This version isn't quite final. Very nearly, though. And you can see how much better and more professional it's looking than if I'd done the design. The boomalicious art of Megara's Sébastien Brunet doesn't hurt either.
The first book should be out by August, with The Kingdom of Wyrd following before the autumn. Sadly the books don't come packaged with card figurines and a full-colour tactical board like John Berry has improvised here, but maybe when we get around to the hardbacks.
Here's what I used, Dave: The mini is from the excellent Pathfinder Pawns NPC Codex box by Paizo, more than 300 cardboard standups for less than 30 quid. The tiles are from Wizards of the Coasts' Castle Ravenloft D&D Adventure Board Game, which is also worth picking up for Gamebook fans as you can play solo.
ReplyDeleteThanks, John. I'm going to recommend that to my friend Tim Savin, who's been playtesting Battlepits with his kids.
DeleteI always recreated the battle maps with a chess set. Worked a treat for me.
DeleteBlood Sword looks like it's just one world up on the provisional cover, there. It should be two, right?
Logos have their own rules, Paul. Actually, Matt did a version of the logo with it as two words but I prefer this. You know that Emerson quote I like.
DeleteTo be precise the tiles are from "The Wrath of Ashardalon" Wizards of the Coast Adventure Board Game.
DeleteAnd for those who know, there are the standups from "The Black Eye/das schwarze Auge", a Rpg from Germany, as its name shows, in the 80s. Out of print, but, who knows, perhaps to be found somewhere on the Net ?
ReplyDeleteOlivier
And a little bit of trivia: Das Schwarze Auge was submitted to Transworld about the same time Oliver and I were publishing Dragon Warriors with them. I took a look and said, "It's good, but you don't need two RPGs." I think it was the translation costs that put them off rather than my advice, because a few months later they acquired the UK publishing rights to Tunnels and Trolls.
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DeleteI know both Rpgs (yours and das schwarze Auge). From the point of view of the rules, Dragon Warriors is "better" (i.e. a better ratio between complexity and practicability). The universe of Das Schwarze Auge ("Aventuria"), though not extremely original, is very entertaining. As both Rpgs work with levels, I think anybody could adapt a schwarze Auge adventure for Dragon Warriors. Here is the unofficial webpage of the SA books in French : http://loeil.noir.free.fr/livre/indexlivre.html (of course, officially copyrighted, but known to everyone, including to the French copyright holder for many many years; since the books are out of print and that no publisher would venture to reedit them, they really don't bother about it). Alas, the standups are not included. For those interested, I have a PdF of them....
DeleteAdapting The Dark Eye (as its English version was eventually called) to Dragon Warriors was quite exactly what I did, back in the day... but once only. While the actual conversion of mechanics wasn't hard to do, the flavour of DSA's Aventurien didn't sit well with the gritty low-fantasy that I took to be the point of Legend - even though I'd taken care to keep everything out in uncharted lands where everything was possible (relocating a spiders' forest to the North Mungoda coast).
DeleteThst's one thing that's problematic about Blood Sword as a campaign. Being an epic means that it's not at all typical of Legend as I really conceived it. Best to think of Blood Sword as Iron Man 3 compared to DW's much grittier and more grounded IM1. If that makes sense.
DeleteOh yes oh yes! I can't wait for this! Bloodsword books were some of the best RPG books of my youth!
ReplyDeleteI thought they were some of the best I wrote, anyway :-)
DeleteThat cover looks awesome. Shame to not have distribution through high street stores as I can see that really grabbing attention. Much though I love FL I'm well looking forward to rediscovering Blood Sword. Will tide me over until Jamie finishes his VR book...
ReplyDeleteThere are still high street bookstores?
DeleteOh, somehow I'd thought the books were only being sold online, but if not, so much the better. I daresay they won't reach the New Zealand high streets here though sadly.
DeleteThe two local bookstores here in Wandsworth have both recently closed. Reluctantly I must now buy from the Evil Empire.
DeleteIt sounds like I'm in the minority, but I really liked the mock-ups you did back in September. I disliked the original covers from the 80s(?), and I would have been happy to replace my old books for new ones with covers like that.
ReplyDeleteYa me too.
DeleteFrom all these covers, for me, the best are the ones from Dave Morris.
Over all, what I hate is art from Megara.
Why, oh why, dont you commission one of the many great artists there are out there?
John Blanche, Ian Miller, Paul Bonner, Martin McKenna, Gary Chalk, ... all those can do a lot better.
Is it too costly?
If so maybe you can do a kickstarter just to pay for a cover that dont make people nauseous.
As I am 100% sure I will order these bloodsword books as soon as it is possible, I'd really like those to have a good cover.
Do you know Keith Wormwood? Do you like his art?
I don't know Keith Wormwood, but it's a great name and I'll look up his art. I'd love to commission Martin McKenna but he's too expensive. He wouldn't speak to me these days anyway. Gary might return my calls, at least, but even him I can't afford.
DeleteSeriously though, you don't like Sebastien Brunet?
I'm a bit boring, though...
ReplyDeleteI'm still planning to use those covers, Tom. That'll be the new revised edition without the tactical maps. The "literary" version, so to speak.
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