Halloween is tomorrow.

Maybe you want to start celebrating a little early.

Welcome to Philadelphia.

Yes, this is part two of Flames of Freedom.

Pre order starts now, officially tomorrow. Books will ship in about two weeks.

Tags: Release

(Chicago) October 17, 2012: Rogue Games Delves into the Knights Templar Secrets.

Coming January 2012, Rogue Games offers for the first time in print, Colonial Gothic: The Templars.

From Parzival through Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade to The da Vinci Code, the Knights Templar have had an enduring hold over the popular imagination. At dawn on Friday, October 13, 1307, they went from being one of the most powerful organizations in medieval Europe to prisoners and fugitives. They were questioned under torture and their leaders were executed for heresy. Officially disbanded in 1312, the Knights Templar ceased to exist.

The legend of the Templars has proved harder to destroy. Rumors persisted of hidden treasure, of a curse that blighted a dynasty, and of a secret so powerful that it threatened the very basis of the Church. New organizations such as the Freemasons looked back to the Templars, and became shrouded in myth and conspiracy theory themselves.

Written by Graeme Davis (Colonial Gothic: The Gazetteer) The Templars is the first in a series of Colonial Gothic sourcebooks covering secret societies and other organizations.

Within these pages you will find detailed and authoritative information on the activities of the Knights Templar in the world of Colonial Gothic, including their acknowledged and secret histories, their structure and organization, their goals in the Thirteen Colonies and around the world, and the implications of membership.

Although they do not show their hand openly, the Knights Templar remain a force in the world of Colonial Gothic. Their hand is seldom seen, but it pulls on many strings.

Details:
Colonial Gothic: The Templars
ISBN-13: 978-0-9826598-6-1
MSRP: $10.99
Pages: 84 B&W 6”x9” Softcover
SKU: RGG 1667

Out January 2012

Tags: Release

Graeme and I had a long phone conversation yesterday.

At the end of said conversation we had rethought and remapped the release schedule between now and the end of next year. Said schedule is packed with some cool things. Counting Shadow, Sword & Spell, there are thirteen releases planned. If we take out the Shadow, Sword & Spell releases, we are looking at 11 new books for Colonial Gothic. Some of these books will be familiar, due to the fact they have existed as original PDFs.

We have decided that some of the older PDFs have been showing their age, and are in the process of reediting, and laying them out for print release. By doing this, we can now offer them to gamers who might have passed up on them due to their availability being as PDFs. So which PDFs are being promoted if you will? Here’s the list:

• Templars
• The Defeated Dead
• The Landlord Daughter

All three will be released throughout next year as new print books.

In addition, a few of the PDFs, will be added to upcoming releases. One of them, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, is going to see some major additions. Why? It is important to the first half of Flames of Freedom: Shadows on the Hudson. Some out there got a small taste of this in a few games I have run.

What else is in store? Some very cool things for the summer and winter of 2012. I do not want to spoil it all, but if you love this game, as much as I do, there will be some cool releases which will make you very happy. Looking ahead to 2013 (yeah that far) I know there is at least one book I am writing due out in January 2013.

When I look at Shadow, Sword & Spell, Threats will be out the start of the year, and Companion at the end of the year. As for the middle of the year? Something is coming.

So why have things been a little slow as of late? Life has stepped in the way. The summer was very rough, and a bout of sickness slowed me down. Now that it is over, and a lot of the hurdles have been cleared, things are coming back online. One of the big changes is that Rogue Games will be taking over distribution of our own titles. Come January 1, 2011, we will no longer be represented by Studio 2. As a result of this, I’ve been busy signing with distributors to insure that our games are available, and that no delays happen. How has this gone? I am happy to report very good. I am heartened at the responses I have gotten, and who have decided to pick us up.

January 2012 is going to be a big year for Rogue Games. There is a lot planned and a lot of surprises in store for you through out the year. Have no doubt, that the countdown to 12-12-12 12:12:12 is no joke. Those who know what is coming, are very happy. :)

So that is where things stand. Over the next week I will have posted the schedule for the next six months.

Thank you for your patience and thank you for your support.

Tags: thoughts, Gaming

As I mentioned earlier, Flames of Freedom: The Philadelphia Affair, is in layout and the preorder will be going live sometime early next month. As is the case with Boston Besieged, The Philadelphia Affair is a book of two parts. Part one covers the city of Philadelphia itself and is the sourcebook of the city. Part two is the adventure, and it takes your heroes throughout this wonderful city.

The sourcebook portion of The Philadelphia Affair is large. I could have easily written a full book dealing just with source information on the city. Graeme had to work overtime in forcing me to trim out a lot of “stuff” because the book was getting to large. Why did I write so much? A couple of reasons.

The first reason is a simple one, I have been playing in Philadelphia since 1996. Huh? Colonial Gothic, in one for or another, has been a game I have played since 1996. All my campaigns take place in either one of two places: New England or Philadelphia. Philadelphia is such a great city to use for adventures, that the amount of detail I have, has only grown throughout the years.

The second reason is that Philadelphia is without a doubt the most important city in the Revolutionary and Post Revolution period. It is such an important intellectual location, and became the center of the government, that to not cover this city in Colonial Gothic would be a crime. If you are going to set campaigns in this city you need to have as much information as you can get to make it come alive.

Finally the other reason this material got so large is that I love Philadelphia. I love this city, and it is one of the few cities I could see myself happily living in for the rest of my life.

Anyway, what follows is a section from the sourcebook portion of The Philadelphia Affair. This is just one example of the items waiting to be discovered in this book.

---

Quaker Power Lost

It is ironic that, in a colony founded by Quakers upon Quaker principles, it is these very principles that should lead to the loss of Quaker political power. Although undoubtedly high-minded and worthy, many of these beliefs could not survive contact with the realities of a growing (and increasingly diverse) colony and a time of frequent conflict.

Pacifism was the key driving force for many. No Quaker believed in causing harm to others, and no Quaker, regardless of personal risk, would take up arms even defend themselves or their people. Pacifism was the most difficult tenet to keep, and would shape the debate leading to the eventual abdication of Quaker power in the colonies.
There were two causes of tension. First, non-Quakers who settled in the colony found themselves affected by Quaker beliefs. As it grew in importance Philadelphia, and the rest of Pennsylvania, were impacted by numerous events which made maintaining pacifism difficult or impossible. This is most clearly shown in the conflicts with Native Americans and French forces endured by backwoods Pennsylvania settlers located west of Philadelphia. As attacks raged up and down the Frontier during the conflicts between France and England, the settlers were left to fend for themselves.

Secondly, the Quakers realized quickly that they needed someone to allow them to remove themselves from daily governance, so they created the position of the Deputy Governor. The Deputy, by taking over all colonial administration, also found themselves in charge of all non-Quakers. The Quakers could then profit from the colony, but not govern, while non-Quakers had someone who represented them.

Though governors tired to keep both Quakers and non-Quakers happy, the growing needs of colonial defense became too much to ignore. In 1741 a serious attempt was made to form a militia, but the Quakers responded by withholding the Governor’s pay. In addition Quakers began trying to shift public opinion, especially among the numerous German immigrants, that a militia would lead to the colonists being nothing more than slaves – and after all didn’t everyone come to the colony for freedom? This argument managed to end the issue, for a while.

It was 1745 which marked a change and the beginning of the end of direct colonial rule by the Quakers. With conflict on the frontier at an all time high and England moving in troops to prepare to fight back against the French and their Native allies, the Quakers dug their heels in and refused to raise funds for defense. It was Benjamin Franklin who emerged as not only a critic, but the leader of a political party calling for a compromise. This party argued that it was not only necessary but a duty for the colonial government to protect its people.

For two years the debate raged between the Quakers and Franklin’s party, and a growing anti-Quaker party also arose. In 1747 Franklin published the pamphlet Plain Truth, in which he argued that not only was self-defense important, but that Pennsylvania was the only colony without any plan for it. Franklin argued they a government had a duty to protect all of its citizens, and that no religious belief allowed this duty to be ignored. The funds that the Quaker leadership amassed from the colony went to the betterment of the Quakers and afforded them the opportunity to safely practice their religion in peace, but robbed the colonists of their safety. The only solution, then, was for the Quakers to withdraw from government and allow others to rule, which included taking measures for the defense of the colony. Again, the debate raged on, and more and more innocent people fell victim to attacks.

Then the real challenge came in the form of large scale massacres by the Natives along the colony’s western border in 1755. With the French and Indian War in progress, and General Braddock defeated, the French used Fort Duquesne (later Pittsburgh) as a base to stage attacks on Pennsylvania, goading the Lenape to abandon their alliance with the settlers and join the attack.

The news of the natives’ actions caused confusion. The Quakers always strove to treat the Lenape fairly and honorably. It was the popular belief among the Quakers that any conflict was due to the English — and only the English — treating the natives badly. The Assembly investigated, and instead of providing for defense passed a bill regulating trade with the natives. This angered not only the colonists in the east, but the colonists suffering from attacks in the west.

It was this which intensified the now decade-long debate and brought both sides into conflict. On one side was the non-Quaker Deputy Governor Robert Hunter Morris who argued that the native grievances had nothing to do with the massacres and criticized the Quakers and their adherence to pacifism which left not only the frontier, but the entire colony defenseless. On the other side of the debate were the Quakers who argued that all problems stemmed from the colonists acting wrongly.

As the debate went on endlessly, the frontier colonists had to deal with the growing hostilities. In November 1755, 300 German immigrants living along the frontier arrived in Philadelphia demanding protection and arguing that the west needed to be defended. Though a small militia was raised, the larger issue of defense was left undecided. The situation grew worse in 1756 when the French commandant at Fort Duquesne reported that his forces had “…succeeded in ruining the three adjacent provinces, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, driving off the inhabitants and totally destroying the settlements over a tract of country thirty leagues wide.” In effect, the Quakers were blind to the problems that faced the rest of the colony, and were genuinely surprised by the continued Indian hostility. There were very few Quakers living along the frontier, and the few Quakers slain were thought of as martyrs rather than victims. The low number of Quaker deaths were viewed by many as a testimony to God’s approval of the Quakers and their policies, rather than the result of most Quakers living far from the frontier.

By 1756 three parties had emerged wanting to change the direction of government. One, led by Franklin, included broad-minded Quakers and others who were opposed not only to religious absolutes but also to the kind of oligarchic rule represented by the Quaker monopoly on power. This group wanted a militia in which every man would be required to take part and whose officers would be elected democratically by the soldiers. Quakers would be exempt from joining the militia due to their beliefs, but would be required to help pay for the colonial defense. The second party was led by Israel Pemberton and was a collation of Quakers unrelenting in their pacifism. This party refused to pay any taxes for military purposes. The third party was made up of the proprietors and their governor. This party believed in a militia, but did not agree to the democratic election of officers. In addition, this party was unwilling to bear the costs for all Quakers.

At the start of 1756 the Quakers were still in charge. Even though they comprised less than one-fourth of population, Quakers occupied 28 of the 36 Pennsylvania Assembly seats. Then word of the frontier massacres reached London and the movement to end Quaker rule intensified. The government moved to end all Quaker rule by proposing a ban on any Quakers from holding public office.

Seeing the tide turning against them, the Quakers realized that they needed to act. They had three main motives: a fear of Quakers being disqualified from office; a desire to shift some of the blame for the massacres onto others, especially if the government was in other hands; and a strong desire to be able to return to power.
Making matters even harder was the fact that the Quakers disagreed amongst themselves. Pennsylvania Quakers split from their London counterparts, who urged the total abdication of power. The London Quakers struck a bargain with Lord Granville, Lord President of the Privy Council, whereby their counterparts in Pennsylvania would leave the Provincial Assembly if the Quakers were guaranteed they would not be totally disqualified from holding office.

Messages were exchanged, but the Pennsylvania Quakers would only agree to not hold office during wartime. Everything changed in the late spring of 1756 when the Governor and his council declared war on both the Lenape and the Shawnee. This declaration was made without the Quakers’ approval, and six resigned from the Assembly in protest. A special election was held that saw six of Franklin’s men elected to replace them. In regular elections in October of the same year, sixteen more were elected.

At this same time, two emissaries arrived from London with shocking news: no longer were Quakers allowed to hold office. At a hastily called Quaker meeting all the elected Quakers were strongly urged to step down. Four did, and of the remaining twelve left in office, eight were full Quakers, while four were non-orthodox Quaker sympathizers. Though Quakers of varying devotion still sought and occasionally held office, the Society of Friends publicly stated that they were no longer represented by the government, nor were they responsible for whatever decisions these “back sliders” made. The Quakers renewed their dedication to their beliefs as well as working to stop Quakers from running, though they secretly hoped that once all the troubles ended they could return to power once peace was restored. However, the growing conflict with Britain makes this increasingly unlikely.

The Revolution has brought more conflict to the Quakers, who are determined to remain neutral. Though the American Friends have been urged to do nothing to obstruct the Revolution, many Quakers were scrupulous in their observance of all non-military requirements of the English government, but equally uncooperative toward both the British and American forces. They refused to pay taxes and fines levied by the American government, and were labeled as Tories. They refused to pay tithes to the Church of England, and were labeled as rebels.

Tags: Colonial Gothic, Flames of Freedom, Snippet

Flames of Freedom: The Philadelphia Affair

Spring, 1776. Boston is free. The Second Continental Congress works to create a new nation. But as they debate, shadowy forces prepare to strike back.

Welcome to Philadelphia.

William Penn's model city is one of the richest in the Thirteen Colonies. It stands at the heart of the Revolution. Home to book shops, thinkers, and a growing intellectual class, the city hides those with knowledge of a more questionable nature. With the leadership of the Revolution here, the city is awash with plots, and dangers. It is here that many plots are about to meet - and it is far from certain who will stand the winner.

The Philadelphia Affair is the second volume in the epic Flames of Freedom campaign for Colonial Gothic. In this book you will find our guide to the great city and a ready-to-play adventure which takes up the Heroes' story after the events of Boston Besieged. As Congress works, the Heroes scour the City of Brotherly Love for a friend's missing son. Not all is as it appears, and soon their simple assignment turns into a race against time - to prevent a tragedy that could kill the American independence before it has even begun.

Written by Richard Iorio II and maps by Gabriel Brouillard (Colonial Gothic: New France and Under Pashuvanam's Lush), The Philadelphia Affair is your guide to the colonies most important city.

Pre-Orders will begin within the next two weeks.

Tags: Colonial Gothic, news

With summer coming to an end, it is amazing to see how far we have come this year as a company.

When James and I started this, we never thought we would be here this long. It is not that we doubted what we could do, or the type of games we wanted to not only design, but play. It is just a simple fact that publishing games is a high risk proposition. One mistake can cost you, and no matter how good you think your games, design and products are, if the gamer does not like it, then they will not buy it. It is not small fact that we have made it this long, and though we have made our share of mistakes, we have learned from them, and continue learning from them. So from James and myself, thank you for allowing us to do what we enjoy.

Ok, so that is out of the way, let’s get to the update.

With August coming to an end, four more months ahead of us, what do we have in the works?

• Flames of Freedom: The Philadelphia Affair: This will be out in time for Halloween. I know it has taken longer than we thought, but this is a massive adventure and is set in Philadelphia. It is a direct tie into Boston Besieged, and if you thought the plot that debuted in that book was a throw away, you are in for a surprise. This is a big book. Half devoted to source material on the most important city of the colonies, and the second half a sprawling, multi-layered adventure set throughout, under, and around this great city. Be warned this is a tough adventure, both in threats and structure. No bull. Anyway, the adventure is going into its final proofing stage, maps are being finished, and the layout is about to begin.
• Shadow, Sword & Spell: Threats: If all goes well this will be out year end. I have rewritten this book twice, and the third time is the charm. What does it contain? Well Threats. :)

Information on the website will appear shorty about the above.

• Thousand Suns Revised: In its’ final stages. This is a James product, and by that, unless he is happy, the book is not ready. :) It has been gone over with a fine tooth comb. This is well worth the wait. I know we have been slow, but trust me, it is not because we were not working on it.

Next year will see a lot of cool things. Graeme Davis, James and myself have some very cool things we have been working on. In addition, mark your calendar now for 12-12-12 12:12:12. For those with poor eyesight, that is December 12, 2012 at 12:12:12 PM. Something big will be released on this day, and that is all I will say now.

As always, thank you for allowing us to do this. We hope we are keeping you happy.

Tags: news, thoughts, Colonial Gothic, SS&S

As of today, all books and ebooks that we sell, are now found on Amazon.com’s Kindle Store.

Just today Colonial Gothic: The Grimoire is now up for sale.

Tags: news

(Chicago) August 9, 2011: Colonial Gothic: The Grimoire Now Available For Pre Order∫

The World is Steeped in Magic.

It is everywhere and courses through all things.

Some claim that Magic is fueled by Ether. Others claim it is a Divine gift granted to those chosen by Providence. Still others claim that Magic is not a gift, but a curse. And some claim that Magic is a tool of the Devil, created to further his Infernal ends on earth.

None of these claims comes close to the Whole Truth.

Magic is a Force of Nature, whose Secrets all may uncover with Time and Wisdom. Yet Magic is also a Danger to those unwilling to treat it with the Respect such a Force deserves.

Despite the Danger, some still dare to take up the Study of Magic and to use its Power. Even in this Modern Age, new Discoveries are made about the Workings of Magic. New Insights reveal Power many deemed impossible. Those Discoveries can be found here: spells, witchcraft, talismans, & relics.

Are you willing to face the Danger and uncover the Secrets of Magic?

Written by Richard Iorio II (Colonial Gothic, Shadow, Sword & Spell: Basic and Shadow, Sword & Spell: Expert), The Grimoire is your guide to the magic found in the world of Colonial Gothic. Between its’ covers you will find powerful new spells, means to contact the mind shattering Elder Gods, relics of mysterious origins, and tomes of ancient knowledge.

Details
$10.99 Book ($5.99 PDF)
120 Pages 6”x9” B&W Softcover

To pre order a copy, and get the PDF right now, visit the online store today!

Tags: Colonial Gothic, news, Release

The work is done.

On what?

Colonial Gothic: Grimoire.

It took longer than I thought, but the wait is worth it.

The pre-order for the book will go live next week Tuesday. Kindle and eBook versions will be ready a few days later.

In the mean time, take a look at the cover over there to the right.

Coming up next will be Flames of Freedom: The Philadelphia Affair. Work on that will be picking up, and I am shooting for a October release. I know things have been a bit slow, but trust me, both books are going to be worth it.

What about Shadow, Sword & Spell and Thousand Suns? Things are coming together quickly as well.

Tags: Colonial Gothic, news

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been fast at work putting the finishing touches to the next Colonial Gothic release: The Grimoire.

This book has been in the works for awhile, and it is a compiling of magic. Some of this material has appeared in the now out of print Secrets and Poor Wizard while o the majority is new material. I think the introduction of the book will come in handy. Here you go:

This is a book about magic.


Ok, admittedly, reading this book will not give you the ability to summon daemons, craft love potions, or plumb the depths of esoteric knowledge. Yet, it will present you with a solid collection of ideas that you can easily slip into COLONIAL GOTHIC. The GRIMOIRE is the sum of over five years of playing this game, as well as designing for this game. In that time myself, and others, have created new spells, and found new challenges to spring on unsuspecting players. What will you find here?


In Chapter 1 you will find common and arcane spells. These spells take the game into new realms, and open up numerous possibilities for gamemasters and players alike. From summoning Elder Gods, to being able to travel vast distances, the spells found here are designed to quickly be slipped into your current games.


In Chapter 2 the topic of books are covered. These rules appeared in the now out of print COLONIAL GOTHIC: SECRETES and since their originally printing, they have been changed and tweaked to be easier to use. In addition, no chapter covering books would be complete without numerous books to use. Many of the books found here are real books found throughout history, and some, are wholly creations of the imaginations. As to which are real, and which are “make-believe,” that is up to you to decide.


Chapter 3 introduces the concept of magical talismans. Talismans are objects which are imbued with magical power, and allow those who are not skilled in magic, to be able to call on magical powers.


Chapter 4 covers the topic of relics. Relics are items that have a specialness about them. Think of them as magical items, or objects from mythology.


No book dealing with magic in the world of COLONIAL GOTHIC would be complete without a in-depth discussion on witchcraft. This discussion is found in Chapter 5.


Chapter 6 covers objects of the occult. From cold iron to holy water, these objects give the hunter of the supernatural the edge they need.


Finally in Chapter 7 new monsters are found.


So take a deep breath, whisper a silent prayer, and prepare yourself to plumb the depths of COLONIAL GOTHIC’S occult world.

The book is nearly done. How done? 95%.

All that is left to do is the table of contents, index, a few footnotes and the cover. All of this will be done over the next few days. The book has been thoroughly edited, and is now being looked over to make sure nothing was missed.

In all this is a great book. It looks good, reads good, and has a lot of good ideas.

Tags: Colonial Gothic, thoughts

Finished the last revision on Flames of Freedom Part 2 yesterday. I am sitting on it for the next seven days and then I will go back and finish it up next week.

With this small break, I can now turn my attention to finishing up the next book for Shadow, Sword & Spell. That book? Threats.

Here is what I have written for the Introduction:

Threats.

For any game, let alone a fantasy game, threats are the primary component to great adventures.

Threats take many forms.

They might be band of thieves plaguing the streets of a city. Or, they might be a loathsome terror whose fangs drip with black poison. A threats can be something as mundane as a plant. A threat can also be as fear inducing as a band of cutthroats terrorizing a farming community.

In Shadow, Sword & Spell: Threats you will find a collection of threats running the gamut from monsters of myth to more mundane ones. These threats are ready to run as is. They are fully stated, have hooks, and in some cases adventure plots ready for you to take shape into adventures of your own.

There is going to be a lot of cool things in this book, from new monsters, to fully fleshed out villains, and new traits for monsters of your own design.

Tags: Game Design, SS&S, thoughts