Updates on Swords & Shaman:

When I last published here, we had some things in flight and still do. Though it seems that it is probably time to share a little bit more.

Right now, the future of LRI seems uncertain. 

With only two sole content creators, and a career that requires most of my time and pays the bills, it really isn't feasible to try to keep up with the content creation required to support an independent TTRPG in the current day.  From a business perspective, it would have made more sense to just sell this as an addon for an existing system.

From a gaming perspective, however, we wanted to make something that was independent and could be played on its own. We wanted to give gamers the room to change and make the setting and rules their own. Much like we did when playing RPGs in the 80s, when not everything came with 100+ supplements detailing everything that already existed in the game.

Our play-testers have also moved on, making it challenging to complete any new rules or gauge 'what is fun'.

So where does that leave things?

The Swords & Shaman Game

Since early spring, I have been diligently collecting alternate and house rules for Swords & Shaman, to include in a 'Definitive Edition' of the game. The intention here was to polish some of the rough edges that we didn't like over the years. Like any game, it isn't perfect and there are still things I would probably change, but I think this will be where it 'lands'.

As it stands today, without art, it is currently over 230 pages of 10pt font for easy reading. I expect that it will grow significantly from that.

Other significant aspects:

• The book compiles rules from both the Player's and Game Master's books into one book.
• Levels were removed, instead PCs just accumulate raw AP to purchase improvements.
• Classes were removed, instead the AP costs become the limiting factor on character abilities. (Leading to more diversity of options while still making choices matter).
• Advanced Magic is formally implemented, no more spells per day. There is a magic pool to spend from that is replenished with rest. Every spell comes at a specified cost.
• Armor lists are more generic/simplified
• Additional Creatures added
• Improved stat block layout for creatures
• Additional Deities
• Updates/Clarifications/Revisions to spells and abilities
  

A Possible Graphic Novel

Earlier this year, I completed a manuscript for the first Swords & Shaman graphic novel. The proposed page count lands at 79, though I'm sure that some editing and revisions may still be necessary. 

Ideally, I would like to communicate stories in the setting that can be tied back into the game, perhaps even with stat blocks of individual creatures at the end. The stories are meant to be in keeping with the 'canon'.

Right now, it sits somewhere in a publisher's queue for review. We have no artist commissioned to work on the effort as we simply can't afford it at the moment. We feel that the artists should always be paid for their efforts, even if we are not

I hope to post more updates soon!