Hey all! First off, thank you for signing up for this newsletter. I had a newsletter several years ago, but over time social media made it redundant, so I stopped. Now, I’m pulling away from social media, so here it is again. What’s old is new again!
I’m Vaccinated!
Speaking of old, I was feeling old a couple of weeks back after I got my second COVID-19 shot. Just sore and tired a lot. But now it’s been two weeks since that last shot, and I feel… better? Honestly, I’ve been wearing a mask and avoiding people for so long that it feels weird to not have to do that. I’m finding over the past few days that I still wear the mask juuuuuust in case. But I do feel like a massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I honestly feel creative in ways I haven’t felt since 2019. I’m really excited for what 2021 will bring!
What 2021 probably won’t bring, however, is a lot of travel for me. Although things are getting better, we’re not out of the woods yet, and I’m still looking at large events with a skeptical eye. It’s possible that by the winter things will have settled down enough to where I’m comfortable with that, but mentally I’m just assuming I won’t have any significant travel plans until 2022. Which is a shame because I have a huge backlog of board games to play!
Squeak! Squeak!
But enough about me, let’s get onto the news!
Pugmire: Squeaks in the Deep is coming to Kickstarter! This is a new chronicle sourcebook that can be used for either Pugmire or Monarchies of Mau, or as part of a joint experience. It contains rules on two new species for players to portray: rats and mice, along with six new rodent callings. Also, instead of magic, Squeaks will feature psionic rules! Plus there’s new information on the world beneath the ground called the Underneath, as well as a variety of new enemies, and a new adventure featuring the Underneath with both Pugmire and Monarchies starting points. Keep an eye on this newsletter and my Twitter (@pugsteady) for the announcement!
Speaking of Pugmire, I have more projects in the pipeline! One I’ve just started working on, but at least two are a couple of years in the making. I can’t share any details right now — there’s always a chance that something might fall through — but the future of the Realms of Pugmire is bright!
In more immediate Kickstarter news, I’m part of the Transgressive Horror Kickstarter. I contributed an essay on the Hammer Horror version of “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” so if you like my thoughts about Sherlock Holmes and horror, check it out and pledge whatever you think is fair! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ghostshowpress/transgressive-horror/description
And finally, while I’m not travelling much these days, I am gearing up for Onyx Path Publishing’s second virtual convention! It’ll be June 11-13th, and I’ll be on panels, doing Onyx Pathcast episodes, and running a playtest of the upcoming book, Trinity Continuum: Anima. If you want to see my take on cyberpunk and video game design, keep an eye out for the official website launch, coming soon!
My Media
As usual, I’m reading, watching, and playing a lot of media these days. In particular, I’ve been obsessed with the LEGO games, particularly Marvel Super Heroes 2. But I’m also starting a playthrough of Disco Elysium. I had considered streaming it on Twitch, but between all the games I’m playing in, conventions, podcast interviews, and just chatting with people, I’m weirdly more social than ever! So rather than wait until a hole opens in my schedule, I decided to dive back into this weird, compelling fantasy world that’s one part 70s cop show, one part surreal drama. I highly recommend it.
Also, the family finished watching The Falcon and Winter Soldier on Disney+. While I was happy to get what amounts to another Captain America movie, and it had some great moments, I was honestly a little disappointed after the amazing experience that was Wandavision. Still, it was fun, and I like how it’s setting things up for the next slate of films. Looking forward to Loki next!
Finally, there was a 95% off sale at Comixology, so I’ve been catching up on some Star Wars comics, in particular Knights of the Old Republic, which is good! I remembered loving the RPGs back in the day, and I enjoyed the MMO for a while, so it was nice to get back into that world. Plus, the characters are interesting, and the art ranges from decent to excellent. I think the sale’s going on for another couple of days and picking up 400+ pages of comic for a dollar or two is a hard deal to pass up!
Anyhow, that’s it for this month. See y’all in June!