Well, somebody ratted me out to Greg... :? So much for the surprise. Since the cat is out of the bag, I might as well give out the history to see if it will shake loose an artist... :wink:
It all started out way back in '83...
Back then I hit on the idea of making a set of RUNE DICE as a play aid for RQ. The idea was to use them as instant random NPC generators. It expanded from there to the creation of a whole new character type - Diviners. I wrote up rules for it (which Greg edited slightly for me - he gave me colors for the runes, suggested meanings using the runes as Tarot Cards, and approved my presentation after a couple rewrites). Then created a couple of simple scenarios, one involving the Blue Face Shaman (revealing him as a Diviner).
As I was in the process of creating all this, the idea for a card game exploded in my brain and I spent the better part of a year balancing numbers, runes, colors and cards. Finally I had a workable product that I ran at '84 PACIFICON and it proved to be a huge success. I then brought it to the offices in Berkeley as I recall, and we had a few meetings after that. Earlier I had helped on a 2nd Edition of the ELRIC boardgame and done some editing for the STORMBRINGER RPG manual. Back in those days, CHAOSIUM was interested in doing my dice and card game - PANTHEONS - because I pitched it as a double-whammy. It was a stand-alone dice and card game based on RQ that could also be used as an RQ supplement. The idea was RQ players would buy it for the dice and get the game, non-RQ players would buy the game and possibly get into RQ.
Unfortunately, back in those days the two most costly game components were.... dice and cards. CHAOSIUM couldn't afford to print it was the 'official' line, but they gave me a 'contract' agreement allowing me to get it published anywhere I could. What I found was that they had licensed RQ to AVALON HILL. I went back there in '85 or '86, pitched my RUNEDICE to the head guy, who, while interested in the concept, was not keen to have to outsource specialty dice (which in thise days meant THE ARMORY or LOU ZOCCHI - the competition). He did offer me the opportunity to work for AH as the Editor of their new zine coming out (HEROES?), but I would have to wait 6 months. I couldn't wait that long (I had a family to feed) and came back to California. As things have turned out, not the worst choice I've ever made.
So, since I was a printer, I self published (today we would call it dtp) PANTHEONS. It was a 250 set print run. I sold about 100 copies and gave the rest away as prizes at 3 or 4 RQCons and PACIFICONs that I ran the game at as events.
Beyond that, it never really went anywhere until the mid-nineties when it occurred to me that the game was a lot like MONOPOLY - with any 32 different icons, I could turn it into anything. In the intervening years I've created a half dozen different versions - Train, Military, Writing Symbols, MTG, Fantasy Football (which I almost got picked up by SPORTS ILLUSTRATED - missed it by THAT MUCH!) and a Cold War variant.
I don't have access to distributors, and most of the game companies that would carry a game like this are working mostly with an in-house stable of designers so I'm kind of on the outside still. Meanwhile, I've discovered some very durable methods of creating very nice prototypes and thought I would surprise Greg with a couple of sets (one for Greg and one for his son, Noah) just for old times sake.
I've been trying to track down a couple of artists to jazz it up, but so far I haven't been able to catch up with any of them. It's not necessary, but I'm a visually oriented person and nice illos always makes for a more pleasant gaming experience.
I honestly didn't think there would be much of a market for PANTHEONS, but after looking around for artists, I see that RQ is making somewhat of a comeback, so perhaps it might be time after all. But before I can even go there, I'm looking for a little artistic help!
Hello! Lil' help, guys?
It all started out way back in '83...
Back then I hit on the idea of making a set of RUNE DICE as a play aid for RQ. The idea was to use them as instant random NPC generators. It expanded from there to the creation of a whole new character type - Diviners. I wrote up rules for it (which Greg edited slightly for me - he gave me colors for the runes, suggested meanings using the runes as Tarot Cards, and approved my presentation after a couple rewrites). Then created a couple of simple scenarios, one involving the Blue Face Shaman (revealing him as a Diviner).
As I was in the process of creating all this, the idea for a card game exploded in my brain and I spent the better part of a year balancing numbers, runes, colors and cards. Finally I had a workable product that I ran at '84 PACIFICON and it proved to be a huge success. I then brought it to the offices in Berkeley as I recall, and we had a few meetings after that. Earlier I had helped on a 2nd Edition of the ELRIC boardgame and done some editing for the STORMBRINGER RPG manual. Back in those days, CHAOSIUM was interested in doing my dice and card game - PANTHEONS - because I pitched it as a double-whammy. It was a stand-alone dice and card game based on RQ that could also be used as an RQ supplement. The idea was RQ players would buy it for the dice and get the game, non-RQ players would buy the game and possibly get into RQ.
Unfortunately, back in those days the two most costly game components were.... dice and cards. CHAOSIUM couldn't afford to print it was the 'official' line, but they gave me a 'contract' agreement allowing me to get it published anywhere I could. What I found was that they had licensed RQ to AVALON HILL. I went back there in '85 or '86, pitched my RUNEDICE to the head guy, who, while interested in the concept, was not keen to have to outsource specialty dice (which in thise days meant THE ARMORY or LOU ZOCCHI - the competition). He did offer me the opportunity to work for AH as the Editor of their new zine coming out (HEROES?), but I would have to wait 6 months. I couldn't wait that long (I had a family to feed) and came back to California. As things have turned out, not the worst choice I've ever made.
So, since I was a printer, I self published (today we would call it dtp) PANTHEONS. It was a 250 set print run. I sold about 100 copies and gave the rest away as prizes at 3 or 4 RQCons and PACIFICONs that I ran the game at as events.
Beyond that, it never really went anywhere until the mid-nineties when it occurred to me that the game was a lot like MONOPOLY - with any 32 different icons, I could turn it into anything. In the intervening years I've created a half dozen different versions - Train, Military, Writing Symbols, MTG, Fantasy Football (which I almost got picked up by SPORTS ILLUSTRATED - missed it by THAT MUCH!) and a Cold War variant.
I don't have access to distributors, and most of the game companies that would carry a game like this are working mostly with an in-house stable of designers so I'm kind of on the outside still. Meanwhile, I've discovered some very durable methods of creating very nice prototypes and thought I would surprise Greg with a couple of sets (one for Greg and one for his son, Noah) just for old times sake.
I've been trying to track down a couple of artists to jazz it up, but so far I haven't been able to catch up with any of them. It's not necessary, but I'm a visually oriented person and nice illos always makes for a more pleasant gaming experience.
I honestly didn't think there would be much of a market for PANTHEONS, but after looking around for artists, I see that RQ is making somewhat of a comeback, so perhaps it might be time after all. But before I can even go there, I'm looking for a little artistic help!
Hello! Lil' help, guys?
