I Have, In Fact, Kissed My Axe

The writing for Kiss My Axe: Thirteen Warriors and an Angel of Death is done and the manuscript has been sent for layout.

What is Kiss My Axe? It’s a Viking role-playing game based on the system I adapted for Sword Noir and which is available free as the Sword’s Edge System. If you like Vikings, but aren’t sure if you want to put down good, hard-earned cash for Kiss My Axe, you can always check out Sword’s Edge System. If you like the system, check out how I adapted them for playing Vikings. Along with mechanics, there’s a a fair chunk of text devoted to historical eras in Scandinavia one could play, as well as different places one might find Viking adventures in the Viking Age, from Serkland in the east to Vinland in the west.

KMA (as I’ll call it) was a lot of work, and unfortunately I delivered it to layout much later than anticipated. I hope you’ll all forgive me. I have more bad news: it’s going to have minimal art. Now, minimal art was kind of a decision made for Sword Noir, but even that had more art than what you’ll get in KMA. An artist hired on based on his promise that he could provide a very quick turn around didn’t actually turn anything around. Kieron O’Gorman, who did the Everthorn map in Sword Noir and who is one of the Ottawa Warband, agreed to allow me to use portraits he drew during our Viking campaign. I’ve also found a few public domain works that might fit.

Layout can take a while, but I’m hoping to have something to show at Gen Con. I’ve thrown together “The Quick And Dirty Gen Con Edition,” which I’m hoping to get at least a few copies printed and delivered before Gen Con. Wish me luck! And if you happen to be going, let me know, as I’ll have one-shots for both Sword Noir and Kiss My Axe ready to run

You can find the free Sword’s Edge System here.

You can find the not free Sword Noir: a Role-playing Game of Hardboiled Sword & Sorcery here.

We Got Hacked

There’s a good chance that if you tried to stop by in the last week or so, you got a malware warning. Turns out, someone got into our Word Press stuff and messed it up. It seemed to have been mostly re-directs to bad, bad places in Russia. It seems the crew at Liquid Web, the hosting service I use, cleaned it up. I’m waiting for final word from the Google review, but the fact that I got here this morning seems to indicate everyone is happy.

For now.

I am unfortunately not a very techy guy, so this is all over my head. It also means that other than updating everything and changing passwords, I have no idea what else I can do. There’s no way I can promise this won’t happen again. I really hope it won’t. That was a brutal week.

Monthly Sales for May

Although I had hoped to have something out for May, development got delayed and now I’ll be lucky to have it out for July. That would be the adventure referred to as the Kheufer Scrolls. Even if it does not sell well, it should provide SEP with at least a little visibility, which always helps sales. Sword Noir isn’t doing bad. We still have a way to go before we’re in the black with that project. Such is the way of Tier X RPG companies. 😉

Sales for May
Albenistan Series
Khorforjan Gambit, 2
Qalashar Device, 2
Raid On Ashkashem, 2

Arcane Kingdoms
Arcane Kingdoms, 2
For Simple Coin, 2

Charity Products
Relief Effort, 1

Covert Forces
Blood and Guts 2: In Her Majesty’s Service, 5
Canada’s Combined Security Reconnaissance Section, 3
Covert Forces Redux, 3

Sword’s Edge System
Sword’s Edge System, Free Rules, 122
Sword Noir, 33

Total Sales
Albenistan Series
Albenistan: Election Day (Modern Dispatch 113): 28
Khorforjan Gambit: 88
Qalashar Device: 102
Raid On Ashkashem: 141

Arcane Kingdoms
Arcane Kingdoms: 19
For Simple Coin: 24

Charity Products
Relief Effort: 53

Covert Forces
Canada’s Combined Security Reconnaissance Section: 84
Covert Forces: 100
Covert Forces Redux: 131
In Her Majesty’s Service: 118

Modern Medieval
Gunpowder Plots: 73
Man-At-Arms Advanced Class: 36
Mercenary Advanced Class: 39
Spy Advanced Class: 34
Modern Medieval Compilation: 46
(for Japanese Disaster Relief)

Other
Cyber-state Avatar Toolkit: 35
Line Zero: 32

Roles & Classes
Capable Hero: 84
Combat Hero: 83
Counter-Terrorism Assaulter: 95
Covert Hero: 92
Spec Ops Recce: 93
Special Operations Marksman: 93
Talent Trees Assembled: 68

Sword’s Edge System
Sword’s Edge System, Free Rules 447
Sword Noir 145

Treasure Chest Unlocked
Gems: 66
Incense: 7