The Castle's Ramparts

1st Edition Reprints

2012-01-29T12:02:00.000-06:00

WOTC announced last week the company plans to reprint the first three books for 1^st edition AD&D, the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual in premium limited editions. Of course, the company is charging what buyers would have considered a premium price back when the books first came out. Today, customers don’t bat an eye at paying almost double what the original books sold for back in the late 1970s/early 80s. We have taken pre-orders for two sets, I know of one store that has pre-orders for over a dozen and another that pre-sold 40 copies the first weekend after the announcement. Not bad, considering that WOTC will reprint the books in the original black and white, with the complete set retailing for just under $115. The fact that WOTC announced it will make a contribution (amount currently unknown) to help put into place the planned Gary Gygax statue in Lake Geneva for each book sold has probably helped sales as well. At the store, it certainly picked up interest in our collection of 1^st edition AD&D books.

Pre-orders Please

2012-01-27T08:46:00.000-06:00

When customers pre-order items, it really helps us gauge the level of interest in the game or book. The store puts in pre-orders 2-3 months ahead of the estimated release date of the game or book and, once we do that, we are committee to purchasing that quantity of the item from our distributor. Sure we can refuse to take delivery of it, but a store can only do that once before getting a reputation as an unreliable partner with suppliers.

In effect, stores gamble that we know what our customers want and in most cases, we are correct. Those stores that aren't, go out of business. However, pre-orders allow us to better gauge the level of interest in a product and we get very few of them on most new releases. Of the half dozen Pathfinder releases in January, and despite the fact that we have a comparatively large Pathfinder Society group, we had a pre-order for exactly one of them. Pathfinder modules sell very slowly, so we have moved to a special order only on them. Pazio mapping tiles and flip mats also move periodically. We sat on a number of the flipmats for several months before most of them sold so are loath to restock them heavily.

Similarly in the field of comics, we had a customer in recently asking if we had gotten in the new hardback collection of Teenage Mutant Turtles comics. Since we don't sell a lot of the comic off the rack, that indicates to us there is not much interest in a hardback collection of earlier issues. A pre-order on this book would have indicated there was and probalby encouraged us to order another one for the shelf.

Help us have the items on the shelf that you want to buy by either letting us know you are interested in it, or better yet, committing to a pre-order for it. That helps us manage our inventory better and lets us offer a more targeted selection to you.

Pazio Releases

2012-01-23T10:26:00.002-06:00

Here's a list of upcoming Pazio releases for the next few months, courtesy of Alliance:

SKU	TITLE	PRICE		Street Date

PZO 1001	Pathfinder Pathfinder RPG Bestiary Box	$34.99	RPG	5/16/2012
	The brutal beasts of the Pathfinder Bestiary come alive on your tabletop with this box-busting collection of 300 creature pawns for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or any tabletop fantasy RPG! Printed on sturdy cardstock, each pawn contains a beautiful, full-color image of a nasty monster from the core Pathinder RPG monster reference. The Bestiary Box is the best way to ensure youÕve got the right creatures to push your Pathfinder campaign to the next level!

PZO 1002	Pathfinder Adventure Path: Rise/Runelords Ann Ed HC	$59.99	RPG	6/19/2012
	The original Pathfinder Adventure Path returns in this complete hardcover edition celebrating five years of Pathfinder and 10 years of Paizo Publishing! Expanded and updated to the current Pathfinder RPG rules, this unprecedented collection brings together six classic Pathfinder adventures to create an entire campaign! The Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path begins with a goblin attack and takes players on an epic journey through the land of Varisia as they track a cult of serial killers, fight depraved backwoods ogres, stop an advancing army of stone giants, delve deep into ancient dungeons to reclaim weapons of unbelievable power, and finally go up against an all-powerful wizard-king in his ancient mountaintop city.

PZO 1003	Pathfinder Adventure Path: Rise/Runelords Pawn Collection	$15.99	RPG	6/19/2012
	Key monsters and NPCs from the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path come alive on your tabletop with this collection of more than 100 creature pawns for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or any tabletop fantasy RPG!

PZO 1104	Visions/War Art of Wayne Reynolds HC	$29.99	RPG	5/16/2012
	Take a journey through the amazing worlds of master artist Wayne Reynolds with Visions of WAR, a retrospective of more than 10 years of work from today's leading fantasy illustrator! Packed with full-color covers, interior art, and card art from award-winning work on brands like the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, Magic: The Gathering, and more, this exciting overview includes behind-the-scenes stories about some of fantasy's most exciting images, as well as gorgeous paintings you've never seen before!

PZO 1121	Pathfinder Advanced Race Guide HC	$39.99	RPG	4/18/2012
	This definitive sourcebook for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game provides tons of new character options for all seven "core" player character races. Additionally, the Advanced Race Guide offers meaty sections on a dozen "spotlight" races that make interesting and exciting player character options, such as goblins, aasimar, tieflings, dhampyrs, drow, the elemental races from Bestiary 2, and several others, and, for the first time, allows players to create and play characters like merfolk, grippli, duergar, stryx, and every other appropriate monster currently in the Pathfinder game.

PZO 3022	Gamemastery Item Cards Skull & Shackles	$10.99	RPG	2/22/2012
	Lay claim to the high seas with a scallywag's stockpile of weapons, magic items, and other plunder. The riches of pirate kings and lost empires awaits discovery in the Skull & Shackles Pathfinder Adventure Path. This 54-card set of beautifully illustrated, full-color item cards allows you to track your newest and most dastardly treasures in vibrant detail.

PZO 3023	Gamemastery Buff Deck	$10.99	RPG	5/16/2012
	Track your hero's bonuses and important status effects with the GameMastery: Buff Deck! This beautifully designed accessory speeds up play and cuts down on rulebook consultation during battles by laying out your character's relevant bonuses in an easy-to-add format. From spells like bless, haste, and prayer to class features like a bard's ability to inspire courage, the Buff Deck puts all the details at your fingertips, leaving you to concentrate on smiting your enemies!

PZO 3024	Gamemastery Face Cards Rise/Runelords Ad Path	$10.99	RPG	6/19/2012
	More than 50 key monsters and characters put their best face forward in this gorgeously illustrated deck designed for use with the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path. With space on the back to record key information and the work of PaizoÕs finest illustrators on the front, these Face Cards bring the friends and foes of the original Adventure Path campaign to your tabletop, aiding immersion in the game and letting your players look directly into the face of the enemy.

PZO 4036	Gamemastery Map Pack Ships Cabins	$12.99	RPG	2/22/2012
	GameMastery Map Pack: Ship's Cabin contains 18 full-color, 5 x 8-inch map tiles, stunningly crafted by cartographer Jason Engle, that combine to form a variety of seaworthy locales fit for both pirates and privateers! These tiles also link up with Flip-Mat: Pirate Ship. Locations include: Captain's Cabin, Officer's Cabin, Sailors' Quarters, Cargo Hold, Galley, and Bilge.

PZO 4038	Gamemastery Map Pack Marketplace	$12.99	RPG	6/19/2012
	This GameMastery Map Pack contains 18 full-color, 5 x 8-inch map tiles, stunningly crafted by cartographer Jason A. Engle, that combine to form a variety of marketplace configurations fit for both shopping and chopping.

PZO 8507	Pathfinder Tales Song o/t Serpent	$9.99	Novel	2/22/2012
	by Hugh Matthews To an experienced thief like Krunzle the Quick, the merchant nation of Druma is full of treasures just waiting to be liberated. Yet when the fast-talking scoundrel gets caught stealing from one of the most powerful prophets of Kalistrade, the only option is to undertake a dangerous mission to recover the merchantlord's runaway daughter - and the magical artifact she took with her! Armed with an arsenal of decidedly unhelpful magical items and chaperoned by an intelligent snake necklace happy to choke him into submission, Krunzle must venture far from the cities of the merchant utopia and into a series of adventures that will make him a rich man - or a corpse!

PZO 8508	Pathfinder Tales City of the Fallen Sky	$9.99	Novel	4/18/2012
	Once a student of alchemy with the dark scholars of the Technic League, Alaeron fled their arcane order when his conscience got the better of him, taking with him a few strange devices of unknown function. Now in hiding in a distant city, heÕs happy to use his skills creating minor potions and wonders - at least until the back-alley rescue of an adventurer named Jaya lands him in trouble with a powerful crime lord! From Hugo Award-winner Tim Pratt comes a new fantastical adventure set in the world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

PZO 8509	Pathfinder Tales Nightglass	$9.99	Novel	6/19/2012
	In the grim nation of Nidal, carefully chosen children are trained to practice dark magic for the greater glory of the Midnight Lord. Isiem is one such student, a promising young shadowcaster who's dispatched on a diplomatic mission to the mountains of the Devil's Perch, where he's meant to assist the armies of devil-worshiping Cheliax in clearing out a tribe of monstrous winged humanoids. Yet as the body count rises and Isiem comes face to face with the people he's exterminating, lines begin to blur, and the shadowcaster must ask himself who the real monsters are. From Liane Merciel, critically acclaimed author of The River King's Road and Heaven's Needle, comes a fantastical tale of darkness and redemption set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

PZO 9054	Pathfinder Adv Path: Jade Regent Part 6 - Empty Throne	$19.99	RPG
	War has come to Minkai! As resistance rises against the Jade Regent's tyranny, the heroes must escort their friend Ameiko to one final site - the Imperial Shrine on a hidden island in the capital's harbor. Here they must seek the blessing of Minkai's dead emperors if they hope to liberate the nation - but the Five Storms and the Jade Regent have their influence, and hungry demons and ravenous ghosts yet stand in their way! A Pathfinder adventure for 14th-level characters, The Empty Throne concludes the Jade Regent Adventure Path.

PZO 9055	Pathfinder Adv Path: Skull & Shackles Pt 1 - Wormwood Mutiny	$19.99	RPG	2/22/2012
	The adventurers wake up in the hold of a ship at sea, only to discover they've been press-ganged into a crew of scoundrels, thieves, and buccaneers from the pirate isles of the Shackles. When they're assigned to a captured ship as part of a skeleton crew, the adventurers finally have a chance to stage a mutiny, but a sudden storm strands them on an isolated island inhabited by strange monsters? Can the adventurers survive the dangers of the island to overthrow their cruel captors and take control of their own destinies? A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 1st-level characters, this volume launches the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path.

PZO 9056	Pathfinder Adv Path: Skull & Shackles Pt 2 - Raiders of the Fever Sea	$19.99	RPG
	Now masters of their own ship, the adventurers can become pirates in their own right, but they must first rename and refit their stolen ship. But to be considered equals by the pirates of the Shackles, they have to prove themselves worthy of the name. When they discover a treasure map tattooed on a defeated pirate rival, the adventurers go in search of buried treasure. If found, they'll have enough plunder to return to the Shackles as true Free Captains! A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 4th-level characters, Raiders of the Fever Sea continues the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path.

PZO 9057	Pathfinder Adv Path: Skull & Shackles Pt 3 - Raiders of the Fever Sea	$19.99	RPG	4/18/2012
	Now masters of their own ship, the adventurers can become pirates in their own right, but they must first rename and refit their stolen ship. But to be considered equals by the pirates of the Shackles, they have to prove themselves worthy of the name. When they discover a treasure map tattooed on a defeated pirate rival, the adventurers go in search of buried treasure. If found, they'll have enough plunder to return to the Shackles as true Free Captains! A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 4th-level characters, Raiders of the Fever Sea continues the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path.

PZO 9058	Pathfinder Adv Path: Skull & Shackles Pt 4 - Island of Empty Eyes	$19.99	RPG	5/16/2012
	Having won the Free Captain's Regatta, the adventurers must now claim their prize - the uninhabited and dangerous Island of Empty Eyes. After exploring strange ruins and fighting the island's monstrous denizens, the adventurers must host a feast for their new peers on the Pirate Council. But a mysterious saboteur threatens to disrupt the party! Continuing the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path, Island of Empty Eyes is a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 9th-level characters.

PZO 9059	Pathfinder Adv Path: Skull & Shackles Pt 5 - Price of Infamy	$19.99	RPG	6/19/2012
	The adventurers now have their own island and port, but they'll need more than one ship to defend it. But when a rival from their past sends a fleet to attack them, they must defend their island home! Continuing the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path, The Price of Infamy is a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 11th-level characters.

PZO 9243	Pathfinder Camp Setting Distant Worlds	$19.99	RPG	2/22/2012
	Explore the solar system of the Pathfinder campaign setting with Distant Worlds! Along with extensive gazetteers and maps of each of the numerous planets of this system (including the war-torn Red Planet of Akiton, the undead world of Eox, the primeval Green Planet of Castrovel, gas giants, asteroids, moons, and more), this sourcebook includes guidelines for traveling from world to world and exploring the dark depths of outer space. Rules for several new monsters, alien races, and magic round out the otherworldly offerings.

PZO 9244	Pathfinder Camp Setting Isle of the Shackles	$19.99	RPG
	This Pathfinder sourcebook explores one of the Inner Sea region's most notorious realms - the pirate isles known as the Shackles. Here, pirates from throughout the region congregate, yet not all of the Shackles isles are civilized, even by buccaneers and freebooters. Some hold ancient cyclopean ruins and lost treasures, while others are infested with horrific monsters and savage beasts. Isles of the Shackles explores these islands, providing dozens of interesting and exciting sites for adventures and makes a perfect companion to the Skull & Shackles Pathfinder Adventure Path.

PZO 9245	Pathfinder Camp Setting Giants Revisited	$19.99	RPG	4/18/2012
	This Pathfinder sourcebook explores the societies, ecologies, mythologies, and secrets of ten of the most memorable races of giant-kind, including hill giants, stone giants, frost giants, fire giants, cloud giants, storm giants, rune giants, marsh giants, taiga giants, and cyclopes. Each chapter includes full statistics for a sample leader or jarl, as well as new rules like feats, spells, and magical items crafted not just by these towering monsters, but by those who seek to fight against them.

PZO 9246	Pathfinder Camp Setting Lost Kingdoms	$19.99	RPG	5/16/2012
	Six of the most mysterious and legendary ancient empires from Golarion's past cast a long shadow into the present in this secret-packed Pathfinder sourcebook. Explore the monolithic, jungle-draped ziggurats of the ancient cyclops ruins of Ghol-Gan, walk among the towering, megalithic ruins of sin-shrouded Thassilon, or seek your fate among the trap-laden pyramid tombs of ancient Osirion, along with three other legendary realms. Each of the six lost kingdoms detailed in this book come rife with adventure hooks, details on ancient treasures, and statistics for the deadly guardians who lurk there still.

PZO 9247	Pathfinder Camp Set Skull/Shackles Pstr Map	$19.99	RPG	6/19/2012
	Command the seas of the Pathfinder world with the Skull & Shackles Poster Map Folio! Chart your pirate empire on three huge, 8-panel poster maps - one of the pirate city of Port Peril, the unexplored Island of Empty Eyes, and the entire Shackles Isles region.

PZO 9422	Pathfinder Player Companion Pirates/Inn Sea	$10.99	RPG	2/22/2012
	Details on pirate strongholds, from the tropical isles of the Shackles to the Varisian city of Riddleport and beyond, present a wide range of options for freebooters, corsairs, scallywags, and even government-sponsored privateers throughout the Inner Sea region. Pirate-themed archetypes, new spells and magic, feats, piratical character traits, a pirate slang primer, and more await plunder in this player-friendly Pathfinder sourcebook!

PZO 9423	Pathfinder Player Companion Blood of Fiends	$10.99	RPG	4/18/2012
	They have been shunned and feared by society forever. Born of tainted bloodlines and raised in shameful secrecy, the tieflings of Golarion count among their ancestors some of the greatest evils of the Great Beyond. Yet not all tieflings succumb to the sinister compulsions of their evil blood - some strive to rise above the stereotype and become heroes in their own right. This Pathfinder sourcebook explores all that it is to be a tiefling, including not only an extensive discussion of tiefling culture and society, but also presenting numerous variations on the standard tiefling character.

PZO 9424	Pathfinder Player Companion Blood of Angels	$10.99	RPG	6/19/2012
	Idolized and adored, but also regarded with jealousy and envy, the aasimars of Golarion count among their ancestors the greatest forces of good throughout the Great Beyond. They are the descendants of majestic angels, beatific celestials, and mysterious but kindly outsiders who have long sought to guide and protect the mortal realm. This Pathfinder sourcebook explores all that it is to be an aasimar, including an extensive discussion of aasimar culture and society.

PZO 9535	Pathfinder Module Midnight Mirror	$13.99	RPG
	In shadow-haunted Nidal, the denizens of the Plane of Shadow intermingle with the common man. Now people are disappearing, and it falls to the adventurers to stop the terror. Faced with terrible shadow creatures, an unruly mob of scared citizens, and an unpredictable creature of light, can the heroes undo a greedy and uncaring noble's self-serving mistake? The Midnight Mirror is a Pathfinder adventure for 4th-level characters.

PZO 9536	Pathfinder Module No Response From Deepmar	$13.99	RPG
	The island penal mining colony of Deepmar off the north coast of Cheliax has provided the infernal House of Thrune with a steady supply of valuable crystals for decades - but now all contact with the island has ceased! Sent to the isolated island to investigate, the heroes must explore the eerily abandoned mining colony and the surrounding island to discover what sinister threat has silenced the settlement. No Response From Deepmar is a dungeon and wilderness exploration Pathfinder Module designed for 8th-level characters.

PZO 9537	Pathfinder Module Moonscar	$13.99	RPG	5/16/2012
	To astronomers and stargazers, the unusual pale patch on the moon is known as the Moonscar. Many theories abound as to the nature of this strange feature, yet the truth is a terrifying legacy from the ancient past. When a renowned archeologist disappears while investigating a strange mountaintop ruin, the adventurers must follow the abductee through a mysterious portal into a land of lunar madness and demonic nightmare - for what scars Golarion's moon is a blight from the depths of the Abyss itself! The Moonscar is a Pathfinder adventure for 16th-level characters.

PZO SQW30044	Gamemastery Flip Mat Urban Tavern	$12.99	Accessories
	Get ready for a barroom blitz with GameMastery Flip-Mat: Urban Tavern! Pull up a stool at a high-scale taproom on one side, or take your pick from a block of seedy taverns and feast halls on the other - this durable accessory is perfect for both danger and downtime in any tabletop fantasy campaign.

PZO SQW30045	Gamemastery Flip Mat Town Square	$12.99	Accessories	5/16/2012
	Fend off an invasion or throw a festival upon this sweeping tactical map depicting the central square of a fantasy town! Designed specifically for use with the opening encounter of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game's Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path but suitable for any urban engagement, this durable accessory sets a central scene for any tabletop fantasy campaign.

Descent Returning

2012-01-20T10:10:00.002-06:00

Fantasy Flight Games' Descent: Journeys In the Dark will return in a second edition this March. The price looks the same but the box, from the illustration, is about half the size of the first edition. If you own the first edition of the game, don't worry about spending another $80 to get the new edition because, as it did with Talisman, FFG will release a Descent Conversion Kit for $30 at about the same time.

New Old D and D Books

2012-01-19T10:37:00.000-06:00

Wizards of the Coast will reprint limited premium versions of the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks by Gary Gygax to help support the Gygax Memorial Fund. The new editions will be released in limited quantities exclusively for the hobby channel and the store will receive them about April 17, 2012. They’ll include the original art and content with new cover designs commemorating the re-release.

The three core books being released are:

1st Edition Premium Dungeon Master’s Guide, a 240-page hardcover at $44.95

1st Edition Premium Player’s Handbook, a 112-page hardcover at $34.95

1st Edition Premium Monster Manual, a 128-page hardcover at $34.95

The Gygax Memorial Fund was set up by the late Gary Gygax’s widow Gail to raise funds to erect a memorial to Gygax in Library Park in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

A Tale of Two Paints

2012-01-18T07:51:00.000-06:00

Probably going to drop the Howard Hues line of paints. We brought these in about two years ago and have sold less than half a dozen bottles, despite their quality and value. We currently stock, in depth, the Games Workshop and Privateer Press lines, because both of those sell steadily, the GW paints outselling the PP ones by a factor of 4 to one, mainly because of the high number of Warhammer 40,000 players compared to Warmachine and Hordes players in the area. We have looked at expanding the Reaper line but haven't been able to get any info on a rack. We have toyed with bringing in the Vallejo line of paints as well, as people speak quite highly of them, but the Vallejo paint sets we brought it, to test the waters, moved very slowly. Ergo, we are pretty leery of bringing in the entire Vallejo line, given that it would amount to a significant investment on the store's part to do so.

We're Off to See the Fluxx

2012-01-16T21:35:00.002-06:00

March 23^rd Street Date!

LOO-050
Oz Fluxx

Does life seem drab and humdrum? Let the cyclone of Fluxx, theever-changing card game, whisk you away to a magical world of fun and wonder!Mingle with Munchkins, make new friends, help them with their quests, andfollow the Yellow Brick Road to seek the Wizard’s help for your ownheart’s desire—but beware the flying monkeys, fighting trees, andfields of poppies! Don your green spectacles to enter the Emerald City,and keep a bucket of water handy: you never know when you’ll run into aWicked Witch that needs melting. Next stop… the land of Oz!

New Yu Gi Oh SE

2012-01-16T21:34:00.002-06:00

March 6^th Street Date!

KOI88921
YGO: Order of Chaos SE

Special Editions give Duelists a great value, combining 3 packs of thelatest Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s TRADING CARD GAME booster release with 1 of 2hard-to-find variant cards. In addition to 3 packs of Order of Chaos, eachSpecial Edition box will contain a special championship-level foil card sure tomake a lucky Duelist’s day. Great value and excellent content will makethe Order of Chaos Special Edition a must-have for players of all skill levels.Duelists will want to take advantage of the second offering of Order of Chaosbecause many cards in this set can be combined with past and upcoming releases.Photon Shockwave and Gold Series 4 include cards designed to work with Order ofChaos to give Duelists a boost!

D&D 5th Edition

2012-01-14T20:25:00.001-06:00

As you might have heard, WOTC announced D&D 5th Edition or, as the company appears to prefer to call it at this stage, D&D Next. The company also wants lots of input from players, or so it says, even posting a link allowing interested parties to sign up.
One thing indicating a definite shift away from 4th edition mechanics is the posted list of the design team:

Mike Mearls, TeamLead

Greg Bilsland, TeamProducer

Monte Cook, Design TeamLead

Bruce Cordell,Designer

Robert J. Schwalb,Designer

Jeremy Crawford, DevelopmentTeam Lead

Tom LaPille,Developer

Rodney Thompson, Developer

Miranda Horner, Edito

None of these folks appear on the list of designers for 4th edition, at least not that I see, and many people credit Cook for the successful design of D&D 3.0 and 3.5.

Games Workshop Paint Change

2012-01-12T11:56:00.001-06:00

We are looking at some form of change to the Games Workshop paint line later this year. No idea what the company plans on changing, whether it's a new formulation, new sizes, a shake out of the color line or what. We have just been told that, due to the change coming , Games Workshop has told us to keep inventories low and are allowing stores to buy bottles in single quantities instead of in sleeves of six as is the past.
So, if you are a fan of either the current color line or formulation, you might want to stock up. conversely, you may want to let your paint stocks thin out, in anticipation of whatever happens. Unfortunately, we don't even have an idea regarding when it will happen, just sometime this year.

Looney Labs Changes Distributors

2012-01-07T15:39:00.001-06:00

Looney Labs, maker of Fluxx, Seven Dragons,Ice Dice and other well regarded small games, has signed an agreement with ACD Distribution,Diamond Comic Distributors and Alliance Games Distribution to exclusivelydistribute Looney Labs products in the US and Lion Rampant Distribution as thecompany’s Canadian distributor. From the press release:

In the U.S. hobby game market, Looney Labs game titles will beavailable through ACD Distribution and Alliance/Diamond Game Distributors. In Canada, Lion Rampant will become Looney Lab's primarydistributor, while Publisher Services, Inc. (PSI) will continue to supply Looney Labs games to international markets aswell as the U.S. mass market and book trade.

A Look Back at 2011

2011-12-30T21:30:00.002-06:00

Here’s what I hopedto see happen in 2011

1) More publishers participating in the Bits and Mortarprogram.

2) States make more of a push to collect sales tax fromonline sellers. .

3) New Games Day.

4) Publisher communications will have correct releaseinformation

Well, 3 out of 4ain’t bad. Haven’t much from the Bitsand Mortar program this past year. It’sstill a great idea and kudos to the publishers that participate. It’s nice to tell our customers, “Hey, buythis book and we can email you the PDF .” What a deal. Looking at thewebsite (which, unfortunately I haven’t done recently), it appears that anumber of publishers have uploaded files in the past year, most from smallpublishers, though one major one, Mongoose Publishing, has added over 110 filessince the last time I checked earlier in 2011. Bully Pulpit Games has added a PDF for its popular Fiasco RPG and RogueGames has added a couple of more files for its Colonial Gothic Game. Good for them and here’s hoping the imitativegets much more promotion in 2012.

States, hurting forrevenue, are making more of an effort to collect sales tax from onlineretailers. The biggest, and worstoffender, Amazon, has agreed to collect and remit sales tax for purchases madeby California residents by January 2013. This is important because of the size of the California market and itsposition as a market leader. So often, as California goes, so goes the nation. By agreeing to do this, Amazon has agreed itis possible for it to collect and remit sales taxes from individual states andlocalities. The company had argued inthe past it construed too much of a burden for it to do so (Nevermind thathundreds of other online retailers with physical locations as well, Wal-martand Staples coming to mind immediately, have successfully done so). Now that Amazon has made this agreement withCalifornia, and assuming the company follows through, expect more states toseek similar arrangements with the online behemoth and other online retailersto slowly follow suit.

Publishercommunications getting better than last year. WOTC is still the champ atpublishing and keeping release dates, keeping to dates they have published ayear out. Both WizKids and Pazio haveimproved significantly at setting and keeping release dates, and, importantly,letting us know when dates shift, as a couple of HeroClix sets and thePathfinder collectible miniatures sets did. Now if Games Workshop would just get out a list of releases more thantwo weeks ahead of time. The company must know a year ahead of time what itplans to release. You build up anticipationfor new products by telling your customers to expect them ahead of time, not bykeeping them in the dark and relying on rumors until you decide to send out theinformation a week or so before the release date.

End of the Year Specials

2011-12-24T12:15:00.000-06:00

For those looking to spend their Castle Perilous gift certificates they got in their Christmas stockings, we have the following items on sale Dec. 26 through Dec 31. Quantities are limited to only in stock items though:

Magic Intro Decks 2 for $19.99 ($14.99 individually)
Captain American and Superman HeroClix bricks $79.99

Battletech and Games Workshop Metal blister packs miniatures, 25% off.

Carcassone and Blokus games 25 % off
Puzzles 50% off
All non-Vertigo graphic novels, buy 2, take 25% off.
Hope you have a great Christmas and a Merry New Year.

Stupid Store Managers

2011-12-18T19:13:00.000-06:00

Given that our employees are on the front line when dealingwith our customers and how valuable (and rare) a good one is, much less a greatone, it always bemuses me when I run across stories of managers and employersdisrespecting their staff. I gotthinking about this again after running across the following in a recent News of the Weird column:

In March, WilliamErnst, 57, owner of the QC Mart chain of Iowa
convenience stores, excitedly announced a company-wide employee
contest with a prize of $10 for guessing the next worker that Ernst
will fire for breaking rules. "Once we fire the person, we will open
all the envelopes [containing the entries], award the prize, and start
the contest again." Ernst added, "And no fair picking Mike Miller
from (the Rockingham Road store). He was fired at around 11:30
a.m. today for wearing a hat and talking on his cell phone. Good
luck!!!!!!!!!!" (After firing a cashier who had complained about
Ernst's attitude, he challenged the woman's unemployment-
compensation claim, but in October, a judge ruled in her favor.)
[Des Moines Register, 10-3-2011]

Hulk Clix

2011-12-17T21:57:00.002-06:00

Well the Hulk HeroClix set came in and are moving a bit better than the Superman but still much slower than previous sets, which goes to show, at least to me, that WizKids' plan of putting the BIBTB figure in the brick was a really bad idea, at least from original purpose of the program. The original purpose was to drive sales of bricks in brick and mortar stores by requiring a receipt from a B&M store to receive the figure. Later, WizKids modified the program by sending the figures to the stores so that we could redeem them when the customer bought the brick. Again, a good idea, although, since they had to produce so many of them, WizKids wasn't particularly happy with the quality of the figures.

So, to up the quality of he figures and remove the difficulty of having to handle redemption themselves, WizKids moved to including the BIBTB figure in one of the boosters in every brick, essentially making it a 1 in 10 chase figure, available from both B&M and online retailers. Sales of Superman and Hulk are reflecting this as sales of both have run about half the sales we saw of Giant Size x_men, 75th anniversary and even Captain America. I hear that WizKids plans to change the program yet again. Even so, I plan on cutting our orders on the next set by about a third.

Thanks, Amazon

2011-12-10T21:39:00.001-06:00

If you missed it this week, Amazon, as a Christmas present tobrick and mortar retailers, announced it would give up to $5 in credit on anyitem if a customer would go into a store, scan the item using the Amazon Price Check app, then purchase theitem through Amazon. The customer saves 5% of the cost of the item, up to $5,Amazon gets millions of people out there price checking for the company, andthe local retailer suffers yet another attack yet another attack upon theirbusiness model. Granted, Amazon’spromotion targets big box retailers, since both compete by selling a comparativelysmall selection of items at the lowest perceived possible price, more than us. The product categories we sell make us essentiallyan afterthought to Amazon. Looking atthe current list of top 100 toys and games sold on Amazon, only four items wesell in the store show up (Bananagrams, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan andApples to Apples), though if you sell Melissa and Doug items, you are in aworld of hurt as it looks like half the items listed come from the Melissa andDoug line. Apparently, some of the largechain retailers are actually undercutting Amazon on items such as DVDs andbooks and this is Amazon’s way of fighting back.

Still the problem comes from a violation of an implicitagreement between customer and brick and mortar store: the store still will offer a selection of items,available for immediate purchase and possession, and answer or attempt to answerquestions the customer might have about the items under consideration. The customer,in return, will give reasonable consideration to the store’s offer and may ormay not choose to purchase said item, but will not make a deal with anotherstore while standing right in front of you. Essentially, that’s what Amazon isasking their customers to do: find an item in your store, get all the info theycan from you, then deal with the salesperson they brought in with them. As GaryRay, owner of Black Diamond Games, put it on his “Quest for Fun” blog, there isan implicit agreement between customer and salesperson:

Here's something I learned when Iwas younger. When you enter a business and engage a sales person, you haveentered into a social contract where it is expected that both of you are actingin good faith. The sales person honestly and factually attempts to assist you,while you have intention to actually buy. It's alright if you're "shoppingaround," or not ready to buy, but the intent should be that the salesperson has a chance at some time in the future.

Savage Worlds Release

2011-12-09T13:46:00.001-06:00

New for Savage Worlds, releasing in Feb.

S2P10502

SW: Horror Companion

$19.99 SRP

Take your Savage Worlds games to new depthsof darkness with the Horror Companion.

With new rules for signs and portents,buckets o' blood, ritual casting, sanity, and gear, this tome of terror is bound to spice up your creepiestsettings.

The Horror Companionis designed to extend the reach of your Savage Worlds games into the mostfrightening recesses of gaming, but it isn't a stand-alone product. It'sdesigned to work with a copy of the core Savage Worlds rules.

This is a softcover, full-color,Explorer's Edition-sized book (6.5"x9"). 144 pages.

Job Opening

2011-12-06T19:58:00.001-06:00

Not here, I'm afraid, but if you've ever wanted to work in the gaming industry:

There is currently a vacancy for the position of Sales Manager at Alliance East. Interested applicants should forward their resume to William Myers at whm@alliance-games.com and Marc Aquino at mla2@alliance-games.com no later than close of business Friday, December 9.

Below is the job description for this position:

ALLIANCE GAME DISTRIBUTORS, LLC.

LOCATION: Alliance East - Baltimore, Maryland

DATE: 12/2011

POSITION TITLE: Sales Manager

DEPT: Sales

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Sales Manager is responsible for the operation of the Baltimore Sales Office and the Southwest Sales office in Austin, Texas. The Sales Manager is responsible for maintaining the morale and efficiency of the sales force through training and motivation. The Sales Manager maintains the technological training of the sales force as new computer programs become available. The Sales Manager will act as liaison between all other departments and the Sales Department to ensure that they work together to maximize sales efficiency.

The Sales Manager will be responsible for a territory of 900 customers whose special needs require the Sales Manager’s personal attention. The Sales Manager will promote positive public relations by hosting the Alliance Open House, attending various industry trade shows, writing for industry and Alliance publications, and answering customer inquiries on how to maximize their sales. The Sales Manager will assist new businesses with their business plans. The Sales Manager will maintain an active knowledge of current game trends and impart this knowledge as well as how to acquire this knowledge to customers.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

· Act as head of Alliance East and Southwest Divisions.

· Create policies and procedures for selling product more professionally and efficiently.

· Provide ongoing training to sales force in product knowledge, sales, and computer technology.

· Write trade articles for Alliance publications as well as trade publications.

· Host Alliance Open House and attend various industry trade shows.

· Maintain approximately 900 customer sales territories.

· Act as liaison between customers and Alliance to ensure fair solutions to problems.

· Provide product and industry knowledge to customers so that they will be able to recognize new trends.

· Provide a daily report to customers on product receiving, requests for pre-order and general company information.

· Maintain strong industry knowledge through trade publications, web pages and on line forums.

· Design forms for company-wide use.

· Coordinate sales with all other Alliance Sales Managers.

· Work with Purchasing Department to maximize availability of product.

· Work with Graphics Department to ensure smooth flow of information from manufacturers to customers.

· Work with Computer Department to ensure new software is readily taught to Alliance Sales Force.

· All other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED:

· Strong industry knowledge and experience.

· Strong knowledge of computer hardware and software.

· Minimum of 2 years Sales and Supervisory experience required.

· 4 year college degree required and/or equivalent work experience

New from FFG

2011-12-05T11:45:00.001-06:00

Coming in January


FFGBC03 40KRPG: Black Crusade: Hand of Corruption $39.95 SRP UPC 9781616613525	FFGDH15 40KRPG: Dark Heresy: Chaos Commandment $24.95 SRP UPC 9781589947634
Hand of Corruption is an adventure in three acts for Black Crusade. Presented in one comprehensive volume, this epic story takes a small band of Heretics from the swirling depths of the Screaming Vortex to the far reaches of the Calixis Sector, and then to a parched and windswept Imperial penal world called Saint Annard’s Penance. With a host of challenges designed to appeal to a range of group types and play styles, Hand of Corruption offers ample opportunities for both savvy roleplaying and grueling combat.	A conspiracy at the highest levels of the Calixian Church has finally come to fruition, and the sector rests on the edge of interstellar upheaval. Can a small band of Acolytes prevent this coming apocalypse? The Chaos Commandment is an exciting adventure for Dark Heresy. The final chapter in The Apostasy Gambit trilogy (and also playable as a standalone adventure), this epic story pits a small band of Acolytes against an ancient and powerful threat.

New in Jauary for CoC and GoT

2011-12-02T13:24:00.001-06:00

Comingin January



FFGCT52 CoC LCG: Shadow o/t Monolith Asylum Pack $14.95 SRP UPC 9781616611422	FFGGOT81 GoT LCG: Where Loyalty Lies Chapter Pack $14.95 SRP UPC 9781616611767
The sixth and final Asylum Pack in the Ancient Relics cycle for Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game, Shadow of the Monolith continues the cycle’s development of the exciting new Relic trait and concludes the cycle’s exploration of the Ancient Ones’ global reach. 60 new cards (3 copies each of 20 different cards) take the game’s different factions to the South Pacific, where they are greeted by malevolent cultists and their dark spells. Who will prosper when the region’s Relics are unearthed? Who will fall mad or die along the way? Shadow of the Monolith removes the final veils of the Ancient Relics cycle of Asylum Packs, but its secrets aren’t for the faint of heart!	The A Tale of Champions cycle of Chapter Packs for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game places a strong emphasis on the unique knights, lords, and ladies who would be at the forefront of the tourney environment. Where Loyalty Lies continues this focus with the introduction of 12 bold, new unique characters, including all-new characters and new versions of existing characters. Players will find more support for the cycle’s exciting new Joust and Melee keywords, which are certain to lead to all manner of new deck types. With 60 new cards (3 copies each of 20 different cards), Where Loyalty Lies offers players exciting new bannermen for each of the Great Houses of Westeros, though fans of House Lannister and their machinations should be particularly pleased with this new Chapter Pack.

New Deckbuilding Game

2011-12-01T10:20:00.001-06:00

Comingin April!

CTZ01297

WoW: Clash of Champions

Coming some time next April.

$ 45.00 SRP

A new deck building game, centered around one of the most popularonline worlds – World of Warcraft: Clash of Champions. Players take onthe role of their favorite World of Warcraft Heroes: Thrall, Jaina, KingVarian, Garrosh, Sylvanas, and King Magn. Each Hero has special abilities thatonly they can use in combat. AsHeroes level, these special abilities shuffle into their decks. Face offagainst up to 126 Monster Cards and 9 Epic Bosses. For each victory against anEpic Boss, Heroes level up! Defeat monsters, gather loot, bring down bosses,and stand victorious. World of Warcraft: Clash of Champions allows forincredible replayability with 425 Game Cards. No two games will play the same!

Black Friday, the Failure

2011-11-26T14:32:00.001-06:00

We’ve had pretty good luck running Black Friday events in the past, opening at 5 or 6 in the morning with a table of specials and a discount schedule that gets smaller as the morning wears on. We also serve breakfast: toasted bagels with cream cheese and hot apple cider from a local orchard. Typically, we don’t have huge crowds but have three to six people browsing and spending money at any given time during the event. Sales usually run about 25 to 50 percent above a typical Friday. This time, we tried something different which failed quite thoroughly and will serve as a valuable object lesson for next year’s planning.

A couple of times a year (the store anniversary and Halloween) we host a party for our customers, the focal point of which is the distribution of over a thousand dollars worth of prizes through drawings. Customers get tickets through doing various things such as purchases, bringing in cans of food, coming in costume, etc and the drawings pull in a large number of excited people, especially since they have to be present to win (we don’t want to keep track of who won what) and are accompanied by significantly higher than normal sales. Based on this, for Black Friday, we decided to do another drawing and tie ticket distribution to time of day and amount purchased, along with other ways to earn tickets. As I said, based on past experience and customer enthusiasm and chatter about the event, I thought this was a great idea, especially since we had hot cider and bagels. Boy, was I wrong.

The day certainly started well. I arrived a bit before 6, got the bagels and cider ready and welcomed the first customers at a few minutes after 6. That should have been my first clue. In past years, we have had people lined up outside the door when we opened. The first customer spent a goodly amount and then, I got what should have been my second clue, when he passed on receiving any drawing tickets, saying he wouldn’t be there for the drawing. Second customer bought a pack of Magic 2012 and a few common cards and left. Then nothing but the sound of crickets for three more hours. The only person to set foot through the door until regular opening time at 10 a.m. was a guy who stops in to pick up a copy of the free student newspaper and he just complained that the students hadn’t put one out on a day when the students had all left for the holiday.

Does this sour me on the idea of running Black Friday events? Of course not. This was an experiment that failed. From what I have heard, other stores did incredibly well. Albany, New York’s Zombie Planet posted on their Facebook page that Black Friday broke sales records and St. Louis’s Star Clipper also posted about huge crowds.

Lesson learned. Customers will come out for discounts, premiums and specials, not for hot cider and extra drawing entries. Planning for next year began today.

New This Week

2011-11-23T18:58:00.001-06:00

Several new items in this week:

Game of Thrones The Board Game 2nd edition
Ninja: Legend of the Scorpion Clan
Risk Legacy
Hibernia
Traveller RPG Campaign 1: Secrets of the Ancients
Call of Cthulhu RPG Lovecraft's Dreamlands

New Demo Games

2011-11-20T11:56:00.001-06:00

Courtesy of Impressions Advertising and Marketing and a number of their clients, we now have the following in the demo game library.

Suttaku
1955: The War of Espionage
Cookie Fu
Tom Jolly's Way Word
Zox So
Grave Business
Nitro Dice
Nile deLuxor
Nobilis
Heroes of Graxia
Zombie High School
Red Dragon Inn: Gambling? I'm In!
Villains & Villagers
Scrumbrawl

Against The Darkness

2011-11-19T20:08:00.001-06:00

The store recently receiveda copy of Against the Darkness, “A Roleplaying Game of Vatican Horror andConspiracy”, from Tabletop Adventures. I’ve known one of the principals in thecompany via email from the GPA (Game Publishers Association) and was intriguedby the game when I saw them showing it off at a convention I attended lastweek. I’ve always been a sucker formodern day horror RPGs (long time fan of Call of Cthulhu and I still run a gameof Pacesetter Games’ Chill on rare occasions), so when I saw ATD in Tabletop’sdisplay rack, I asked them enough questions about it that they finally gave mea copy (I also bought two copies and a GM pack for the store so they made somerevenue off me).

Against the Darkness really intrigued me becauseof the similarity in themes between it and the anime, Trinity Blood. Both involve representatives of the CatholicChurch and the Vatican, fighting against the forces of darkness, save that TrinityBlood focuses on vampires as the main villain and is more overt in the conflictbetween the church and the vampires than ATD. In ATD, the darkness is always there, but it hides in the shadows andthe players must venture there, outside the ken of their fellow men. The quality of the book looks good as well,the only problem I have is that Tabletop has saddle stapled it with no room fora logo on the spine. Ergo, if it (and the GMs pack) gets shelved spine out,well, it vanishes, leaving only the folded over cover of a book to attract thecustomer’s eye. The company is looking into the economics of producing a bookwith a printable spine and probably will come out with one in the future.

New Gaming In This Week

2011-11-19T10:18:00.001-06:00

Some cool stuff came in this week:

Super Dungeon Explore

Warhammer 40,000Special Edition Dice Cubes (only 12 of these)
'Eavy Metal Brush Set
'Eavy Metal Masterclass Book
GW Paint Station
Citadel Tool Kit
Imperial Strongpoint
Imperial Sector
Fortree of Redemption
Fortified Manor
Warhammer 40,00 and Fantasy Battle Custom Army Cases
Deathwatch: The Frist Founding
Game of Thrones: Grand Melee Chapter Pack
Ticket to Ride Asia Map Collection
Warmachine Satyxis Raiders
Pokemon B&W Noble Victories booster packs
Savage Worlds Path of Kane

Battue: Storm of the HorseLords

2011-11-18T14:20:00.001-06:00

We have this in stock and this is actually a pretty cool boardgame for 2-4 players. Here's a link showing how to play

New for Catan

2011-11-18T14:10:00.001-06:00

December 1^st Street Date

MFG3116

Catan Scenarios: Oil Springs

$5.00 SRP

UPC 029877031160005

Eureka! Oil has been discovered on the island of Catan.

The great engineers of Catan have learnedways to improve production using this valuable new resource, both by convertingit into other materials and enabling the upgrade of cities into metropolises.But oil is scarce and its use does not comewithout cost. Using oil produces pollution, as well as climate changingemissions, which bring with them the threat of coastal flooding-and absolutedisaster. With the discovery of oil on Catan, the Settlers face a newchallenge: deciding whether the commongood is worth limiting oil usage or whether the pursuit of victory is worth therisk of ruin.

Catan Scenarios: Oil Springs™contains: . 1 tile sheet . 1 rules set

For 3-4 Players

Ages 12+

Playing Time 45-60 + minutes

Graveborn Deck

2011-11-17T12:29:00.001-06:00

The new foil deck for Magic, Graveborn, is in. We have them on display today and they go on sale tomorrow.

WOTC Halloween Promotions

2011-11-06T15:35:00.003-06:00

WOTC had a couple of nice Halloween instore promotions this year,one that worked pretty well and one that made me go “Huh?” It would have been nice on both to have moreadvance notice about either/both of them.

The “Huh” promotion was the Innistrad league. Lots of nice support (Tracking poster, weeklychanges in play and a window cling) but the reward for playing in the league (aposter) did not exactly excite my players or give them an incentive to comeback. Magic players are card players andrespond to the offer of another card rather than some other form of epherma. We supplemented the poster with so remainingguards from the Innistrad Launch Party and a good thing too, as the firstpeople who earned the poster wound up leaving it on the tables after theyleft. Kept the card, though and appears enoughof an added inducement that most of those who started have shown up for therest of the league nights. Some form ofalternate art card would likely work better as the reward should WOTC choose todo this again.

The Halloween Friday Night Magic promotion worked a bitbetter, though again, some advance notice of it would have helped in promotingit. This was a very nice promotional kitsent to any store that registered a Friday Night Magic event on the Fridaybefore Halloween and consisted of a standee, bags promoting FNM (alwayswelcome) deck boxes (Not as well designed as past deck boxes, thee lacked the catcheson the insert tabs to hold the box together, making it hard for them to holdtogether. About half the people we gave them to left them behind) and bags ofMagic logoed M&Ms. That last wasespecially cool as I have known few gamers able to resist candy, though severalof our players had a quandary. Do theyeat the candy because, well, it’s M&Ms or do they keep it for the coolfactor, since it has Magic logos on it? From what I saw, eating them won out among most of our customers.

Solitare Boardgames

2011-11-01T19:00:00.002-05:00

In case you ever want to play a boardgame an dcan't find anyone to play against, here are some good solitaire boardgames:
any of the new WOTC releases: Legend of Drizzt, Castle Ravenloft, Wrath of Ashkabon.
either of the new Walking Dead boardgames.
FFG's DungeonQuest or Gears o f War.
Dan Verssen Games' Frontline D-Day or Field Commander Rommel.

Promotional Materials

2011-10-28T19:31:00.000-05:00

Looking at the front window of the store, I see a couple of edge lit signed courtesy of WOTC, an edge lit schedule from WOTC and Alliance, a pair of matching illuminated Yu Gi Oh signs and several posters for Magic and d&D including a full length Innistrad window cling. Approximately 17,000 vehicles a day pass by the store and see these promotional materials in our windows. Why? Because these are the only two companies that send up promo materials I want to put into the window and that are large enough for a car to see as it cruised by the storefront at about 30 miles an hour. The other promo materials we receive, standard sized posters and flyers, does get hung up, but it's inside the store, where only customers can see it. If you want to get in the store windows, send us higher quality promo materials.

WOTC Portal Problems

2011-10-22T17:10:00.003-05:00

WOTC has changes to a gateway systems for handling email from stores now. Still in the early session of shakedown as weare having problems with WOTC’s email portal. It appears to not like the saved password Iput into it and, when I answer questions to retrieve the password so I canchange it to one it find better, the retrieval email vanishes into the interneteither. According to the WPN customerservice representative, who answers the phone quite quickly and is very helpfulin resetting the password and otherwise getting me back into my portal account,even on a Saturday evening, it might have something to do with my using an AOLaccount as the portal does apparently not like AOL email addresses. Hopefully, the company’s IT people will lookinto that as I have no intention of changing my email address for the portal’sconvenience.

Deluxe Munchkin

2011-10-19T14:56:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to point out that Deluxe Munchkin is a limited run version of the game. Steve Jackson has said they are already sold out of it and have no plans to reprint it. The production cost is too high to justify a second print run. According to the company, the plans are, once distribution runs out of the game, to reprint the board and paws in a separate boxed set, but for more than the current $5 add on to the cost of the core game. Heck, Munchkin has so many additions now that no one will notice one more.

Boardgames

2011-10-08T12:50:00.000-05:00

Would really like to start up a boardgame night (or day for that matter) but we have had little success with one in the past. It seems that most of our customers who buy boargames prefer to play them in their own homes, rather than at a central location. Since we are now staying open until 9 on Saturday night, running them later in the afternoon on Saturday might be an option but we would really need someone to take point on them. Scheduling them in advance in the past, without a leader pushing for them, has generally resulted with a turnout of zero.

In fairness, we haven't done a great job of pushing in store play of them either. We probably need to schedule them and have someone available to run them when players come in and get them on the schedule a month ahead of time.

More on Little Egypt Wars

2011-10-01T16:01:00.000-05:00

For those interested in more statistics from this year's LEW, we had 115 full attendees. with 26 judges and 89 players, with 6 visitors Pathfinder was the most played RPG event with 2 tables rnning in slots 1 & 2 and one table at 7 p.m. D&D 3.5 was next strongest, with one table played in each slot, followed by FAST, with one table played in botht he 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. sessions. Various World of Darkness games ran in the morning and afternoon. There RPGS are definitely ones the con will solicit for next year.

Magic pulled 20 players for the Standard tournament and about half that for the evenings Commander tournament. Since we were able to provide prizes to the Magic tournaments without busting the convention's budget, that's a practice we will endeavor to continue in the future. Yu Gi Oh pulled 11 players for all three sessions so we will plan on running a full slate of Yu Gi Oh next year, hopefully adding Pokemon into the mix.

Boardgames ran at least 2 tables in the 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. sessions and 1 table during the 7 p.m. session. Thanks to the Centralia judge group for running the boardgame room. We hope to get a highly visual game such as Lego Wars or Clay o Rama in for next year's event.

Miniatures was the real suprise, with only 5 people turning up for the day long Warhammer 40,000 event. While they had fun, the all day event wound down long before the end of the second session. Hopefully a Rogue Trader run next year will pull more people.We had a little interest in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle Rogue Trader, enoug that we will run at least one WFB session at Egypt Wars and a couple of games of HeroClix.

New Looney Arriving

2011-09-29T10:19:00.004-05:00

Three new releases from Looney Labs arrive this week: Star Fluxx, Xeno Stashes and the long delayed IceDice

Everything You Wanted to Know about Little Egypt Wars

2011-09-21T20:41:00.002-05:00

but were afraid to ask. This is an assortment of responses to comments that appeared on the surveys we handed out at the con.

Attendance: A major complaint was not enough people. We agree and would like to see more people attend. This weekend saw a lot of festivals in the area, including the Murphysboro AppleFest and Golconda's Shrimp Fest, plus Cape Girardeau had Pathfinder in the Park. Attendance actually only ran about a dozen people less than 2010's event and most of those not attending this time, according to our records were judges.

Dealers--Yep, we would like to see more vendors attending. However, Carbondale is a relatively isolated area, a good two hours or so from the closest gaming store. Most aren't willing to drive this far for a one day event. We did have actually have three attending: Terry Richardson selling Magic singles, Kevin Collier selling painted 40K miniatures and Scott Reed with HeroClix, Yu Gi Oh singles and assorted RPG books and trade paperbacks. Hopefully you bought something from them as them making sales is the surest way to encourage them to come back and tell others that this is a good event to set up at. Even if they don't have exactly what you want, spending a few bucks and buying HeroClix, an old trade paperback or a miniature is the best way to show you appreciate them coming and encourage them to spread the word so you have a better selection next time.

Food--From our conversations with them, the Knights of Columbus, who cooked onsite the first couple of times, didn't do much better than breakeven on sales here, so they didn't give us a yes or no on the spring Egypt Wars until about a week or so before the con, which didn't leave us any time to find another food vendor. We tried a couple of other groups but couldn't get a clear answer for them, so decided to contact Fat Patties. This was Fat Patties first time dealing with this type of event so they had some bugs to work out and have said they will re-design their offerings for next spring, including offering hot food onsite. Incidentally, the reason Diet Mountain Dew was only available in bottles was because the con-com requested that Fat Patties make sure they had Diet Mountain Dew available, as we knew how popular it would be. Unfortunately, FPs distributor did not have Diet Mountain Dew available as a fountain drink, so it was bottles or nothing.

Advertising- We will be posting notices about next spring's EW (scheduled for April 14-16, 2012) on more sites, included Board Game Geek as suggested. Any other suggestions for places to post are certainly welcomed.

Magic Celebration

2011-09-11T15:16:00.000-05:00

Had the Magic Celebration at the store yesterday, which went off well but not as well as I had hoped. Since we were giving away free packs of Magic 2012 all day, I really expected more people to turn out than the 22 that did. For those that missed it, we ran, courtesy of WOTC 5 flights of MiniMax tournaments, in which each player got a pack of 2012 and 15 lands, 3 of each color. If they won, they got a second pack with which to build a 4 card deck. Each additional round won got one more pack for their deck. The overall winner collected a total of five packs. Did I mention this was free, as in all players had to do was say "I want to play in the Magic Celebration tournament (or some variation thereof)" and we enrolled them. That's why I was rather surprised we only had 22 players, given that we gave away FREE Magic all day. By my count, we ran four tournaments open to everybody and one for players under age 16. We started at 11 a.m. and wrapped the last one shortly after 9 p.m. with only 2 people not staying the entire 10 hours. Thanks again to WOTC for sponsoring a really cool event.

New Domnion Expansion

2011-09-09T10:20:00.000-05:00

Hinterlands, the newest expansion for Dominion, should hit the shelves next month.

Deckbuilding Wargame

2011-09-08T14:47:00.001-05:00

Expect in Late September/Early October

TRG4003

A Few Acres of Snow

$55.00 SRP

2 Player Game

Ages 12+

60+ Minutes

‘A Few Acres of Snow’ is a two player game about the struggle between Britain and France for control of North America, fought during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

A war fought at the edge of two mighty empires. For over one hundred and fifty years Britain and France were locked in a struggle for domination of North America. Thousands of miles from their homes, settlers and soldiers were faced with impenetrable forests, unpredictable American tribes, and formidable distances. Despite these obstacles they were able to engage in bitter warfare, with the British ultimately taking the prize of Quebec. A Few Acres of Snow is a two-player game that allows you to recreate this contest. You can change the course of history by your decisions.

A Few Acres of Snow takes an innovative approach to the subject, using cards to represent locations and manpower. As the game progresses you add to your selection of cards, increasing the range of actions available to you. There are many strategies to be explored. How quickly should you build up your forces, do you employ Native Americans, what energy should be expended on your economy?

A Few Acres of Snow ™ contains:

• mapboard

• 110 Cards

• 15 Gold Coin

• 15 Silver Coin

• 2 Player Aid Cards

• 73 wood pieces

• Rules Book

Gamerati

2011-08-28T19:48:00.000-05:00

Gamerati.com is a new website that, as near as I can tell, hopes to be ICV2 for the tabletop game industry, with daily compilations of gaming news on the website, as well as emailed to subscribers. The site incorporates the already exiting Game Cryer review and the War Pig Radio pod casting sites and I’m not quite certain if those sites will get incorporated into the Gamerati site or if the Gamerati page will just serve as a landing page directing readers with the individual sites remaining .. I don’t see any direct links from WarPig or Game Cryer back to the Gamerati main page.

Preview Nights Program

2011-08-20T16:55:00.000-05:00

Regarding last week's post on preview events, I received an email this week form Dan Yarrington of GameSalute.com touting their Preview Nights program, which has one successful event under its belt so far. Approximately ninety store participated in the first event, a launch for the Eminent Domain boardgame. Store that sign up for the event receive a demo copy of the game approximately three to four weeks ahead of release and get listed on the Preview Nights website. Looks as if the Eminent Domain launch also included special promo cards limited to those stores participating.

Demo Games and Why There Aren't More.

2011-08-14T18:16:00.001-05:00

Demo games are something most stores are always looking for. Unfortunately, only a few companies have developed demo programs to which stores have ready access. Mayfair Games’ Demo to Demo program, which I’ve mentioned in other columns, comes to mind, as do the deep discounts offered on demo games by Fantasy Flight Games and Days of Wonder (75% off MSRP if I recall correctly). Other companies, such as Looney Labs, have a demo program for new products: pre-order a display and get a demo copy along with it, and probably have a program in play allowing stores to buy deeply discounted demo copies. Unfortunately, few companies publicize their programs to stores and the demo programs only deal with games made by the company limiting stores to the selection of only a certain set of games. This makes sense, of course. Why run a demo program for products you don’t make? It also makes it harder for smaller companies, without the capital to invest in a demo program to get their products into the hands of retailers.

Resident Evil Expansion

2011-08-12T10:51:00.001-05:00

Coming in September for the Resident Evil Deck Building Game.

Sword and 'Board Games

2011-08-08T12:02:00.000-05:00

out of Poplar Bluff announced this morning they are shutting down. No mention of any problems over the weekend but this post appeared on their Facebook page today:

It pains me to announce that Sword & 'Board Games will be closing the doors and shutting down. I appreciate what everyone has done to help our shop be the success it was. I wish you all happy gaming and adventuring, and I'm sorry we couldn't have things work out.

New LCG Packs from FFG

2011-08-05T10:16:00.000-05:00

Expected in September



FFGMEC06 LotR: LCG: The Dead Marshes Adv. Pack $14.95 SRP	FFGWHC24 WH LCG: Realm of the Phoenix King Battle Pack $14.95 SRP
After scouring the Emyn Muil for signs of Gollum, the heroes of Middle-earth follow his trail south. Now Gollum takes desperate risks to elude the heroes in a realm of treacherous fens and mires. The Dead Marshes is the fifth and penultimate Adventure Pack in the Shadows of Mirkwood cycle for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. The hunt for Gollum draws to a close ... unless he finds his way to escape once and for all. The Dead Marshes introduces 60 new cards, including a Quest featuring the new, scenario-specific Escape mechanic that allows players to experience how slippery Gollum can be! Will your heroes succeed in their long hunt? Or will they lose sight of their quarry while being hounded by monsters under the shadow of Mordor?	The glorious city of Lothern prepares for war, the High Elves ever vigilant of their borders. Woe to any enemy who invades the realm of the powerful Phoenix King... Realm of the Phoenix King is the second Battle Pack in The Capital Cycle for Warhammer: Invasion The Card Game! With half of its 60 cards (three copies each of 20 unique cards) devoted to the ancient and powerful defenders of Ulthuan, Realm of the Phoenix King is an invaluable Battle Pack for players of the High Elf faction. Additionally, players of other factions will find a variety of useful tactics, units, and support options. The Empire’s most gifted engineers bring the mighty Clockwork Horse to the battlefield, while the Dark Elves’ Spawn of Kintearer strikes fear into the hearts of his foes. Meanwhile, thousands of Skavenslaves serve as shock troops for the verminous horde, and the Wood Elves’ Stag of the Sacred Glade charges forth from the forest, barreling through enemy defenses!


FFGCT14e CoC: Conspiracies of Chaos Revised Ed. $14.95 SRP	FFGCT48 CoC: Curse of the Jade Emperor Asylum Pack $14.95 SRP
Secrets and mysteries abound in a classic Asylum Pack, which is emerging from the shadows to crawl back into the light. Conspiracies of Chaos, the fifth Asylum Pack in the Forgotten Lore cycle of expansions for Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game, returns! Conspiracies of Chaos reintroduces to the Living Card Game environment this intriguing Asylum Pack, updated to the 60-card per pack format (3 copies each of 20 unique cards). The included cards have been updated to incorporate the most recent FAQ. In addition, the text on a number of cards has been altered from its original printing, adjusting for game balance and rules clarity. Among Conspiracies of Chaos’ features are six faction-specific conspiracies. Conspiracies are story cards that players can play from their own decks and win to further their goal of claiming three stories. The six conspiracies included within Conspiracies of Chaos play into one of each faction’s particular strengths. Also featured are an assortment of characters that thrive in a world of conspiracy–characters that grow stronger when a conspiracy is in play. In addition, this Asylum Pack also includes support cards and events that can wildly alter the tempo of the game.	The Great Old Ones' insidious reach continues to spread and Curse of the Jade Emperor, the second Asylum Pack of the Ancient Relics cycle, follows the tendrils of evil into the Far East. Prepare for restless dead, secret societies, and unholy artifacts! Ancient Relics is based on the theme of the global influence of the Ancient Ones and their cults and moves the action from H.P. Lovecraft's dread-filled New England to the wider world. In Curse of the Jade Emperor players will find exotic, yet hauntingly familiar characters and tales, pulled from the myths and legends of ancient China. The Middle Kingdom's undying past collides with a present made all the more uncertain through the interference of diverse otherworldly actors. The pull of China is strong and in Call of Cthulhu it attracts academics from Miskatonic University, eager to study the history and artifacts of one of the world's oldest civilizations. The forces of law and order also come to do battle with some of the world's deadliest criminal organizations. Curse of the Jade Emperor also follows Ancient Relics' over-arching theme of artifacts with great and terrible power reoccurring throughout history. Pack your bags for a voyage to the Orient in Curse of the Jade Emperor!

GENCON Trade Day

2011-07-31T17:09:00.000-05:00

If you are a gamer, you might have noticed that GENCON is coming up this week. For retailers, besides the biggest game show in the US, it's also the first of three Trade Day events, one day programs designed to offer seminars to retailers on such topics as building gaming communities, using email more effectively and expanding product lines, as well as presentations from assorted manufacturers. GENCON's Trade Day event appears solely sponsored by the convention, while the next two are a conjoined effort between GAMA and Wizard World, offering trade day sessions the day before the start of the Chicago Comic Con a week after GENCON and the Mid-Ohio Comic Con in Columbus Ohio this October.

From the looks of things, the two Wizard World presentations focus on retailer and manufacturer presentations, while the GENCON event adds a track in for educators and librarians as well.

Information Shortage on New Products.

2011-07-24T14:07:00.001-05:00

Working on putting in an order for new releases from our distributors and find that their catalogs (and websites for that matter) lack some very important information. I can't truly blame the distributors because they rely on the manufacturer to provide information information about the games (or other products listed). However, in looking over one distributor's pre-order catalog, I find a brief blurb describing how cool the game is and, in most but not all cases, a photo.

However, missing in almost all case is important information that people buying the game would want to know before they purchased it. How many people can play? What age groups can play? How long should a game take to play? That is important information a customer would want to have before they bought any boardgame off my shelves and I would really like to have the same information before deciding whether it is a good fit for my store or not.

In the case of RPG supplements, especially if it is a new company or one whose product I have not stocked previously, I want to know how many pages. Color or black and white? Is it suitable for beginning players or more experienced ones?

In both cases, I can ask my sales representative but it's woefully inefficient to expect them to go over over every items in the monthly pre-order form, especially when the manufacturer/publisher should have included such information.

Lair Assault for D&D 4th Edition

2011-07-16T17:27:00.000-05:00

WOTC's Lair Assault is designed for more experienced 4^th edition D&D players, preferable for a group that has played together a few sessions as the program empathizes both character and group design as well as tactical skills. Each month offers a very difficult challenge to the play group, with a number of puzzles and the extreme likelihood of defeat of the players, with the opportunity to come back and give the challenge another go later in the month if they fail the first time. Failure is expected and players are expected to tailor character design to specifically overcome the challenge and plan tactics to bring to the game outside of the session, which should last 2-3 hours, roughly twice as long as a session of D&D Encounters. WOTC recommends that only the most tactically minded players and GMs play in a Lair Assault Challenge, as less experienced players would quickly be defeated while an inexperienced DM might have problems with the complexity of the adventure.

Have a Dice Day!

2011-07-10T16:52:00.001-05:00

Just looking at the number of different lines of dice we stock in the store. Chessex is the dominant brand and our best selling line, mainly, I think, because of the plastic box packaging and the new color sets that are released several times a year. Surprisingly, at least here, the more expensive speckled and marbled colors outsell the flat colored opaque ones. I think our customers like to go through the sets and find one they haven't seen before to add to their collections. The flat colored opaques are common enough that everyone can find a set if they wish, but a Glow Blue/Yellow, now that's a color you won't easily find in other dice bags around the table.

Koplow is a dice line that has existed much longer than the Chessex line, as Koplow dates back to 1974, while Chessex was founded in 1987. Due to Chessex' much wider availability through distribution in the 1980s and 1990s, more stores adopted the Chessex line over Koplow. Koplow dice, for our store, have never achieved more than marginal sales with their Train Dice Game the best selling item that we stock from the company.

A second line that does OK for us, not nearly as well as the Chessex colors, is the Valiant Games line. For years, Valiant allows us to custom design sets for the store and even tag them with the store logo. Their pricing structure allows us to offer a 9 dice bagged set with our logo on the hang tag for the same MSRP as a similar Chessex set. However, customers still seem to prefer the Chessex line, likely becasue of the familiarity of the packaging and the ever changing selection of colors.

A third line that did much better when it first released was the Crystal Caste. The company came out with a line of oblong dice that really piqued customer interest. A bit pricier than the more standard Chessex and Koplow dice, the Chrystal Caste dice sold extremely well when first released, but that fascination waned and over the last few years, thought it still sells the oblong crystal dice, Christal Caste has recast itself, so to speak, as a more mainstream dice company, offering dice styles similar to those from Valiant, Chessex and Koplow, as well as a few innovations, such as the d1000 and semi-precious stone dice.

Upcoming Fantasy Flight Games

2011-07-08T17:46:00.000-05:00

Coming in August

FFGGE01

Gears of War

$69.95 SRP

FFGDU15

The Adventurers: The Pyramid of Horus

$49.99 SRP

Gears of War: The Board Game, designed by Corey Konieczka, is based on the wildly popular third-person shooter by Epic Games.

One to four players take on the roles of COG soldiers cooperating to destroy the Locust horde, and must work together to complete missions against an ingeniously challenging and varied game system. In Gears of War: The Board Game, you’ll relive classic moments from Gears of War and Gears of War 2 – Roadie Run into cover, spray your enemy with blind fire, or rip him in half with your Lancer’s chainsaw! In Gears of War: The Board Game you must fulfill one of seven randomly constructed missions, and support your fellow COGs as your team engages an unflinching enemy in furious, white-knuckle firefights!

Only through teamwork and communication will you gain a tactical advantage, completing your mission and striking a blow for humanity. You’ll need every soldier you can get if you hope to send the Locust horde back to their holes. Leave no man behind!

Hidden for centuries below the shifting Egyptian sands, the Pyramid of Horus sat undisturbed until a research expedition uncovered it. Filled with treasures, the pyramid is now a beacon summoning a group of exceptional Adventurers eager to put their hands on the priceless archaeological relics contained within.

Descend into an ancient Egyptian pyramid with The Adventurers: The Pyramid of Horus, a standalone board game of danger and exploration for 2-6 players. In this fast-paced and tense experience, whichever player escapes from the pyramid alive and with the highest Treasure value wins the game. Will you emerge bearing priceless archeological treasures or will you succumb to the mortal dangers waiting inside?

As an Adventurer you can explore the pyramid, searching for archaeological relics hidden or buried in four chambers or corridors. But perils haunt your pursuit of treasure, and falling stones threaten to trap you inside forever if they obstruct the only way out. Adventurers must also be wary of hidden threats that can wound them and living mummies who roam the corridors!

Product Image

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FFGDU16

Arcana Revised Edition

$34.95 SRP

FFGTY05

Hey, Thats My Fish!

$11.95 SRP

Are you ambitious and cunning enough to rule the city of Cadwallon?

In the revised edition of Arcana 2-4 guild leaders send their loyal Agents into the districts of Cadwallon to entice, bribe, or win over powerful citizens, buy precious treasures, and utilize locations. Whichever player earns the most victory points wins!

This vibrant game creates a fantastical atmosphere for players to enjoy while they attempt to best their opponents through strategic card play. Make your guild the most influential by winning Stake cards and strengthening your deck with impressive Personalities, advantageous Locations, or tempting Relics to use in bribery.

The revised edition of Arcana introduces two new guilds, and six new rule options for players to choose from, or play with them all for a more challenging experience. Players can customize their guild, fulfill objectives, recruit Militia, invoke the ability of their Guild Masters, affect game play through random events, or optimize tactical strategy through card discards. Which variant will you use in your game?

Hey, That’s My Fish! is an engaging, award-winning board game of strategic fish hunting, in which 2-4 players control determined penguins hungry for their next meal on a bustling Antarctic ice floe.

Since Hey, That’s My Fish! was originally published in 2003, it has become widely popular as an engrossing and strategic board game for casual family and tactical play. This definitive edition of the game includes 60 hexagons to create your ice floe with new artwork renditions of fish, 1 rules sheet, and 16 newly sculpted, colorful and animated penguin miniatures.

Hey, That’s My Fish! is frenzied fun for any setting, from a light and family-friendly experience to a tense and strategically satisfying face-off. Easy to learn, this exciting board game is accessible for players of any experience level, from casual to competitive gamer. Hey, That’s My Fish! is also infinitely replayable; its randomly constructed board of 60 hexagonal tiles will have you honing your strategy with every new map.

Can you waddle your way to dinner? Secure the best fishing ground with Hey, That’s My Fish!

August Munchkin

2011-07-07T21:25:00.001-05:00

Expected in August

SJG4227

Munchkin Conan the Barbarian Booster

$5.95 SRP

SJG1482

Munchkin Zombies 2 - Armed and Dangerous

$19.95 SRP

At last . . . the Munchkin meets the mightiest barbarian of all! In collaboration with Paradox Entertainment, producers of the new Conan the Barbarian movie, Steve Jackson Games brings Conan into the world of Munchkin!

Wear the Mask of Acheron or the Barbarian Booties! Wield the Sword of Corin or the Stygian Talons! Defeat the Sand Warriors, the hideous Dweller . . . or Khalar Zym himself! The backs of these cards match the original fantasy-based Munchkin set, but of course Conan can kick monster butt in any Munchkin game!

Return of the (un)Living Munchkins! Munchkin Zombies 2 – Armed and Dangerous includes 112 new cards for Munchkin Zombies.

Players can wield their Trained Attack Flies and Prehensile Tongue against the Zombie Gamer, or be the Rankest of the Rank and use the Power of SCIENCE against the dread Survivalist. Includes a new Power, “Hungry,” and a new Mojo . . . the Patchwork Zombie! This is an expansion for Munchkin Zombies.

It is not a stand-alone game.

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SJG5515

+6 Bag O Munchkin Level Counters

$9.99 SRP

The newest “+6 Bag” Munchkin game accessory is here!

The +6 Bag o’ Munchkin Level Counters gives players attractive, easy-to-read level counter dials themed to match six of the most popular Munchkin core sets.

Pazio Release Schedule

2011-06-29T09:47:00.002-05:00

Here's the release schedule for a number of Pathfinder products over the next several months.
PZO 1118

Pathfinder Ultimate Combat HC

$39.99

RPG

8/4/2011

Seize the initiative and chop your foes to pieces with this exciting new guide to the art of martial combat for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game! Introducing three new classes (the ninja, samurai, and gunslinger), this comprehensive reference features tons of new tricks and techniques for combat-oriented character classes that puts a sharp edge on your weapons and a sure step in your tactics, ranging from new barbarian rage powers, new cavalier orders, tons of new rogue talents, and more than 60 new archetypes for nearly every Pathfinder character class, including spellcasters like wizards and clerics.

PZO 1119

Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box

$34.99

RPG

10/19/2011

Take your first steps into an exciting world of fantasy adventure with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box! Within you'll find simple rules to create and customize your own hero, as well as a robust system to run your character through challenging adventures and deadly battles against villainous monsters like goblins and dragons! The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box is packed with everything you need to get started including a 64-page Hero's Handbook, a 96-page Game Master's Guide, a complete set of seven high-impact polyhedral dice, four pre-generated and four blank character sheets, and a durable, reusable, double-sided Flip-Mat play surface that works with any kind of marker.

PZO 3018

Gamemastery Chase Card Deck

$10.99

RPG

7/13/2011

What happens when the bad guy grabs the magic idol and then races off through the city streets? You give chase! But as any fan of cinematic chases knows, there's more to a chase than simply running faster - there's all those obstacles that get in the way. With GameMastery: Chase Cards, all of these perils and short cuts are put at your fingertips. By laying a line of these cards down on your table, you can track each character's progress through a path fraught with perils - along with all of the die rolls needed to avoid or navigate these unexpected dangers. These three chases each consist of 17 different cards (representing a total of over a hundred possible perils).

PZO 3020

Gamemastery Face Cards Jade Regent

$10.99

RPG

8/4/2011

On the other side of the world, in the courts of the Jade Regent, the right equipment can mean the difference between life and death, honor and shame. From ninja weapons like shuriken and kusarigama to eastern armors, scrolls, and more, this 54-card deck includes full-color illustrations you can use to give life and visual flair to the items and treasure of the eastern-themed Jade Regent Adventure Path.

PZO 4033

Gamemastery Map Pack Shrines

$12.99

RPG

8/4/2011

GameMastery Map Pack: Shrines contains 18 full-color, 5 x 8-inch map tiles, stunningly crafted by cartographer Jason Engle, that combine to form a variety of locales ranging from the diabolic to the divine! Locations include: an Altar to the Old Gods, a Sylvan Pool, an Urban Shrine, a Dwarven Forge, a Ruined Temple, an Eastern Shrine, Standing Stones, a Sacrificial Chamber, and a Wayside Shrine.

PZO 4034

Gamemastery Map Pack Mines

$12.99

RPG

10/19/2011

GameMastery Map Pack: Mines contains 18 full-color, 5 x 8-inch map tiles, stunningly crafted by cartographer Jason Engle, that combine to form a variety of mine-themed locales destined to strike it rich! Locations include: Mine Entrance, Customizable Mine Tracks, Caverns, Mother Lode, Chasms, and Cave-Ins.

PZO 8032

Planet Stories Planet Killers

$15.99

Novel

7/13/2011

by Robert Silverberg The Planet Killers includes three novel-length adventures by science fiction Grand Master and multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winner Robert Silverberg: The Planet Killers, The Plot Against Earth, and One of Our Asteroids is Missing.

PZO 8505

Pathfinder Tales Master of Devils

$9.99

Novel

8/4/2011

by Dave Gross On a mysterious errand for the Pathfinder Society, Count Varian Jeggare and his hellspawn bodyguard, Radovan, journey to the distant land of Tian Xia, on the far side of the world. Together with an unlikely army of beasts and spirits, the two companions must take the lead in an ancient conflict that will carry them through an exotic land, all the way to the Gates of Heaven and Hell and a final confrontation with the nefarious Master of Devils!

PZO 9047

Pathfinder Adv Path Ashes at Dawn

$19.99

RPG

7/13/2011

A murderer stalks the streets of Caliphas - a slasher who only hunts a particular type of victim: vampires. As the heroes track the cultists of the Whispering Way, they lose their quarry amid the mazelike alleys of Ustalav's crowded capital city. But from the shadows, a dark patron rises with offers of aid and insights into the cult's ultimate evil. What they uncover is a conspiracy of blood, and a union of evils willing to risk both life and undeath in the pursuit of ever-lasting youth! A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 11th-level characters, Ashes at Dawn continues the Carrion Crown Adventure Path.

PZO 9048

Pathfinder Adv Path Shadows of Gallowspire

$19.99

RPG

7/20/2011

With relics gathered from across the land, the death-worshipers travel to the most feared location in the Pathfinder campaign setting, the tower of Gallowspire, wherein lurk the deathless remains of the immortal evil wizard known as the Whispering Tyrant. There the cultists plot to conduct a ritual to resurrect the notorious villain, using their collected relics to transform an innocent into a new undead body for the imprisoned archmage! A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 13th-level characters, Shadows of Gallowspire brings the Carrion Crown Adventure Path to its climactic conclusion!

PZO 9049

Pathfinder Adv Path Jade Regent Part 1 - Brinewall Legacy

$19.99

RPG

8/4/2011

When the Licktoad Goblins of Brinestump Marsh get a hold of a crate of fireworks, adventurers are needed to handle the explosive and annoying situation. But in vanquishing the pyromaniac goblins, the heroes uncover a secret that has been hidden in the marsh for nearly a quarter of a century - a secret that sends them north to the mysterious ruins of Brinewall Castle, where a powerful legacy waits to be rediscovered! A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 1st-level characters, Brinewall Legacy launches the Jade Regent Adventure Path, a sweeping quest that takes the heroes from familiar territory in Varisia all the way across the ice fields of the Crown of the World to distant Tian Xia, the land of the Dragon Empires.

PZO 9050

Pathfinder Adv Path Jade Regent Part 2 - Night of Frozen Shadow

$19.99

RPG

9/21/2011

The first stage of the expedition from Varisia to distant Minkai begins with a journey into the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, where the heroes must prepare for the coming ordeal in which they must traverse the northern continent known as the Crown of the World. In order to recover an ancient weapon that will help them face the Jade Regent, the adventurers must clash with the mysterious assassin's guild known only as the Frozen Shadows! A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 4th-level characters, Night of Frozen Shadow continues the Jade Regent Adventure Path.

PZO 9051

Pathfinder Adv Path Jade Regent Part 3 - The Hungry Storm

$19.99

RPG

10/19/2011

Navigating Golarion's frozen northern continent, the so-called "Crown of the World," to reach the distant land of Minkai, the heroes learn that a monstrous entity is manipulating the blizzards and storms of the north, and unless she's defeated they'll find themselves but the latest victim of the Hungry Storm! A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 7th-level characters, The Hungry Storm continues the Jade Regent Adventure Path.

PZO 9234

Pathfinder Camp Setting Dungeons/Golarion

$19.99

RPG

7/13/2011

From the deadly heights of Gallowspire to the treacherous depths of the Darklands, Dungeons of Golarion presents a wide-ranging overview of six of the most dangerous delves in the Pathfinder world. With rough maps, adventure hooks, encounter charts, and notes on key enemies and treasures, this guidebook provides the framework for GMs to make these fantastic locations their own, including Gallowspire, home of the lich-king known as the Whispering Tyrant, Hollow Mountain, seat of a fallen Runelord, the legendary Red Redoubt of Karamoss outside Absalom, and more!

PZO 9235

Pathfinder Camp Setting PF Society Field Gu

$19.99

RPG

This handy reference contains everything an adventuring agent of the Pathfinder Society needs to survive in the wild and wooly world of Golarion. From tips on information networks and secret orders within the Society itself, to new equipment and ways to use your Pathfinder training to unlock special character abilities, the Pathfinder Society Field Guide is 100% legal for play in the international Pathfinder Society Organized Play shared world campaign, and an invaluable reference for players and GMs alike.

PZO 9236

Pathfinder Camp Set Carrion Crown Pstr Map

$15.99

RPG

7/13/2011

Within this map folio you'll find a huge, 8-panel poster map of the mist-haunted realm of Ustalav, along with four, 4-panel poster maps of the gothic cities of Ardis, Caliphas, Karcau, and Lepidstadt, several of which serve as settings for the terrors of the Carrion Crown Adventure Path.

PZO 9237

Pathfinder Camp Setting Inner Sea Magic

$19.99

RPG

8/4/2011

Magic has suffused the Inner Sea region for thousands of years. This Pathfinder sourcebook takes a detailed look at the magical traditions of the Inner Sea, including rules for magic variants, examinations of how magic is taught, and how the spellcasters of the region have chosen to specialize in various forms of magic. Also included are two new oracle mysteries, 18 new archetypes for spellcasting classes, a pair of new prestige classes, and a wide selection of unique, unusual, and exciting new spells for all who would seek to master the art of magic.

PZO 9238

Pathfinder Camp Setting Lands/Linnorm Kings

$19.99

RPG

9/21/2011

This in-depth gazetteer explores the legendary Lands of the Linnorm Kings, a northern realm of larger-than-life adventure where Viking kings earn the right to rule by defeating enormous, primeval dragons - linnorms! From the rugged western islands of the Ironbound Archipelago to the battleworn expanse known as Hagreach in the east, this volume contains detailed treatments of all the major locales in the region, plus numerous adventure sites and campaign themes, and information on several new monsters and pre-built enemy NPCs, such as remorseless longship captains, berserkers, new trolls, and the most powerful linnorm in the land - dread Fafnheir!

PZO 9239

Pathfinder Camp Setting Horsemen/Apocalypse

$19.99

RPG

10/19/2011

Devils may seek to corrupt your faith and mind, and demons certainly look to twist your body and destroy your home. But the fiends known as daemons seek something altogether more fundamental from mortals - they seek life itself! Evil without the distraction of binding law or capricious chaos, they look to the world with hungry eyes for fresh souls to consume. Horsemen of the Apocalypse continues the Book of the Damned series by taking a detailed look at the daemons - ushers of catastrophe and harbingers of disaster. Personifying the worst ways a person can die, daemons constitute the third arm of major fiendish races, hailing from the nightmare realm of Abaddon, where they are led by four legendary figures - the so-called Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

PZO 9418

Pathfinder Plyer Companion Faiths of Balance

$10.99

RPG

7/13/2011

Between good and evil dwell some of the most interesting and involved gods of the Pathfinder world - from stern Abadar, god of cities, to vengeful Calistria, goddess of lust and revenge. This player-focused guide provides details on the history, dogma, and religious practices of those who follow deities who walk between darkness and light.

PZO 9419

Pathfinder Player Companion Goblins/Golarion

$10.99

RPG

8/4/2011

The bane of chicken coops and untended children across Golarion, manic and murderous goblins sow their unique brand of malicious mischief throughout the Pathfinder world. Now you can take up your dogslicer and ride your goblin dog into battle against shrieking villagers and half-wit adventurers as a goblin yourself! New goblin-focused character traits and rules put you in the role of a pint-sized psychopath in this definitive guide to Pathfinder's most popular monstrous menaces!

PZO 9420

Pathfinder Player Companion Faiths/Corrupt

$10.99

RPG

10/19/2011

Learn the hideous secrets and vile rituals of Golarion's most evil cults, from the lord of all devils Asmodeus to the apocalyptic monstrousness of Rovagug. These deities are the villains of the cosmos, sadists and manipulators who view mortal life as a resource at best, or cattle to be fed upon at worst. Yet even the gods of corruption do not directly interfere in the workings of humanity - they leave that to their faithful, a despicable lot who spend their lives in the pursuit of cruelty, trickery, and violence. Faiths of Corruption presents an overview of the evil-aligned religions and faiths of the Pathfinder campaign setting, along with new rules and information to help players customize pious characters in both flavor and mechanics.

PZO 9532

Pathfinder Mod The Harrowing

$13.99

RPG

7/13/2011

The mysterious cards of the Harrow Deck have been used to foretell futures and fortunes for countless generations. Legends tell of Harrow Decks that can instantly alter a person's life, for good or for ill, but the most outlandish of these legends speak of entire worlds created by the Harrow - realms modeled after the exotic and frightening locales pictured in the cards, and populated by strange people and stranger creatures. So, when the heroes are hired to investigate a mysterious disappearance that leads to this strange dimension within the cards of the Harrow itself, anything is possible! The Harrowing is a Pathfinder adventure designed for 9th-level characters.

PZO 9533

Pathfinder Module Feast of Ravenmoor

$13.99

RPG

9/21/2011

Hidden away in the uplands of Varisia, the remote village of Ravenmoor has never been eager to attract visitors. But when a tax collector vanishes on a trip into the town, Ravenmoor suddenly becomes a spotlight of attention. What strange surprises await those chosen to investigate the tax collector's disappearances, and does the vanishing have anything to do with Ravenmoor's upcoming seasonal feast? Feast of Ravenmoor is a horror/mystery-themed Pathfinder Module for 3rd-level characters.

PZO SQW30040

Gamemastery Flip Mat Haunted Dungeons

$12.99

Accessories

7/13/2011

Few locales inspire more horror among fantasy gamers than the dungeon, and GameMastery Flip-Mat: Haunted Dungeon provides tons of terror and traps to trouble legions of would-be heroes! This portable map measures 24" x 30" unfolded, with a coated surface designed to handle any dry erase, wet erase, or even permanent marker.

PZO SQW30041

Gamemastery Flip Mat Monastery

$12.99

Accessories

9/21/2011

Some of the worldÕs greatest battles take place in monasteries dedicated to fighting mastery, and GameMastery Flip-Mat: Monastery sets the scene for legendary kung-fu battles! One side features a training courtyard complete with a massive gong, while the other reveals a secret underground ninja training facility.

PZO ZOEDR001

Dorkness Rising Special Ed DVD

$19.99

DVD

9/21/2011

Struggling writer Lodge (Nathan Rice) isn't asking for much: he wants his gaming group to finish playtesting his table-top adventure, rather than killing, looting, and debauching his fantasy world. Desperate to save the integrity of his story from the whims of his players' crazy characters, Lodge allows Joanna (Carol Roscoe) to join the game. With Joanna's help, the group's characters progress deeper into the fantasy game world to retrieve the Mask of Death from the evil necromancer Mort Kemnon (Geoff Gibbs). Will their choices in the game save their friendships in real life... or will Mort Kemnon triumph unopposed? A hilarious adventure through a world of Swords & Sorcery, The Gamers: Dorkness Rising has been digitally remastered for this definitive DVD.

Origins Awards

2011-06-28T12:37:00.001-05:00

The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Announces 37th Annual Origins Awards Winners

COLUMBUS, OH (June 26, 2011) The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design is proud to announce the winners for the 37th Annual Origins Awards.

The Origins Awards are presented annually by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design to recognize outstanding achievement in design and production of games and game-related products.

The winners were voted on by attendees at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH in June 2011 from the nominees in each category chosen by retailers at the GAMA Trade Show. The winners were announced and the coveted Calliope statues were presented at the Origins Awards Ceremony on the evening of Saturday June 25th.

The Academy would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the jury members, GAMA staff, and everyone who submitted a product to the 37th annual Origins Awards.

Best Roleplaying Game – The Dresden Files RPG: Your Story by Evil Hat Productions

Best Roleplaying Supplement – Our World (The Dresden Files RPG) by Evil Hat Productions

Best Board Game – Castle Ravenloft by Wizards of the Coast

Best Traditional Card Game – Back to the Future: The Card Game by Looney Labs, Inc.

Best Family, Party or Children’s Game – Zombie Dice by Steve Jackson Games

Best Gaming Accessory – Cthulhu Dice Bag by Steve Jackson Games

Best Miniatures Rules – DC HeroClix Blackest Knight Starter Game by WizKids/NECA

Best Historical Board Game – Catan Histories – Settlers of America: Trails to Rails by Mayfair Games

Best Game-Related Publication – Shadowrun: Spells and Chrome by Catalyst Game Labs

Best Play-By-Mail – Legends – The One Ring by Game Systems International Limited