bySwarm RPG Blog http://posterous.byswarm.com Busy Bee and CEO of bySwarm Inc. posterous.com Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:02:30 -0800 Running games and product schedules http://posterous.byswarm.com/running-games-and-product-schedules http://posterous.byswarm.com/running-games-and-product-schedules Last weekend was the 39th annual Winter War gaming convention in Champaign, Illinois. I had submitted to run two games set in bySwarm's Dark Golden Age, and I am really glad I did.

I also volunteered to run two Pathfinder Society tables, and the workload from my new job had made me second guess running four slots in a 7-slot convention. By the time the con started, I wished I hadn't submitted the bySwarm games because of the time needed to organize and run.

Running an open collaborative effort is stressful. It's really hard to get people moving that you aren't paying to do work, and so you have to excite them about the project. I learned that goes for me, too. By the time the weekend was over, I was eager to see bySwarm publish and really had fun running games for new players.

People really enjoy the Dark Golden Age setting. It's not a typical fantasy setting, but it is definitely fantasy and easy to relate. I enjoy it as people click different elements of the setting into their understanding.

While my enthusiasm has refreshed, we are not going to be able to release our first product as we had scheduled. If you're looking to get involved, now is a perfect time. I need an editor or two, a layout, and contacts with artists. If you're interested in getting your name on a published product, let me know.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Sun, 04 Dec 2011 13:15:00 -0800 Getting a permanent alias for d20pfsrd.com content http://posterous.byswarm.com/getting-a-permanent-alias-for-d20pfsrdcom-con http://posterous.byswarm.com/getting-a-permanent-alias-for-d20pfsrdcom-con

3pp.d20pfsrd.com is a service of bySwarm to provide permanent links to d20pfsrd.com content. With over 10,000 pages and content being re-organized on a regular basis, permanent links can be very important for publishers who want to put a link do d20pfsrd.com that will be usable even if a page changes its address. Mike Bohlmann at bySwarm created this system that crawls the d20pfsrd.com site every few days, following the links that it finds on each page. The crawler creates a permanent alias based on the unique identifier hidden within each page.

How to find an alias for a page

Let's say that you wanted to have a permanent link to the Crossbowman archetype for the Fighter class. The first thing to do is find the Crossbowmen page at d20pfsrd.com. Copy the page address - the URL - from your browser. Next go to 3pp.d20pfsrd.com and paste the address into the box near the top of the page. 

Screen_shot_2011-12-04_at_3

The system will then show you the permanent alias for that page. In this case, it is http://3pp.d20pfsrd.com/crossbowman. That link will always go to the Crossbowman archetype page as long as the crawler knows where it is currently located.

Screen_shot_2011-12-04_at_3

How to request a new alias or update a page

If you search for an address and there is no alias provided, you can ask the crawler to check an address the next time it runs, usually within an hour. To submit an address to check, use the Crawl Request box on the right. This can be useful, too, if you find a page that needs to have its target address updated. For example, if the Crossbowmen page changes addresses at d20pfsrd.com, you can tell the crawler where it can find it on its next run. Without that, it could take the crawler a little while to find the new address.

Screen_shot_2011-12-04_at_3

 

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:28:00 -0700 RPG Blog Carnival: Beastfolk in the Dark Golden Age http://posterous.byswarm.com/rpg-blog-carnival-beastfolk-in-the-dark-golde http://posterous.byswarm.com/rpg-blog-carnival-beastfolk-in-the-dark-golde

This month's RPG Blog Carnival is hosted by Tower of the Archmage, and the theme is animals in RPGs. What better time to talk about the Beastfolk of the Dark Golden Age from bySwarm. In the Dark Golden Age, magic failed just a few years ago and has finally become a shadow of what it once was. Prior to the Collapse, magic was very prevalent: golems were utilized in massive construction projects, animate objects tended to household chores, and fantastic creatures were enslaved through powerful enchantments. The Beastfolk are among the creatures that were created and enslaved before the Collapse.

When we thought of Beastfolk in the Dark Golden Age, we thought of how humans would want to create races of creatures that would put the best of animal traits into human form and why. Because of this point, the Beastfolk races often have perceived traits of their animal kin plus additional traits to help them in their intended roles. Even though they have animal traits, they are still bipedal and appear as perhaps monstrous humans. Here are a few examples.

Houndings - Dogfolk
The Houndings are excellent trackers and known for their loyalty. Because of humanity's close relationship with domesticated dogs, the houndings tended to have the easiest time being among humans. 

Galadines - Mongoosefolk
The Galadines are a race of Beastfolk created to root out spies and thieves. They have excellent reflexes and are very flexible. Because of their created role, they have a hard time lying.

Testudo - Turtlefolk
The Testudo are one of the few Beastfolk races that varies significantly in appearance from humans. The Turtlefolk actually have a carapace, although not one strong as an actual turtle's. They were created to serve as manual labor.

We have several other Beastfolk races that were are developing, and some of them are more "traditional" Beastfolk such as Bearfolk, Catfolk, and Lupines. Check out the Beastfolk section of our web site for more information.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:14:00 -0700 bySwarm at the Gamerati Tour 2011 stop in Urbana, IL http://posterous.byswarm.com/byswarm-at-the-gamerati-tour-2011-stop-in-urb http://posterous.byswarm.com/byswarm-at-the-gamerati-tour-2011-stop-in-urb

If you're connected to the online gamer network, you've probably heard about Ed Healy's Gamerati Tour. Just in case you haven't though, Ed is taking a loooong road trip throughout the United States on a tour of friendly local game stores (FLGS). This Saturday, he'll be stopping by the Armored Gopher, my favorite FLGS in the area. If you haven't been to the Armored Gopher or haven't been there in a while, Saturday will be a great day to come visit.

Among the events that day will be games and visits from area game designers, bloggers, and more. One of those events will be a session of Pathfinder set in the Dark Golden Age that I'll be running starting at noon. The game will be one of these four possibilities, probably the first one. Be sure to stop by the store!

A Lesson in the Divine
Before the Collapse, divine magic did not exist; arcane magic did everything anyone would want. After the Collapse of magic, tales of the devout manifesting magical power began to surface. You are being sent on a diplomatic mission to convince this cult to ally with the Wild Ones of Free Tesaya or to at least find out what you can. 7th level characters are provided.

The Missing Currant
An agent of the Red Currant Syndicate has gone missing while investigating a lead on the cause of the Collapse of magic that seems to point to the conjurers of the School of Worlds. Willem Analore has dispatched the PCs to find out what happened to him and what secrets are being kept hidden.  7th level characters are provided.

In the Hands of Eternity
The Thieving Prince of Halag, a tengu by the name of Rokinu has a task for them. As their lord and ruler, they are expected to perform it - although they may receive reward if successful. His advisory druid Maluk was scouting a Sascrian caravan with a small group of guards. As they watched the caravan, they were attacked by a Sascrian heptaviron, a group of witch hunters that seek out magic users who are taken back to Sascria for unknown purposes. 5th level characters are provided.

A Devil's Tale
Legends say that the humans of the Whale Islands are actually descended from angels and devils who came to Gondal and intermingled with humans. While the legends have been little more than folktale for centuries, things have begun to change since the Collapse of magic three years ago. After the cataclysm, stories and sightings have popped up with greater frequency. The School of Worlds has dispatched a group of trusted agents to investigate and report back what they find. 5th level characters are provided.

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:44:00 -0700 Session 10 of my first time GMing online is in the books http://posterous.byswarm.com/session-10-of-my-first-time-gming-is-in-the-b http://posterous.byswarm.com/session-10-of-my-first-time-gming-is-in-the-b

I've been GMing Dungeons & Dragons plus its descendants for about 20 years now, and I love that it's a craft I continue to get better at doing. Last spring, I started my first online campaign after recruiting a handful of players from the Paizo forums.

Tools
We're using MapTool for a virtual table and Skype for voice chat. I know my usage of MapTool is pretty basic, but it does enough to help us run combats. If I knew I'd get reuse out of it, I'd like to do better maps and make use of macros. If someone knows a good tutorial for going from novice to pro, I would appreciate a link.

Wants
As a GM, I pull together pieces of content and mechanics from all over and then combine them into my prep notes. Evernote helps me with this organization, but it's not enough. I'd like to make all these things talk to each other because integration is king. I have some ideas stewing on it, but they are not yet complete and definitely need lots of work.

Players
One thing I am definitely not lacking is a good group of players. They have good dynamics, and they definitely enjoy exploring the Dark Golden Age. Tonight's session let them in on a little secret we have about the setting, an we'll see what they do with that information.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:00:00 -0700 Announcing our first four products for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game System http://posterous.byswarm.com/announcing-our-first-four-products-for-the-pa http://posterous.byswarm.com/announcing-our-first-four-products-for-the-pa

These are the first four products planned for release from bySwarm. The two modules will explore the Dark Golden Age of a world recovering from the Collapse of magic just three years prior. The characters will explore ancient tombs in search of what magical items remain and find themselves in the middle of Beastfolk and human schemes alike.

While the modules are set in the Dark Golden Age campaign setting for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game System, the Beastfolk Races and Godless Divine products will be suitable for any setting utilizing the Pathfinder system.

Module: Into the Dark Golden Age

This module will be a free download to introduce newcomers to the Dark Golden Age campaign setting for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game System. It is intended to take a party of 1st level characters to 2nd level.

Target release: February 2012

Beastfolk Races

This product will include Beastfolk, feats, traits, and other Beastfolk-specific things. They must be well-playtested by then. Paizo will be releasing the Advanced Races Guide for Pathfinder in April 2012. A playtest for Advanced Races Guide will begin in the fall of 2011. The Beastfolk Races product page has more detail.

Target release: May 2012

Module: The Bandit Kings of Halag

A group of 2nd level characters set out to influence the bandits of Halag, a lawless place liberated by Beastfolk from human masters. While set in the Dark Golden Age, it will be usable with other campaign settings as well.

Target release: July 2012 / Gen Con 2012

Godless Divine

This product will include alternative systems for divine magic and god-less realms for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game System. New material includes our system for Cleric Domains and deities, Domains, spells, archetypes, and more.

Target release: December 2012

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:05:00 -0700 Using Gen Con recovery to channel some Gen Con energy http://posterous.byswarm.com/using-gen-con-recovery-to-channel-some-gen-co http://posterous.byswarm.com/using-gen-con-recovery-to-channel-some-gen-co

For the last couple years, I've used the day after Gen Con as one more vacation day to recover from what is always a tiring and exciting experience. After taking care of some day-job things this morning, I set about planning and doing several things. I did a little work on Prong B (Pathfinder freelancing) and C (community business web hosting), but I spent most of the afternoon and evening on Prong A - bySwarm.

I finally moved the bySwarm site over to the new hosting at Linode. While the hosting will save some money over my previous hosting, this is really more of a functionality move. The biggest benefit is more control over the hosting environment.

Now that I can use some other tools for maintaining the software behind the scenes, I was able to clean up a lot of things such as old modules no longer needed and transition to some new ones that are better than their predecessors. One of the biggest improvements that I hope users will notice is that any time a page's title is used in the text of another page, it will automatically create a link in the text. That should save a good amount of time.

Product-wise I now have four envisioned between now and next Gen Con. I'm going to save the specifics until I've spent a little more time thinking about them, but they will coincide well with at least one of Paizo's releases in the coming year.

It's a great time to check out the site and get involved if you haven't already. If the setting looks interesting, I am considering starting a second online game if I find getting a local game too challenging to schedule.

Enjoy!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:24:00 -0700 John Wayne as Marion Morrison, the Duke of the Arena http://posterous.byswarm.com/john-wayne-as-marion-morrison-the-duke-of-the http://posterous.byswarm.com/john-wayne-as-marion-morrison-the-duke-of-the

This month's RPG Blog Carnival is about taking a real life individual and using them as inspiration for an RPG character. This post is my response to that call.

The Dark Golden Age from bySwarm is a wild place where monsters like chimera, hydra, owlbears and others were magically kept under control to fight in combat for the entertainment of the masses in large arenas. We created a prestige class for Pathfinder called the beast wrangler to represent the individuals that made a career out of wrangling these beasts both between fights and during combat. In thinking about this month's Carnival theme, it hit me that John Wayne would make a great inspiration for an beast wrangler NPC by the name of Marion Morrison (John Wayne's birthname).

Youth

John Wayne earned the nickname "Duke" for the dog that often accompanied him as a child. He also is viewed as a cowboy in popular culture although he himself was never one.

Marion Morrison was born about 40 BC (Before the Collapse) in the city of Halag on the western edges of Sascria. His family raised and sold domesticated and enchanted beasts as pets to the city's middle class. Marion first became acquainted with beast wranglers at the age of 16 when he started working with one as an assistant on hunts for beasts in the wilderness. Sascria's magocracy had a firm control over the magical beasts of the region via the beast wranglers. The beast wrangler took to calling Marion by the name "Duke" after the large mastiff that Marion brought with him on hunts. The beast wrangler focused especially on horse-based beasts such as the pegasus, the unicorn, the hippogriff, and the dragon horse.

Rise as the Duke

John Wayne became rather influential in American pop culture and politics. His films were extremely popular and sometimes used to sway public opinion.

By the time he was 20, Marion was himself a beast wrangler who most frequently worked with a hippogriff by the name of Dawn Rider (name of John Wayne's earlier movies). By 25, Marion was becoming somewhat influential because of the number of fights that his beasts had won. In Halag, he had become known by the informal title of Duke of the arena there. While he had no formal connections to the magocratic council of Halag, he held a great deal of influence over them and magocrats throughout Sascria.

Controversy

 

John Wayne was embroiled in his own share of controversial subjects. One was his involvement with the "Red Scare" and the Un-American Activities Committee of the House of Representatives. Also while he acted in many military films, he was always kept ineligible for the draft. Finally, he also made many racial comments in an interview with Playboy magazine in 1971.

Religion has almost always been seen as a weakness within Sascrian society. When arcane magic is able to give you everything you could ever imagine, what does religion have to offer you? In 10 BC, religion was tolerated and had been growing in popularity even among the ruling magocratic class. The Chancellory and the Deans of the Schools saw religion as a potential threat to the stability of the nation and instituted a program to root out and quash religious practices. Marion was very active in this program due to his ability to track down individuals and move about the countryside quickly. He reportedly was involved in more than a few killings to destroy small cults, especially among magocrats. Apart from these somewhat safe encounters though, Marion was never forced into servitude during the many military conflicts between Sascria and its neighbors.

Beastfolk had been part of everyday life in the Dark Golden Age for hundreds of years, but most races of these half-man, half-animal beings were seen as subhuman and therefore had few if any rights. Marion was known for being on the side of keeping all but the most valuable and intelligent beastfolk outside of any rights within Sascrian society. He typically used his influence within the magocracy to make sure that only those he thought worthwhile received the same rights as humans.

After the Collapse

"Out here, due process is a bullet!" John Wayne in The Green Berets

A few years ago, magical power throughout the world ceased functioning in what is now known as the Collapse. The world as he knew it collapsed all around Marion. The beasts he wrangled broke free from their enchantments with the exception of Dawn Rider, with whom he shared a special bond. It is believed that the two of them fled Halag into the wilderness once it became obvious that the city was lost to beastfolk. Rumors abound that the Duke has contracted a wasting disease while living in the wilderness, but he still occasionally appears to attack beastfolk or protect humans from beastfolk bandits. Rumors say that when he captures a bandit who pleads for mercy, he says to them, "Out here, mercy is an arrow through the head."

 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Thu, 23 Jun 2011 06:42:00 -0700 Using long drives to imagine new RPG setting content http://posterous.byswarm.com/using-long-drives-to-imagine-new-rpg-setting http://posterous.byswarm.com/using-long-drives-to-imagine-new-rpg-setting

While making a long drive during my recent vacation, I thought it would be useful to use the time to find inspiration for things in the Dark Golden Age setting for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game System from bySwarm. Looking around us is one of the best ways to find inspiration for role-playing, and the method was quite successful until my iPhone battery got too low to edit in Evernote. For the trip home, I'm thinking I will use my laptop instead of my phone. Here are a few of the things I created during the first half of the trip.

Sascrian Highway System
Inspiration: US interstate system
If you have lots of technology and resources, you can build something like the interstate highway system in the United States. In the Dark Golden Age, the Sascrian nation had large amounts of resources and even larger amounts of magic to make use of those resources. To achieve a transportation infrastructure that could efficiently move large amounts of cargo, the magic Schools crafted the Sascrian Highway System. They combined mundane materials with magical materials for a highways that allowed those traversing the system to float just slightly above the surface of the roadway. While the Collapse of magic within the setting caused the levitation effect of the highway to fail, the system is still hundreds of miles of very smooth road.

Basilisk scale armor
Inspiration: Truck weigh station, ie. scales
In the last session of the online game I'm running, the adventurers encountered a basilisk. As I thought about the powers of the basilisk, it seemed like it might be too dangerous or not very entertaining to have as a combatant in the monster battles of the arenas. Instead of being a combatant, I thought it would be interesting if the Sascrians used basilisks as stop gaps for situations where the combatants got out of control or to keep things in order. To control the basilisks, beast wranglers would need to be resistant to their gaze. Basilisk scale armor was their solution.

Shadeland
Inspiration: Shadeland, Indiana
While I didn't see the actual town, the name of the town made me think there had to be something in the Dark Golden Age setting called Shadeland. The apocalyptic nature of the Collapse of magic triggered a lot of hauntings and other undead-related events to occur. Some places such as battlefields and arenas have become permanently haunted by poltergeists and ghosts of those who passed, empowered by the magic that used to be in the area. I decdided these places should be given the label of Shadelands.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Sun, 02 Jan 2011 11:44:28 -0800 New year, new determination http://posterous.byswarm.com/new-year-new-determination http://posterous.byswarm.com/new-year-new-determination With the start of the new year, re-energize our effort for creating content for the Dark Golden Age. We have two products in the works at bySwarm - two adventure modules for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game - and both of them need more content. A few members of the bySwarm community have been particularly active, but more work still needs to be done. There's a lot of opportunity for new members to get involved.

I have set a goal for myself of writing or editing at least 10 pieces of material every week. If you set "get my RPG work published" as a goal for yourself in 2011, bySwarm offers you a chance to do that as we are taking contributions from anyone wanting to put good material into published products.

More information on our two products can be found here:
Enter the Dark Golden Age (DGA01) - free introductory module for 1st level characters
The Bandit Kings of Halag (DGA02) - follow-up module to DGA01

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Sat, 11 Sep 2010 14:23:56 -0700 Designing races for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game http://posterous.byswarm.com/designing-races-for-pathfinder-roleplaying-ga http://posterous.byswarm.com/designing-races-for-pathfinder-roleplaying-ga Over at bySwarm, we've been busy designing and balancing races for our Pathfinder RPG setting. The Dark Golden Age lacks the traditional fantasy demihuman races like dwarves and elves and instead has beastfolk to take their place. Beastfolk are the creations of wizards, alchemists and others of magical bent who sought to create species of creatures that took the best traits of animals and combined them with human stock to act as servants, slaves, and soldiers. The intelligent owlfolk, known in our setting as egalit, were created as librarians and bookkeepers to save humans time. The sturdy testudo, a race of human-tortoise hybrids, were bred as laborers before golems and other magical servants became more common. Beastfolk are often servants or slaves of human masters, but most have become freefolk since magical enslavement became almost non-existent after the Collapse of magic.

The creative side of imagining human-animal hybrid races is not very difficult - pick an animal and think about what traits might be useful to humans as servants and slaves. The challenging part is creating mechanics to go with those traits and balancing them with other races. VoodooMike over on the Paizo forums has created a pretty good set of guidelines for balancing a new race against others. If you are working on custom races, I highly recommend it.

And if you're interested in the beastfolk races of the Dark Golden Age, head on over to our list of beastfolk: http://byswarm.com/dark-golden-age/monster/beastfolk

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:01:40 -0700 I love it when a plan comes together *puffs cigar* http://posterous.byswarm.com/i-love-it-when-a-plan-comes-together-puffs-ci http://posterous.byswarm.com/i-love-it-when-a-plan-comes-together-puffs-ci Things are progressing really well for the Swarm and our first product. We've got people developing content about NPCs and places for the module, people doing maps, and people doing other art. There's a lot of good productive feedback going on as we create material for our Pathfinder RPG module. Things are not just coming together because people are involved, but an interesting dynamic is rising among our contributors: they are helping us figure out products.

Our first product is set to be an adventure module for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and the Swarm's been busy planning and writing for that module. As we were planning, Doug Hagler aka robosnake suggested that we do a free mini-module that took characters through first level and prepared them to enter the full module's play. This idea happened because our model opens our writing, art, and design to our community - the Swarm. When we've started publishing, it won't just be bySwarm Inc.'s products, they'll be the Swarm's products, too. We'll not only share in the revenue, but we'll all share in the fun, too, because we couldn't have done it without each other.

Thanks, everyone!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:50:47 -0700 Time to write up some Alchemists http://posterous.byswarm.com/time-to-write-up-some-alchemists http://posterous.byswarm.com/time-to-write-up-some-alchemists I have started to really like the new alchemist base class from the Advanced Player's Guide. While I had not read it very closely, it came time when I realized that our new home Pathfinder Society night needed something that could do area effect damage. The alchemist also fits in well with the Dark Golden Age as a possible source for curing potions and the like prior to the existence of divine magic. What better way to get to know a class than to play it?

The spell list - known as formulae list - for the alchemist is pretty limited and advances very slowly. With bonus spells, an alchemist is only going to be able to create a few extracts - how they cast their spells - each day. The spell selection for an alchemist focuses largely on self-buffing powers that include many spells with a range of self, some spells that would normally be range of touch, and a few that are completely new. An alchemist can prepare his extracts beforehand, but he can also save a slot for later use that takes one minute to turn into an extract.

In addition to extracts, alchemists have a once-per day "potion" they can drink called a mutagen. The mutagen gives a +4 bonus to a physical attribute, +2 natural armor bonus, and a -4 penalty to a mental attribute that parallels the physical: Strength-Intelligence, Dexterity-Wisdom, Constitution-Charisma. The mutagen lasts for 10 minutes per level which means it can potentially last for a combat or two.

Finally are the alchemist's bombs. As a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity, an alchemist can create and throw a bomb a number of times per day equal to his class level + his Intelligence modifier. Bombs are thrown like a splash weapon with a range increment of 20 feet. A "standard" bomb does 1d6 + Intelligence modifier damage to a target directly hit and splash damage equal to the number of d6's plus Intelligence modifier to those in adjacent spaces. As an alchemist levels, he gains access to Discoveries that mostly modify his bombs but can also modify his extracts and mutagens.

The class skills for an alchemist are pretty good with Disable Device and Perception making them potentially a light-weight rogue replacement. Since dexterity helps with throwing bombs, the synergy is hard to ignore.

If you want to try out a class that has a little magic but can literally sling damage around the field, the alchemist is a class to try out.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:43:11 -0700 This Week's Focus - Free Tesaya http://posterous.byswarm.com/this-weeks-focus-free-tesaya http://posterous.byswarm.com/this-weeks-focus-free-tesaya Normally when you hear from an RPG publisher about focusing on part of their setting, they want you to come read about it. At bySwarm though, we're asking you to come contribute to creating a new setting. If you contribute something to the setting that gets published in one of our products, you'll get a share of the revenue from that product. It's that simple.

This week, we're looking to develop an area of the setting that will receive some emphasis within our first product. In other words, if you contribute good material for it, there is a strong possibility of being in that first product. Free Tesaya is a break-away territory where beastfolk warlords, bandits and independents are attempting to carve out a piece of land for themselves. The larger neighboring countries of Thuria and Sascria both have their hands in the area as they attempt to expand their own holdings or at the least keep anyone else from gaining it. You can add unique characters, contribute new towns and settlements, or even create new monsters for the exciting Dark Golden Age setting for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

To get started, you can visit the bySwarm site, log in, and start writing, editing and commenting:

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:48:29 -0700 Call for Artists! http://posterous.byswarm.com/call-for-artists http://posterous.byswarm.com/call-for-artists We're looking for more artists to become part of the Swarm. Rather than looking for established, published artists (you're still welcome even if you are), we're looking for those that have great talent but are still trying to find an entry into the RPG industry. If you join the Swarm and contribute art, you maintain the copyright to your contribution but you give us a license to use your contribution in our products. If we do and a product brings in revenue, you'll get a share of 60% of the revenue that we pay to our contributors.

To give you some idea on possible places to start, we've been working on a list of iconic characters that we will likely want to portray at some point: 

You can also have a look at what we're doing with our first product and target some of your art for that effort:

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:56:17 -0700 Review: GameMastery Critical Hits deck for Pathfinder RPG http://posterous.byswarm.com/review-gamemastery-critical-hits-deck-for-pat http://posterous.byswarm.com/review-gamemastery-critical-hits-deck-for-pat To be sure I cleared the $50 I needed to buy at the Paizo booth at this year's Gen Con to receive a special promo, I picked up the GameMastery Critical Hits deck for Pathfinder RPG ($10.99 MSRP). I thought it would make for an entertaining addition to the bySwarm game sessions I was to run at the convention, and that was definitely the case.

The Critical Hits deck contains 52 cards, and each one has four different effects based on four different types of attacks - bludgeoning, piercing, slashing and magic. Magic only comes into play when there is an attack roll involved. When a player scores a critical hit, they draw a number of cards based on the critical multiplier for their attack - one for x2, two for x3 or three for x4. The player then chooses one of the cards they drew to take effect for the type of attack they are using. The rules insert suggest that GMs only use the deck for special NPCs as the effects can be pretty dramatic.

Some of the cards only have a special effect, but most of them do double damage plus an additional effect that may involve a chance to save to resist. One time, a boriwog barbarian scored a critical with his battle axe. The player chose a knockback from the cards he drew that pushed the hydra fighting the party back 1d6 squares. Another time, the houndling ranger hit a critical artery with a critical hit card in which the enemy had to make a Fortitude save or die. The other memorable moment was when the human sorcerer hit a guard with a scorching ray that didn't quite kill him but caused flashing sparkles to stun him for a few rounds. The party was able to get in the gate without him sounding the alarm because of it after their initial plan had already failed.

Overall, the deck added more drama to the combat any time a PC struck a critical hit. Doing more damage is fun to do, but it's even more fun when there is something descriptive that has an additional mechanical benefit to go with it. I'll definitely be using the critical hits deck in all my games now, and I highly recommend purchasing it for your Pathfinder of D&D 3.x game.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:02:52 -0700 Playtesting Pathfinder races, prestige classes, feats and more http://posterous.byswarm.com/playtesting-pathfinder-races-prestige-classes http://posterous.byswarm.com/playtesting-pathfinder-races-prestige-classes As we work towards fleshing out the Dark Golden Age mechanically, there is opportunity for people who fancy themselves to be rule busters. These people are able to look through rules and see flaws very quickly. They tend to be walking encyclopedias of rules from about everything published for a system. Are you one of them? If so, head over to byswarm.com and look through our material and provide any feedback that you can.

Also, if you are in the central Illinois area, I will be starting playtesting sessions at the Armored Gopher in Urbana on Thursday evenings in the near future. You'll get to make up characters of just about anything within a given level range, so it's a fun opportunity to try out a class you've never played before now. We'll run through some combat encounters and see what we can break or what needs to be made better to be worthwhile. Drop me a line if you're interested. As an extra incentive, I'll probably be giving $5 in store credit to a random person that participates.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:07:33 -0700 Building a sandbox adventure module for Pathfinder http://posterous.byswarm.com/building-a-sandbox-adventure-module-for-pathf http://posterous.byswarm.com/building-a-sandbox-adventure-module-for-pathf
As we've been preparing our first product at bySwarm, we've been thinking about how we could make an adventure module that is less linear and more like a sandbox. Most adventure modules have a story that is being told which the PCs can influence but which gives them little room to move off the plot line. A sandbox module gives the players a perception of freedom while still keeping them within a given range of possibilities. It is much closer to what a GM can do when asking the players what they want to accomplish.

The strategy I've laid out for us to make a sandbox module involves tracking the impact of the PCs' actions on various tracks. As a given track moves one way or another, different events are triggered. If the PCs decide to ally themselves with the bandit leader, they increase their influence in his organization and will be given opportunities to do things for him. If the PCs sit around for a month doing other things, then events will be triggered on the time track that happen no matter what. Depending on what set of actions the PCs take, the module will be different for them than another group of PCs.

There are still lots of opportunities to contribute writing and art for this innovative product, so be sure to visit the site at byswarm.com. You can view the growing outline for the module at http://byswarm.com/lq0.

New site features
While the Swarm is working on the first product, I've also been adding new features to the site based on feedback and ideas.

Encounters - http://byswarm.com/content/encounters - Encounters allow contributors to design encounters set in the Dark Golden Age. They can be as simple as encounters with monsters, but they can also be puzzle-oriented or solvable through role-playing. Just like everything else on the site, encounters can make it into a product and earn a contributor some money. This was an idea of one of our Gen Con attendees.

Short URLs - Since web page addresses can get to be very long, it can be useful to have a shortened version of them when sharing them via email, Twitter, or instant messaging. Every piece of setting content now has a short URL that will permanently be available to reach that piece of content. This is useful now for the above reasons, but this will be even more useful in our products as we can put a short URL on any content to give a GM a short cut to more information.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:40:00 -0700 Video introduction to the bySwarm model and the Dark Golden Age http://posterous.byswarm.com/video-introduction-to-the-byswarm-model-and-t http://posterous.byswarm.com/video-introduction-to-the-byswarm-model-and-t
I decided to take the presentation I did at Gen Con and turn it into a video using SlideShare. It gives an introduction to the bySwarm publishing model as well as the Pathfinder RPG setting that we are working to create.

(If the video doesn't play, please click on the title to view it at SlideShare.)
View more webinars from bySwarm.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike Sun, 15 Aug 2010 06:53:05 -0700 Someone else's take on bySwarm and our model http://posterous.byswarm.com/someone-elses-take-on-byswarm-and-our-model http://posterous.byswarm.com/someone-elses-take-on-byswarm-and-our-model I did a handful of seminars at Gen Con about our company and about electronic tools for gaming, and there were 10 to 15 in each session. One of those people felt really compelled by what I said about our model and our plan, and he shared his thoughts in a comment in a welcome thread. It's another confirmation for me that the model we are working to prove is one that will actually work:

Thanks for the welcome. I too look forward to being involved in this process. I have been in the table-top gaming world since '76 and have played in a number of places with a number of games. I have written my own things and even gone so far as to copyright some of it. I am currently looking to "legitimize" and coalesce my writing skills so I went to a number of seminars at Gencon. I was impressed with Mike's pitch in that he struck me as a capable writer that wanted to strike out, in a direction of his own, and create a number of works that could be termed as fresh and independent.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1390962/photo.JPG http://posterous.com/users/4avHMuZXrghb Mike mikebohlmann Mike