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Post by CRTaylor on Aug 11, 2019 6:03:37 GMT
I'm gonna let slip here on the unofficial board that I'm at work on a new project. It is a rebuild of an old Hero book, updating it and adding new materials and ideas. This is going very quickly since most of the heavy lifting has been done.
Its also good practice for me when I put out the Jolrhos Player's Guide, building a player-friendly book for making characters in a setting. My goal is to make it as quick, friendly, and easy to use as possible with light on the rules and examples for players, but just the basics of what you need to get a character made and jump into the game. The part on building characters, for example, is about 30 pages (but of course there are no powers to describe).
As it nears completion I'll give more info.
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Post by CRTaylor on Aug 21, 2019 2:56:51 GMT
(drum roll)
I'm currently working with Hero Games to update and produce a 6th edition version of Western Hero. Writing is underway, but official approval and announcements will have to wait until Champions Now comes out at least. This is a major project, meant to be an official Hero product, not a Kestrel Arts joint.
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Post by CRTaylor on Aug 22, 2019 17:52:23 GMT
Jason has indicated he is very interested in this idea, but that it has to wait because they have too much on the table. Its fun writing this, because I'm also using it as a platform to study how to write up my Jolrhos Player's Guide. The first part of the book (which is the equivalent of the Player's Guide) I'm trying to write very player-friendly, so its as simple to use and focused on how to play rather than a batch of rules for the GM as I can make it.
Its also interesting working up the rules in a Heroic-focus instead of Superheroic. So things like Knockback become optional, and certain combat maneuvers are not as common. I'm writing this up as a stand-alone, so you can pick up Western Hero and nothing else, and play it "out of the box."
As we get closer to it being approved, I would like to post sections here for editing and people to look over and give input on. If people are interested, that would be a big help and I think both the product and the community would benefit as a whole for it.
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drj
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by drj on Aug 31, 2019 22:02:40 GMT
Excellent news! I had a copy back in the day and really enjoyed it. Really looking forward to 6E!
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Post by CRTaylor on Sept 20, 2019 3:29:53 GMT
Got the bulk of the main rules and character creation stuff done, first draft. Gonna put it on the shelf for a bit now and work on my next FH module while I wait for word from Jason. The campaign stuff in the 4th edition book can be ported over pretty directly, although I want to add another adventure and a few more adventure ideas. And there's some other little stuff.
I'm inclined to drop the gallery of historical characters down to maybe two or three really strong archetypes, and put the rest online. Also I think a file of "the Greatest Guns Who Never Were" like the Dragon Magazine had a few of as an online freebie would be fun too, guys like The Man With No Name, Harmonica, and Maverick.
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Post by CRTaylor on Oct 1, 2019 15:56:48 GMT
OK I got the go-ahead for the Western Hero book, so its official now. Its not going to be a single stand alone book, but part of the Hero Games "Community Content" program, whatever that is.
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Post by CRTaylor on Oct 3, 2019 4:24:07 GMT
I'm having some fun with the original story and characters that were in the first Western Hero edition. I've been modifying the story a little, editing a little, and I changed one of the brothers into a sister. I'm not super fond of SJW retrofitting changes for the sake of diversity, but I did want to make the game's text feel more welcoming to lady players, so I've removed as much of the gender-specific language (he rolls 3d6) and put Claire into the stories instead of Clint.
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Post by CRTaylor on Oct 7, 2019 0:31:46 GMT
In addition to the Deadwood campaign, I'm adding in an intro adventure loosely inspired by an old Dragon Magazine Boot Hill town taming adventure. I want to give plenty of adventure ideas and scenarios so GMs can step into a campaign without needing to come up with too much on their own.
But I'm going to drop the extensive section on historical figures. I think they're best done as a free download on the Hero site than in the book, along with a bunch of fictional characters as well like The Man With No Name and Harmonica. That way people can have examples without padding the book too much. And there's no need for a bestiary, since Hero has all that stuff in their own book already.
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Post by CRTaylor on Oct 19, 2019 17:58:01 GMT
The cover design is an area of some concern for me. I never liked the WH cover, although it worked okay. I'm very limited on funds and options, although I have dream artists I'd love to have do a cover for me. I have a few ideas, but its going to be a matter of coming up with something on my own.
Thankfully the bulk of Remington's sketches are free to use, and there is a ton of free western art out there to pull from. And I have found some great resources for schematics of various locations, buildings, and vehicles from the era. So interior art will be a snap, rather than months of delay like usual for my books.
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Post by CRTaylor on Nov 27, 2019 4:57:04 GMT
first draft and editing pass is done, now doing the book assembly and second editing pass
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Post by CRTaylor on Dec 21, 2019 23:46:35 GMT
Rough draft and illustrations done (except for a couple drawings and cover). All built, its just under 270 pages.
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Post by CRTaylor on Jan 17, 2020 4:51:34 GMT
Got word from Jason; he wants to release this as an official Hero book, not a player-release. Kestrel Arts will still be the company responsible for creating the book but it will be owned by Hero and sold by them.
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Post by CRTaylor on Feb 15, 2020 16:18:16 GMT
Editing is complete and I'm working on the cover now. Should be in Hero's hands before the end of the month, I hope it will be out before Spring.
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Post by CRTaylor on Feb 26, 2020 0:50:48 GMT
Western Hero is wrapped up and at Hero Games being looked over. They're going to build a cover for it, so we'll see how it looks when that's done. I hope to have this out by Spring.
Meanwhile I'm building character(s). I built a folio of historical characters, and now I'm working on fictional ones. They'll be up on the Hero Games free files section soon as the book comes out, for anyone to download and use.
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Post by CRTaylor on Mar 13, 2020 23:32:50 GMT
Uploaded two files to the Hero downloads page, and adding them to my site. The Greatest Guns Who Never Were - western heroes from movies, comics, books, radio, and television shows The Greatest Guns of History - historical western figures from Bass Reynolds to Wyatt Earp These are free downloads for people to use in their games. Great for Pulp Hero (grizzled old cowboys), Gaslight/Victorian campaigns and Steampunk, and of course Western Hero! Oh yeah, I'm also releasing a Youtube playlist with the publication. At the beginning of each section I quote lyrics from cowboy and western songs (not country, the old west stuff). The playlist includes all the songs quoted.
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