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April 30, 2001: Yet More Nominations!

Two writers with SJ Games roots have been nominated for the prestigious John W. Campbell Award.

The Campbell, awarded every year at the World Science Fiction Convention, is given to "the best new science fiction or fantasy writer whose first work of science fiction or fantasy appearing in a professional publication was published in the previous two years." James L. Cambias wrote GURPS Planet Krishna and the upcoming GURPS Planet of Adventure, co-wrote GURPS Castle Falkenstein, and contributed to a number of In Nomine supplements. He is also a regular contributor to Pyramid Magazine.

Jo Walton co-wrote GURPS Celtic Myth with Ken Walton, and has contributed to other GURPS projects -- I'm particularly fond of the GURPS French Skills article they wrote . . .

Here's a complete list of 2001 Hugo and Campbell award nominees.

Congrats again to James and Jo!
-- Scott Haring

Warehouse 23 News: Looking for a deal?

Then be sure to check out the W23 Specials Page for discontinued merchandise, warehouse finds, and more!

April 29, 2001: GURPS Uplift Returns . . .

GURPS Uplift has been out of print for years, and it's one of our most requested books. Here's a letter from Stefan Jones, the GURPS Uplift author . . . he'd like to know what YOU want to see in a new edition.
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: Phil & Dixie tackle the biggest issue of our time . . .

. . . gaming! Okay, maybe its not that important, but they do tackle it in the new second edition of What's New with Phil and Dixie #2.

April 28, 2001: Another Nomination

Traveller illustrator Glenn Grant has been nominated for an Aurora Award (Canada's fan-voted science fiction award) in recognition of his contributions to Starports, Rim of Fire, Alien Races 3, and Ground Forces.

The Auroras are presented at the annual national con, Canvention, which is in British Columbia in early May this year. Congratulations Glenn, and good luck!


-- Loren Wiseman

Warehouse 23 News: Knights of the Dinner Table . . . in stereo!

Not one, but two new KODT titles arrived this week: Knights of the Dinner Table, Issue 53 and KODT: Illustrated, Issue 5. Get double the laughs in one shopping trip.

April 27, 2001: Arlington is So Last Century

Illuminated Site of the Week: Grave matters seem to weigh heavily on Richard A. Slezak's mind. Oh, sure, you can find Spooky Concentration and the Elizabethan Curse Generator at The Minotaur's Labyrinth, but the big thrust seems to be graves and graveyards. See how your local boneyard stacks up against the best the City by the Bay has to offer.

-- Suggested by Paul Dickey

Warehouse 23 News: World War II . . . with Mechs!

Rev up your Gear Krieg campaign with the Wargaming Companion. This recent release includes new rules, new units, a scenario generator, and much more.

April 26, 2001: Write Once, Fnord Anywhere

We've just posted a new version of our Fnorder shareware program, written as a Java applet by William Kida. The Secret Masters are pleased. (You must meet Johnny-B-Gud at the Bastille and get the petunia.)
-- Ben Kimball

April 25, 2001: Transhuman Space Is Coming Soon

No, not the book. Well, okay, that, too. But the future is catching up to David Pulver almost as fast as he can write . . .

Architects are proposing a giant arcology, the "Bionic Tower," for Shanghai. It would house 100,000 people in a single building more than 3,700 feet high. Here's the Sunday Times writeup.

Another sign of our brand new tech level - the folks at Northwestern University in Evanston are building cyborgs. Little robots, guided by disembodied lamprey brains. Today all they can do is move toward light. How long before they're writing the Daily Illuminator? Read the story in The Guardian.


April 24, 2001: Wounds Unlimited -- R.I.P.

The online game magazine Wounds Unlimited has ceased operation. The website will stay up, at least for a while.

Those of you interested in the Ogre scenario design contest recently run on WU need not worry. The contest ended several days ago, we have all the entries, and judging continues.
-- Scott Haring


April 23, 2001: Chop Socky Rules!

Here is a wonderful animated martial arts movie - it's a pretty big file, but the download still takes less time than all that scene-setting stuff in the typical live-action film. In this one, there's no fooling around; the hero walks onto the scene and starts hitting people. Wonderfully done! And with a little patience, you can work your way back to the main page (all in Chinese) and locate some of the artist's other work.

I got the pointer to this one at one of my favorite comic sites: Schlock Mercenary. It's silly, violent, vulgar, and very intelligent; it's the second one I check every night, right after Sluggy Freelance. Ever see an online strip with science notes before? And the author is serious about the strip; he tries to draw it as much as a month ahead, so you won't run into any of that "Whoops, got sick / ran out of ideas / had to work late" stuff that's the bane of the online comics fan. I really like Schlock . . .
-- Steve Jackson


April 22, 2001: Digest One Thousand

You probably know that we support our games in many ways, including mailing lists. For example, the first post in the first digest of the Illuminati: New World Order mailing list is dated March 16 1995 15:51:39...and the 1,000th digest came out Friday.

Wow. In case you didn't hear it, WOW. That's more than 6 years of information, press releases, questions, answers, rulings, discussions, backstabbing, recrimination, illumination, humor, jokes (practical and impractical), spam, and "Bob." Feel free to go and see what the game is all about at the official INWO pages, and read any or all of the 40,000+ Kb of digest.

And now's the time to get into the game, because the next expansion is on the way!


April 21, 2001: Argh! Out Of Touch!

Our office ISDN line has been dead all day; if you expected e-mail from us and didn't get it, that's why. This website is unaffected, as is the home line I'm posting from. The net is so wonderful . . . when it works. This was also the day that we would have sent out our August release announcements, covers, and so on. Well, maybe Monday.
-- Steve Jackson

April 20, 2001: Falsehoods Are Job One

Illuminated Site of the Week: If the job market dries up, don't blame the president, blame the kindly, soft-spoken creatures that inhabit Bogus Bay. They're the ones locking up all the good jobs with hysterically less-than-plausible résumés.

-- Suggested by Don Magor


April 19, 2001: The Works: James Ernest Strikes Again

Let me start by saying that this one is now in Warehouse 23. There, that's the plug out of the way. Now let me talk about the cool game :-)

Remember the XXXenophile card game? Great mechanics, fun game, but due to the subject matter, you couldn't play it with just anybody . . . Well, now James Ernest has revived the game system and tied it to Phil and Kaja Foglio's new Girl Genius comic series. This is not a "Cheapass" game . . . the cards are full color, professionally printed, with cool Phil Foglio art. The game is fun and fast-moving.

If you like Foglio's work . . . OR if you like James' games . . . you should definitely take a look at this one.
-- Steve Jackson


April 18, 2001: Just Shipped

The following products left our warehouse last week, headed for your local game store:

GURPS Discworld Also
In GURPS Discworld, gamers visited the strange and wonderful setting of Terry Pratchett's best-selling novels. Everyone had such a good time that we've booked a second trip! Our guide for GURPS Discworld Also will again be Phil Masters; he promises that the Dungeon Dimensions are not on the itinerary, and Mr Dibbler's meat pies are not on the menu.

You will, however, visit the Lost Continent of XXXX (and its Cart Wars), meet the Hermit Elephants and a very big troll, and go on a mission for Unseen University to find out why the Librarian's supply of bananas has dried up . . .

128 pages, #6061, ISBN: 1-55634-447-3, $20.95


GURPS Undead GURPS Undead (reprint)
You're dead, so now what? Get GURPS Undead, the complete "book of the dead" for GURPS!

Undead covers everything from subtle hauntings to undead necromancers, from Gothic vampires to the brain-eating zombies of the B-movies. Inside you will find a history of the undead, guidelines for creating your own undead (including animals, plants, microbes and even vehicles) and a dozen classic undead archetypes with variants and sample characters. You'll also find extensive advice on how to use the undead dramatically as scenery, plot devices, monsters, villains or heroes. As well, Undead features discussions of many related topics, including tombs, death gods, embalming, funerary rites, grave robbery, necromancy, pathology, souls, the afterlife, spells, symbolism and more. In short, everything you need to inject new life into your undead.

What are you waiting for? Life is short . . .

#6086, ISBN 1-55634-352-3. $20.95.


Deck Plan 3 Empress      
Marava-Class Far Trader Deck Plan 3 Empress Marava-Class Far Trader (for GURPS Traveller)
The Empress Marava-class Far Trader is a tough, long-range cargo ship. It's a favorite of many adventurous traders . . . which probably includes the PCs in your campaign.

This big package shows every detail of a Marava on 20 two-sided maps . . . hexes on one side and squares on the other, to fit any campaign! Also included is a sheet of Cardboard Heroes miniatures to crew your Marava, and a large cargo-hauling air/raft.

#6621 ISBN 1-55634-508-9. $22.95


GURPS Traveller - Planetary
Survey 1 Planetary Survey 1 - Kamsii/Core (for GURPS Traveller)
The first of a new series of 32-page GURPS Traveller books, each one a detailed look at a single planet. Written by Loren Wiseman and Steve Jackson, this book describes a planetary theme park - a whole world dedicated to entertainment - but with a hidden dark side. From family fun to lavish decadence, from hundred-mile kiddie rides to recreations of the court of Caligula, Kamsii has it all. The Kamsii Company says everybody will have a good time, and nobody crosses the Company. Not twice.

32 pages. Stock #6801, ISBN 1-55634-495-3. $8.95.

-- Keith Johnson

Warehouse 23 News: A bitter reaping . . .

The Guides and a circle of Tribal priestesses clash in Harvest of Thorns, the newest cycle supplement for Tribe 8.

April 17, 2001: You Will Submit!

Submit entries for GURPS Monsters and GURPS Steampunk Catalog, that is. We have received many wonderful contributions to both of these volumes, but we still need a few more.

GURPS Monsters has room for about 8 more submissions. Why not take a look at the submission guidelines and immortalize your most diabolical creations on paper?

GURPS Steampunk Catalog is only about half full; there is still room for over 100 submissions! Check out the submission guidelines and start inventing! Contributions to the Clothing and Armor, Heavy Weapons, Drugs and Chemicals, and Life Forms chapters would be especially welcome.

Thank you!

Warehouse 23 News: It's beginning to look a lot like . . . wait, wrong continent.

The nights are cold and the snow is falling. It's time again for Rokugan's Winter Court, this year held at Kyuden Asako.

April 16, 2001: Ogre Contest Closes

We got 32 entries in the Wounds Unlimited scenario contest. Judging is already underway. Thanks to everyone who entered!

April 15, 2001: Dungeon Crawling for Dummies

Enter the Dunjon Of Düm and get what you deserve.

April 14, 2001: GURPS Cops Now In Playtest!

The long-requested GURPS Cops is now in playtest. Pyramid subscribers can access the playtest files. And if you're not already a subscriber, subscribe today!
-- Ben Kimball

April 13, 2001: Oh, You'll Lose Weight, All Right

Illuminated Site of the Week: David George Gordon's Website has some curious literary offerings. He'll help you get rid of slugs and other pests. How? Well...

How hungry are you?

-- Suggested by Rob Knight

Warehouse 23 News: Will it never end?

Not until we've got the complete line. More Heavy Gear products are now available.

April 12, 2001: Should We Worry About This?

Ronald Bonds, founder of IllumiNet Press and conspiracy fan extraordinaire, died Sunday. Read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution story for more details.

No foul play is suspected, which is in itself suspicious, and that's no doubt the way he would have wanted it.
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: Secret Agent Man (or Woman)

It took several months, some hefty bribes, and the loss of three MIB, but we finally got a restock on our KGB merchandise, plus some cool new items. Take a look, but remember, it's classified.

April 11, 2001: Tom Smith Writes Again!

Shudder at his latest, "House at Cthulhu Corner," at tomsmithonline.com.

Warehouse 23 News: The Past is Dead; Your Future Begins Now.

We are pleased to add Dream Pod 9's Tribe 8 RPG to our line-up. Visit a dark future of supernatural horror and survival.

April 10, 2001: Just 6 days left to win!

As the Wounds Unlimited Ogre scenario design contest enters its last week, we've received several excellent entries -- but we haven't seen yours! Check out the full rules at Wounds Unlimited, and get your submission in by Tax Day (April 15th) for your chance at fame and fortune . . . or at least $100 in individual Ogre Miniatures from Warehouse 23 and unlimited bragging rights.


-- Ben Kimball

Warehouse 23 News: Medieval Anthropomorphic Roleplaying

After several months of stocking the supplements, we finally have the Ironclaw RPG core book. Get your dose of furries at Warehouse23!

April 9, 2001: Scott Haring Rejoins SJ Games

Game industry veteran Scott Haring has returned to Steve Jackson Games, nearly 18 years after the start of his first stint with the company.

"I guess you really can go home again," Haring said. "I've known Steve for 23 years, and I'm looking forward to another opportunity to work together."

Haring will serve as Marketing Editor, writing and editing ads, the retailer newsletter, sell sheets, and all other promotional and marketing materials. Commented Steve Jackson, "Now that we're up to a half-dozen releases a month, it's a big job just to make sure that the information gets out. It was time to bring in a pro."

Haring first worked for SJ Games from 1983 to 1987, as editor of Autoduel Quarterly and Car Wars line editor. He returned in 1993, serving as Managing Editor through 1998 and editor of Pyramid magazine until early 2000. Three separate stints with the same company may be some sort of adventure game industry record, though research has not yet confirmed this. Haring noted, "It took me six years to come back the first time, and only one year to do it this time. Maybe I'm getting smarter."

"I'll also be helping out Loren Wiseman with the GURPS Traveller line, which will be big fun," Haring said. "This is one of the great enduring roleplaying game universes, and I'm very excited to be contributing to it."



April 8, 2001: GURPS in Braille (and on cassette)

Braille and cassette versions of many GURPS books are available at cost to blind and sight-impaired gamers. Currently there are 10 titles available in Braille and cassette, and over a dozen more on cassette only. Here's the list.

Nancy Feldman, who can be reached at braille@sjgames.com, has undertaken this project on a volunteer, nonprofit basis.

Warehouse 23 News: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury . . .

Prove the guilt or innocence of alleged witches in the newest game from Cheapass Games: Witch Trial.

April 7, 2001: Someone Set Up Us The Brom

We are very pleased to report that you'll be seeing at least five GURPS covers by renowed technofantasy artist Brom over the next few months. Some will be on GURPS Deadlands releases, and at least one will be on a GURPS Traveller book. Congratulate us :-)
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: Completing the set

Warehouse 23 is trying to rectify the excessive incompleteness of its selection of Heavy Gear products. Today unveils a long list of new items, with more to come soon.

April 6, 2001: The Real Thing Wouldn't Fit in Your Mailbox

Illuminated Site of the Week: If you have a yen to collect the treasures of history, no time-tripping is necessary. You can stay in your own era and have Design Toscano produce a wide variety of falcon statues, to-scale King Tut sarcophagi, and replicas of Stonehenge as it appeared thousands of years ago. And if their talent pool has that kind of information, you can be sure delivery will be no problem.

-- Suggested by Rus Hall

Warehouse 23 News: Urban sprawl?

The City gets bigger, more interesting, and much more dangerous with the addition of two new areas: CityBook II: Port 'o Call and CityBook V: Sideshow.

April 5, 2001: GURPS Cabal Now In Playtest!

The creatures of myth are real. The vampires, the warlocks, the shape-changers and dopplegangers, the ghosts and trolls, and more. They're real . . . they're here today . . . and they're organized.

The Cabal is the conspiracy, trade union, and mutual-assistance society that lets all these creatures survive in a world of hostile humans. If a demon needs a lawyer to keep the exorcists off his back . . . or if a little old vampire lady needs a bit of daylight muscle . . . who are they gonna call? The mortal-busters . . . the Cabal.

Written by Ken Hite, this book also includes a detailed system of Hermetic magic that expands the original GURPS magic system.

GURPS Cabal is now in playtest. Pyramid subscribers can access the playtest files. And if you're not already a subscriber, subscribe today!
-- Keith Johnson

Warehouse 23 News: The shattered skyline of Tokyo . . .

Fight the demons and defeat Levih Rah (or join his evil crusade) in the Demon City Shinjuku RPG and Resource Book.

April 4, 2001: Winston Hamilton

Winston J. Hamilton, former GAMA officer and game publisher, died of a heart attack in mid-March at his home. Winston had been an engineer in Vietnam, a labor organizer, and a successful businessman in several fields besides gaming. He was a game publisher, designer, and player. He served the Game Manufacturers' Association in several positions over many years, including executive director, secretary, and vice president.

Winston was tireless in his promotion of gaming, as he was in his other businesses, and in his political and social causes. He was the archetypical "grouch with a heart of gold," a tough opponent on the wargames table, and a good friend.
-- Loren Wiseman

Warehouse 23 News: The return of a classic

In our ongoing effort to carry the best of roleplaying, we've added Chivalry & Sorcery: the Rebirth, from Brittannia Games.

April 3, 2001: GURPS Transhuman Space Now In Playtest!

In the last decade of the 21st century, humanity faced two of its greatest challenges. The first was the transformation from a single evolved species to a multitude of artificial races. The second was the settlement of the vast reaches of the solar system beyond the orbit of Mars. Stretching from the asteroid belt to distant Pluto, the "deep beyond" was both a source of valuable raw materials and the solar system's final frontier. Its siren call attracted entrepreneurs, pioneers, visionaries -- and outlaws.

GURPS Transhuman Space is now in playtest. Pyramid subscribers can access the playtest files. And if you're not already a subscriber, subscribe today!
-- Keith Johnson

Warehouse 23 News: Top 10 for March, 2001

Check out our bestsellers for March on the Warehouse 23 Top 10 page.

April 2, 2001: Trust Us. Really.

We have only your best interests at heart . . . except, of course, when we play with your minds for fun.

The original Bavarian Fire Drill message on the newsgroups was dated March 31. It was, as it happens, true :-)

The denial, on the other hand, was dated April 1. It was titled "April Fools." It was accompanied by the I Lied card. We call these things "hints." The denial was, as it happens, not true.

The Truth is . . . Bavarian Fire Drill, a new non-collectible supplement for INWO, has just been moved into our active queue. We have not officially "announced" it yet, and there is no web page for it yet; we don't have a scheduled release date for it. Probably around October, give or take a month. There's art to be done and final playtesting to complete. But it's now officially under way.
-- Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: The Computer is not your friend . . .

We've found a small stash of the very OOP GURPS Reign of Steel, so we've thrown them up as this week's special.

April 1, 2001: April Fools

An announcement concerning the imminent release of the new INWO supplement, Bavarian Fire Drill, has been circulating around the newsgroups and mailing lists for the last day or so. Unfortunately, although it comes from sources who are involved in the playtesting for BFD, the announcement was a hoax. Look at the date . . .

The supplement is still in playtest, but at this time there are no definite plans for its release.
-- Steve Jackson


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