Posts Tagged ‘worlds of pulp’
52 Weeks: Conspiracy of Masks
I have chosen to explore sequels—those curious cinematic offspring that either rise like phoenixes from the ashes of their predecessors or stumble, malformed, into the abyss of mediocrity.
Read MoreWorlds & Wednesday: Yes and No in Editing
Over time I have learned that designing a setting is as much about saying no as it is about saying yes.
A good idea is not automatically the right idea.
Mazes & Mondays: A World like No Other
You are not merely decorating a map, my darlings. You are forging a living engine for adventure — a machine of wonder and dread that hums along on its own strange logic.
Read More52 Weeks: Dialing the Devil
976-EVIL (1988) ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6 out of 10 stars) Director: Robert EnglundProducer: Lisa M. HansenStarring: Stephen Geoffreys, Patrick O’Bryan, Sandy Dennis, Jim Metzler, Maria Rubell “You called me… and I answered.” – Hoax The Review: Oh boy, gather around, children, while I attempt to beguile you with this baleful tale of bruised boyhood, bloodied bullies, and…
Read MoreWorlds & Wednesday: …for Game Masters
At Scaldcrow Games, there have never been armies of writers, editors, or developers producing books around the clock. There are only a handful of us, and that has always been the case. While I love ambitious projects such as Wild West Horse Opera, Rotwang City, and Cape Noire, those larger worlds require enormous investments of time and energy.
Read MoreMazes & Mondays: Wings and Wonder
There’s a reason a hero on a griffon’s back has stirred the blood of adventurers since the first pulp magazines hit the newsstands. A sword is a fine thing. A horse, finer still. But a beast with wings? That’s a promise.
Read MoreWorlds & Wednesday: Forged in the Crucible
As designers, we often get excited about the details: cool factions, unique locations, interesting characters, or clever mechanics. Those things matter, but before a Pocket World is ready for play, it must answer three essential questions.
Read MoreMazes & Mondays: Demon at Skarnclaw
The Demon at Skarnclaw Ah. Sit. Warm your hands at the fire, for the tale I have for you today comes crawling out of the cold — out of the windswept dark where the old clans died screaming and the ruins still remember their names. Welcome back, my dear friends, to another session of Mazes…
Read MoreWorlds & Wednesdays: From Spark to World
I build them this way because I have always preferred settings that leave room for imagination. Growing up, I often found myself disappointed when I reached the hard edge of a fictional world and discovered there was nothing beyond it. The most inspiring settings are not those that define every detail. They are the ones that leave a few corners unexplored.
Read MoreTactical Tuesdays: The Last Fare
A moving vehicle is a scene with a built-in clock. It starts, it stops, and between those stops nobody gets off. That’s a pressure cooker. Whatever happens on board has to resolve before the doors open again, and every character in the car is trapped in it together — including your players.
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