Writing for the Ducks

As some of you may know, my first published product for Dungeon Crawl Classics was also Purple Duck Game's first DCC product - AL 1: Bone Hoard of the Dancing Horror. It's nearly five years later, and I have 24 products with Purple Duck Games, either already out or nearly there. I've written for other publishers as well - they're like Pokemon; I gotta catch 'em all - but it is Purple Duck that I keep coming back to.

So, the purpose of this blog post is twofold: First, I want to convince you, budding would-be adventure writer, that you should submit to Purple Duck. Second, I want to tell you about a Patreon project Purple Duck Games just started.

As to the first, Mark Gedak, the publisher of Purple Duck Games, is a great guy who has never in any way, shape, or form been anything less than a joy to work with. If you don't know it, publishers in this industry bleed money. After paying for writing, art, cartography, and layout, every project leaves them in a hole waiting for the Gentle Reader to become the Gentle Buyer and dig them out. Despite being the first hand out in the Great Bloodletting that is getting a project from manuscript to print, I have never once had to nudge Mark, or began to wonder if he had forgotten.

In fact, I have approached Purple Duck Games on more than one occasion, with a wild scheme that required him to making payments before a manuscript even existed. Not only did Mark Gedak give me help and advice, on all of those occasions he bought into the project, taking the upfront costs out of his own coffers. Of course, we already had a working relationship at that point, but even so Purple Duck Games has treated me more than fairly.

Purple Duck Games has also supported me when I wanted to help my friend, Raechel Henderson, with her kickstarter (this is why you can get Prince Charming, Reanimator, as a free pdf) and in terms of prize support for Odyssey Con this April. (Other prizes are supplied by Shinobi27 Games, Straycouches Press, and Goodman Games!)

If you're looking for a publisher open to new authors, and that has both the desire and tools to help you succeed, you could do far worse than Purple Duck Games.

Which brings me to my second aim: To announce (and support) the Dungeon Crawl Classics Patreon set up by Purple Duck Games.

This Patreon is designed to help fund the development of further Dungeon Crawl Classics Role-Playing Game from Purple Duck Games. It will allow Purple Duck to continue to offer releases in the AL, CE, FT, Dispatches and PM lines and provide both their writers and artists with a greater return on their investment.

The initial release schedule would look something like:

1st - AL 8: Fire in the Mountain by Daniel J. Bishop
2nd - Dispatches IV by Daniel J. Bishop
3rd - PM 1 - Temple of the Locust Lord by Daniel J. Bishop and Mark Gedak

Everything in that tentative initial release schedule is already written.

It should be clear to you, Gentle Reader, that my name comes up a bit often on the DCC side of Purple Duck Games' catalog. There is plenty of room for other writers in that stable!

Purple Duck Games can be reached at their Facebook page if you want to pitch an idea. I encourage you to do so. The AL Series needs more writers, and not everything Purple Duck Games does needs to be part of a series - witness the excellent Death Slaves of Eternity by Marzio Muscedere!

In any event, please consider the Patreon, because there is a lot more coming from the Ducks!

Odyssey Con

I will be a Featured Gamer at Odyssey Con 17, April 28th - 30th at the Radisson Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin. So, by the way, will the estimable Brendan LaSalle!

Here's what I'll be running there:

Incursion of the Ultradimension
Friday, 2-6 pm
MCC level  2 - no experience necessary - all materials provided

It rises—silent, ancient, and ominous—from the depths of the Monster Ocean. A curious relic of the Ancient Ones, long forgotten beneath the waves. Then, without warning, alien creatures never before seen on Terra A.D. spill forth the ravage the land! This is the Retreat of Delirium, home to strange super-science and creatures not of this world. What fiendish plans do they have in store for the rad-blasted world of Mutant Crawl Classics? Venture through the Retreat’s glowing door and discover what awaits beyond!

This is a Mutant Crawl Classics playtest, written by none other than manly Michael Curtis!

Bone Hoard of the Dancing Horror
Friday, 8 - 11 pm
DCC 2nd level - no experience necessary - all materials provided

Terrible horrors lurk in the workshop of Dellspero the Philosopher. Though Dellspero has been missing for ages, does his lair still contain the secret magics he worked with?

The Imperishable Sorceress
Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm
DCC level 1 - no experience necessary - all materials provided

As the adventurers pass through a mundane door, they are startled to find themselves unexpectedly in a frozen landscape. A distant woman’s voice whispers a welcome, and the characters are thrust into a tale of spirits and ancient secrets.

The Arwich Grinder
Saturday, 8-11 pm
DCC 0-level funnel - no experience necessary - all materials provided
Not for kids!

The Curwen Family have lived up among the pine woods on the outskirts of Arwich Village for as long as the oldest village gaffers can remember. The beautiful Bessie Curwen's bonnet is found in a strange creature's grasp. The village owes much to her family, so someone must go up into the dark pine-clad hills to make sure that the Curwens are all right. After all, the Curwens saved the village from starvation two winters ago. If you do not go, who will?


 Hope to see you there!

Caring About Characters and Plot

In his most recent "Roleplaying Tips" email, John Four writes:

How do you get players to care about their characters and your plot?

This is in the top 10 questions I get asked all the time. It's tough to do. Today I'll share one approach to encounter building that's part of the 5 Room Dungeon product I'm working on that helps you solve this tricky problem.

Here's the situation. You slave away crafting an awesome situation using the encounter triangle. You've got location, foes, and plot. You even add green flocking to your minis.
But then the hobos rip right through it. As the first foe starts to parley, the barbarian hurls a handful of dice in his face and cleaves the second guy on the backswing.

You then try to roleplay during the combat. But each word just buys the PCs time to sharpen their weapons, including the cleric (hey, how did the cleric get an edged weapon!).

In frustration, you bargain.

Johnn: "Hey guys, these baddies might have some important information. Maybe you should try talking to them."

Hobo 1: "Nah. We'll cast Speak With Dead after the XP cha-ching."

Hobo 2: "Forget that bro! Don't waste the spell slot."

Hobo 1: "Heh. Could good call, droogie. Hack on!"

The problem that John is describing here is a direct result of the PCs' actions having no consequences.

If the baddies have important information, and the PCs slaughter them, let the PCs find that out the hard way. Now the characters have a problem of their own creation to deal with, and the GM should absolutely not be helping them out. What he should be doing is letting them know that "John the Knife knew, but he was slain by adventurers some time back" or whatever is appropriate. Let them know they made the problem. And then let them solve it.

Here's another potential consequence: The PCs cannot always go through the baddies like a hot knife through butter. What if the GM occasionally includes baddies that can beat the PCs? Or can be so costly to beat, in terms of resources, that the fight is more of a loss even if the PCs win? There is no reason for the players to try diplomacy if the sword always works.

If you want the PCs to talk to your villains, you need to make sure they see, early on, that powerful foes are willing to talk to them, rather than simply wiping the floor with them. You also need to let the players see that this works....rather than stripping the PCs naked and taking all of their stuff, a powerful monster will let them go for information. And, perhaps, that powerful monster offers them some information if the PCs are reasonably polite.

Nor do the PCs always have to meet the baddies in a bleak dungeon with no one else around. Why not during a masked ball, a church service, at a wedding or a funeral, etc.? There are all kinds of circumstances where swords and spells are simply unacceptable.

You get players to care about their characters by making them work for what they get.

You get players to care about your plot by making understanding your plot integral to that work.

When players have to work to make their characters what they want, not only is there an actual history to the character, which the player can take pride in, but the character represents the effort of the player. And you can be certain that players value their own effort!

That said, if your game depends upon the players making a particular choice, you've got a problem, because players will often make some other choice...and they should be able to do so.

Dispatches 3 Now Available in Print

Dispatches Vol 3 is now available in print.


Sorry about the lack of strong content in this blog over the last few months. Product announcements are all find & dandy, but I promise to get back into more meat & potatoes posting as well this year.

GaryCon Event Registration

I will be running the following events at GaryCon. Tickets are now available:

Escape From Terror Island

Event #30, Thursday at 2 pm (4 hours)

Gnome Jambalaya 

Event #36, Friday at 10 am (4 hours)

Stars in the Darkness

Event #38, Saturday at 2 pm (5 hours)

The Revelation of Mulmo

Event #39, Saturday at 10 pm (5 hours)

The Tomb of the Squonk

Event #40, Sunday at 10 am (3 hours)

Hope to see you there!

GaryCon Ho!

Next year, GaryCon is being held from March 23rd to 26th in the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I will be there, and I will be running games. I hope that some of you may also make it to GaryCon, and that we will be able to sling dice together.

The full schedule is not yet available, but I will be running:

• Escape From Terror Island
• Gnome Jambalaya
• Stars in the Darkness
• The Revelation of Mulmo
• The Tomb of the Squonk

The first two are unpublished funnels, so playtest credits are ripe to be had!

Purple Duck Sale

If there is anything you'd like, that you haven't picked up yet, Purple Duck has a 30% off sale through to Monday.

Pretty In Print

Purple Duck Games has just made Marzio Muscedere's Death Slaves of Eternity and my own CE 7 - The Giggling Deep available in print. If you were waiting for print, you need wait no longer.

In related news, if you are not waiting for print, CE 8 - Goblins of the Faerie Woods is also out, containing two classes for goblin adventurers.

The Bone Hoard is Getting the Print Treatment

Bone Hoard of the Dancing Horror is the first published work I did for Dungeon Crawl Classics. Indeed, it is the first writing I did for Dungeon Crawl Classics at all.

For a very long time, this adventure was only available in pdf format. It is now available in print.

You can get it here. 

Or read the reviews here.