Hey folks,

I figure a few people here might still remember the work that I did on Shadowrun Missions and assorted other projects.

So, I thought I'd stick my nose in hear with updates on a few current projects. I'll keep this thread updated as things develop.

First off, I've been doing some writing for Fantasy Flight Games. The first product that I had an opportunity to work on, Battlefleet Koronus, is now shipping to stores. It's a sourcebook for the Rogue Trader game in their line of Warhammer 40,000 RPGs.



Secondly, I've started a small company for PDF publishing. Our first release went up on DriveThruRPG today.

The Freshman Handbook for the Hope Preparatory School setting is now available at DriveThruRPG for the M&M 3E rules system.

Product Link



And I think I get to announce something else tomorrow.

BFK is finally out? Sweet. I gotta go get that.

And, here's the update that I hoped to have today.

Fantasy Flight gave me a chance to provide a blog entry on their site regarding the Character Creation rules I did for the upcoming Black Crusade game.

Men of Low Character

This book was also a great deal of fun to work on, and I hope folks are looking forward to seeing it.

Very interesting read - and now you hooked me up on Black Crusade, with levels and classes gone.

Woohoo! The internet works!

Any plans to release a level- and class-free version of Dark Heresy too? And how came the idea to make Black Crusade mechanically different from the others games of the line?

I'm afraid FFG's company policy and NDA explicitly prohibits speculation about upcoming releases. If I knew anything, I could not say anything. My apologies.

This is the first FFG core book on which I had the opportunity to work. I can't really speak to the development of previous games. However, I've played a few different RPGs and the folks at FFG have consistently been wonderfully receptive to freelancer input.

Curse you, NDA's, curse you!

That would make me super happy as well, I've been greatly enjoying RT and DH as of late. Let's see what develops.

What's this about Might and Magic 3 now?

~DOE MEISTER

Mutants and Masterminds, 3rd Edition.

hey the_dunner, thanks for the heads up. I'll definitely be picking up the BFK soon, and whenever Black Crusade is released. Thanks for the info about the Mutants and Masterminds stuff, I do love the superhero genre so I'll take a look.

Yay John! Glad to see you're doing some cool stuff!

Cheers

Thanks guys! I'm trying to keep the MeliorVia blog updated with information about the Hope Prep School setting. I'm pretty happy with the early feedback, but we're just starting to get the ball rolling. The first adventure in the story arc should be released next month. I've just sent out the last art solicitations on that today.

Man the more I hear about the FF 40K games the more I want to play them, but I can barely find the time to play SR lately.

Anyway, glad to see you've moved on the bigger and more Chaotic things, Dunn. If I have any extra money laying around when the wife stops remodeling our house, I might have to pick up Black Crusade.

A very positive review of Battlefleet Koronus was just posted up on RPG.net. It's likely worth a read if you're on the fence about it.

Me too. I'm not a WH 40K guy but I was intrigued enough by the space privateer aspect of 'Rogue Trader' to pick it up along with 'Battlefleet Koronus'. Now I just need to find the right mix of players to give it a whirl.

Cover artwork for the first HPS scenario has been posted up at MeliorVia.com

Jeff Preston provided did a great job on it.

We've just released a HPS-themed M&M3 character sheet as a free download.

Link to see a quick preview and download the PDF version is at MeliorVia.com

There is no wrong mix of players for Rogue Trader.

Well... despite the high production values that Fantasy Flight puts into its products there are a few issues with the game that didn't shake out during play-testing. So if you have powergamer/loop hole exploiters in your gaming group (I do), they can have a field day with RT if they're crafty. For example:

- buy Space Marine Armor that reduces 9, invest in subdermal implants and bionic limbs providing +2 or +3 depending on where shot, and a toughness of 60. Keep your wounds to around 19. You can withstand any attack that would autokill anyone else without the same build.
- to auto-shred baddies, invest in the Heavy Bolter (full auto provides +20 to hit [why it's easier to hit on full auto is beyond me...]). Short range add +10. Point blank add +30. Aim and brace. etc. etc. etc. With a good hit, you can be doing 300 hp worth of damage in a single combat round.

If I keep my game RAW (which I prefer to do if possible), those kinds of mechanics make it difficult for me as a GM to create combat encounters that are both interesting and a challenge for players of all types. Thus my need to find more casual RPGers or gamers who are more into story and world-building than mechanics in order to make a RT game fun. But to be fair, FF's Warhammer 40K line doesn't require nearly as much GM interdiction as WOTC's Star Wars Saga. I played that for almost 9 months before permanently retiring the system out of frustration.

Still... I look forward to creating some sort of space pirate/buccaneer style RT campaign.

hey Wesley Street, you should check this out then for your group, just for grins and giggles
Dungeons: The Dragoning 40,000 7th edition. An April Fool's day by this guy which goes beyond most jokes since it's a 340+ page rulebook... he put waaay too much effort into it. Anyway, it's a combination of Vampire, DnD, WH 40k, and the kitchen sink.
http://lawfulnice.blogspot.com/2011/04/dun...agoning-12.html

The selling point of those games is not the rules, they are reminiscent of Shadowrun in a number of ways, their madness in parts included. The selling point is the game universe. It'S safe to assume that game would sell well with any remotely working rules.

Also, since you're in the loop - do I need another book aside from the RT core book, BFK and Into the Storm tom properly build a ship?

I'm of the opinion that you can build one just fine from the core rules. However, those three books include all of the Imperial Ship Components that have been released. So, if you're concerned about having every possible option, then those are the volumes that you would want.

That's what I meant, thanks.

Also, are there plans for battleship hulls? With grand cruisers and mass conveyances buyable, it's not that unfeasible anymore. And it's the only hull still missing.

Nothing has been published. Regarding the issue of if anything is planned for them, it boils down to the NDA as I stated above. Sorry!

Uhm . . 'scuse me but . . isn't that technically what a Space-Marine is supposed to do right there?
Make a Devastator Marine by combining the two examples, if possible.
Draw enemy fire, take care of hordes of strong enemies . . in the Fluff, a Space-Marine is supposedly worth about 100 Elite Guardsmen or so, if i am not misremembering . .
They are, basically, what a high armor Troll with a Full-Auto heavy weapon is in Shadowrun. A Diversion. A Moving Bullet-Sponge. The improvised Kan-Opener/Exit/Welcome Door ^^

Alright, thanks. It would be really ncie to have battleships though, for military-themed campaigns.


Not hordes, as I just found out in a game where my character with tozughness 57, rating 9 power armour, and 19 wounds was insta-slain by a horde of servitor zombies. Hordes do obscenely much damage, in case they hit you, and cannot be dodged. Cost me a fate point.


Yeah, that's nasty, but even that (it was something in the 200s) will not insta-shred a hive tyrant.



Use a mix of horde rules, possessed things and possibly tyrannids. Yeah, it's overkill, but this is warhammer, not shadowrun.

1000 according to the HEresy novels, but that's overreaching a bit.

Yah, i thought so. Rule-Book-Fluff was 100 though, right? O.o
10.000 Space Marines in one of the Original Legions would have made them equal to 1.000.000 Elite Guardsmen.
Sounds about right for the ammount of space they had to cover i think.

Up to 120.000 in case of the Word Bearers and even more in case of the Ultras. Backed up by serious orbital firepower and usually, their worth in guards as bullet sponges and to hold what they capture. The Great Crusade really was epic (also, Lorgar is such a pussy).

The Crusade was, basically, an imperium migration of most of the military personnel, if i got that one right.
I have allways been more partial to the space wolves and leman russ myself.
Space Wikings. What's not to like there? ^^

My favourite Marines are the Luna Wolves. Honorable, dedicated, charming and slightly anti-snobbist. Awesome. Too bad what becomes of them.

Second are the Fists (head -> wall until wall gives in, or "I'll kill you with my arm you just ripped off!", or Ultras, because I always liked Rome). I'm perpetually amused that the Space Wolves use the House Stark coat of arms though (or probably vice versa). If I ever play a Wolf, 'Winter Is Coming' will be his catch phrase, he'll be called Rickon and have a black Fenrir wolf..

I simply like the way the fluff depicts the Space Wolves as, basically, Orks of the Imperium.
Party harder, fight harder, rinse and repeat untill dead. Maybe keep going "even in death do i still party".

Melior Via has two new releases for our Hope Preparatory School setting. Both are now available on DriveThruRPG, and both use the M&M 3E rules system.

Orientation! Is an introductory adventure for Hope Prep. Players get to learn about the school at the same time as their characters, who are among the incoming freshmen. The scenario includes background information on the sinister Alchemical Cabal, full color maps of the school, and player handouts in 49 digest-sized pages. Regularly priced at $4.99, we’re offering a special introductory price of $2.49 through the end of April to those who use this discount link.

The Freshman Character Pack provides a fully illustrated set of six PL7 characters for use with the Hope Prep adventures. For those who do not have an opportunity to create characters, these provide a variety of options with detailed backgrounds and personalities. The freshmen students could also be used add additional NPC students to a Hope Prep campaign, or even as a group of metahuman students on field trip for a more conventional supers campaign. A page of stand ups for the six characters are also included. This 20 letter-sized page PDF is priced at $2.99.

Hope Preparatory School is a privately funded institution dedicated to preparing tomorrow's metahumans for whatever paths might lie ahead. With a tradition that stretches back over 60 years, a world-renowned faculty, and affiliations with all of the best universities, HPS is the place to send your child to prepare him or her for life.

The HPS Freshman Handbook released in March 2011. It provides background material and character creation rules compatible with M&M 3rd Edition for Melior Via's Hope Prep setting. This 62 digest-sized page package remains available for $4.99

Please note that all of our releases use PDF layers. By selecting which layers to print, the printer-friendly version is built right into the main document.

More information and a HPS character sheet are available at www.meliorvia.com Please consider following us on facebook for ongoing updates

Melior Via's Gen Con 2011 schedule has just been posted.

And, now I've just posted Melior Via's Origins Game Fair 2011 schedule.

We're happy to announce that Melior Via has just released the Hope Preparatory Freshman Handbook for ICONS Superpowered Roleplaying from Adamant Entertainment. This is the same core material featured in the Super-Powered by M&M version, but the Game Mechanics section covering character creation and the freshman faculty members has been modified for the new system.

Moving forward, Melior Via will offer Hope Preparatory School materials that support both game systems. Our current plan is to release the Freshman Character Pack and Orientation! for ICONS next month.

Previous buyers should receive a coupon from OBS to purchase the ICONS version at a substantial discount. (If you have not yet received your coupon, please drop a line to info@meliorvia.com)

The first runs of HPS "Orientation" went very well at Ancon (Hudson, OH). All players enjoyed delivering a 14 yo's version of mayhem while trying to steal several of the school's priceless artifacts. Solving the problems presented by the obstacle course was definitely an exercise in teamwork.

Mr. Ghost
(A.K.A. Chuck Burhanna)

New FFG blog post:

Black Crusade Archetype Sneak Peak.

This previews a couple of the character archetypes that I worked on for this game. As in, previews with the actual page layouts and full game text. If you're curious about how 40K Chaos is going to play, this is a good chance to take a close look.

New Hope Prep Release for ICONS:
Orientation, the first scenario for the Hope Preparatory School setting is now available for the ICONS rule system.

As new students to Hope Preparatory School, the characters get to tour the facility, meet their classmates, and save the planet. All that before class even starts!

Orientation is the first scenario in the Freshman Year story arc. It may be played as a standalone, or it may be used to introduce players and their starting characters to the Hope Preparatory School setting. Maps of the school, player handouts, and a range of NPCs provide everything a gamemaster needs to run the scenario and learn more about the school.

This scenario also provides background and game information on the dreaded Alchemical Cabal. This organization is dedicated to transdimensional domination. Their boundless amoral actions have depopulated countless worlds and devastated others so that they might further their own schemes.


CLICK HERE for direct link.

How powerful will a chaos space marine PC be in relation to a Deathwatch character? I thought BVlack Crusade would work on a lower, more Dark Heresy-like, power level. So does BC start out effectively with Ascended characters, or will this Chaos Marine be a very powerful choice?

I can't really answer that directly, but I'd encourage you to take a look at the starting Heretek and Forsaken Archetypes. I think with those in hand, the answer should be fairly clear.

Mh, not really. Doesn't offer to much about his starting power level.

HPS #1 The Substitute is now available from DriveThruRPG.
Dr. Bailey's acting strangely... even by his usual standards. In Super Science class, he spent the whole time asking us questions. Then, we saw him actually reading sports news. What's going on?

The Substitute is a scenario in the HPS Freshman Year story arc. It may be played as a standalone, or it may be used with first-year characters who are already established in the Hope Preparatory School setting. A map of the gym and a range of NPCs provide everything a gamemaster needs to run the scenario and experience a day in the life of a metahuman student.

This scenario also provides background and game information on Pryde Academy. This institute is an analog of Hope Prep from a parallel dimension. Dedicated to preparing its students for global domination, the Academy’s faculty has only recently discovered the HPS earth.

Click Here for direct link.

I guess I was pretty busy today. FFG posted a preview that I wrote for an upcoming Deathwatch book that I worked on. Part of my work included a work up on the different stages of a Tyranid Invasion.

Achilus Assault Preview on FFG's site.

Best way to stop a Tyranid Invasion - call in the Ultramarines! Courage and Honor!

Best way to stop a Tyrannid Incursion:
Send in the Orks or Necrons.
Or Terminatus every planet they attack.

FFG posted up two more of the Character Archetypes I did for Black Crusade today:
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=2383

Wow, way, way too long since I've had time to look in on this thread.

Couple of quick updates:

The Hope Preparatory School Freshman Character Pack is now available for the ICONS rule system.

The HPS Freshman Character Pack includes six fully statted Freshman Characters for the Hope Preparatory School setting. The characters may be used as PCs in Freshman year scenarios, NPC class rivals, or a field trip group for a more traditional supers campaign. These characters are all for use with the ICONS Superpowered Roleplaying rules. Printable character standups are also included as a substitute for tabletop gaming miniatures.

Priced to move at $2.99.

Here's the direct link: Link to DriveThruRPG

A few days ago, FFG announced Fallen Suns for Rogue Trader. This is the third, and final adventure in the Warpstorm Trilogy. I had the pleasure of writing the adventure text for this one. I'm sending in a designer diary on it, so there should be some more info available sometime in the next few weeks.

Yesterday something very exciting happened in the course of Melior Via's history. We have now sold enough copies of the Hope Preparatory School Freshman Handbook to cover our development costs. I guess since I'm admitting my excitement about this, it makes it pretty clear that none of our other products have gotten to that level of success yet, but the fact that one of them has is a major milestone for us.

So, we decided that we need to do something to celebrate the success. I realize that one sale just ended, but I think we can still launch another. For the next week, there are two Hope Preparatory School bundles available through DriveThruRPG. They're each priced at $5.00 and include the Freshman Handbook along with the introductory scenario - Orientation. One is for M&M3 and the other is for ICONS. That's like buying Orientation and getting the Handbook for just a penny!

Here are the direct links:
We Broke Even! M&M3 Bundle
We Broke Even! ICONS Bundle

This week is Gen Con - we look forward to a lot of great gaming at the show and hope to see folks who have enjoyed the Hope Prep setting. For those who can't attend, I hope you get a chance to get some games in at home.