plus anything else the Amthor psyche can come up with. XD

I need to finish the small Emer IV independent adventure after Haalkitaine is out the door. This will be either 'pay what you want' or very inexpensive PDF, maybe with RMU.

Then Emer IV will be next, since Emer III sold really well. It is mostly written except stats and adventures. Then I really should complete NE Jaiman/Wuliris (I am completely redoing it with lots of Taranian ruins and some Zor; most of 'Sky Giants' is out the door), since it is almost completely written. Then I think Emer I and Emer II major revisions (like Eidolon), since they are already well underway as well.

[Jenkyna]

I need to finish the small Emer IV independent adventure after Haalkitaine is out the door. This will be either 'pay what you want' or very inexpensive PDF, maybe with RMU.

Then Emer IV will be next, since Emer III sold really well. It is mostly written except stats and adventures. Then I really should complete NE Jaiman/Wuliris (I am completely redoing it with lots of Taranian ruins and some Zor; most of 'Sky Giants' is out the door), since it is almost completely written. Then I think Emer I and Emer II major revisions (like Eidolon), since they are already well underway as well.

All of that sounds great, any chance we can have you cloned three or four times?

[Terry K. Amthor]

The Haalkitaine adventures are actually going more smoothly than I expected. I might get the text to Nicholas by the 16th as promised after all!   

[Jenkyna]

One of the things I noticed is missing from both the Master Atlas and Powers is a monster chart for the Drones. You give some stats for Jenkyna's Omega, but no level and nothing on the other types of drones. I have the original box set atlas, so I can look up the stats in the set, but it would be nice to have them included in the updated materials.

One thing I would love to see expanded on are Shadow World specific monsters and artificial constructs. That's one of the aspects of Shadow World that makes the setting feel like Shadow World.