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Thursday, April 28

NCRPC and ICECC Updates

I updated the National Center for Reanimation Prevention and Control (NCRPC) site with a new review and an actual, honest-to-goodness zombie reanimation outbreak spread by mosquitoes in Cambodia!

(just kidding)

I also updated the International Center for Ethereal Containment and Control (ICECC) site with the latest Blood and Spooks discount.

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posted by Mike Tresca at 7:20 AM | 0 comments


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Tuesday, April 26

Blood and Spooks for Just Four Bucks!

So you think strapping a nuclear reactor to your back and waving an electron pack around makes you a ghost hunter?

You're darn tootin' it does!

Now, there's other guides out there that don't give you new ghost-hunting professions, skills, feats, magic, and whatnot. This isn't like those guides. Blood and Spooks: The Ghost Hunter's Guide has all the crunch you know and love and more, including:
For a limited time, Blood and Spooks is on sale! You save $2.45, which means Blood and Spooks costs only $4.00. That's four bucks for 57 pages of ghost hunting goodness!

Buy it today at http://www.philipjreed.com/downloads/maycoupons.pdf

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posted by Mike Tresca at 11:12 PM | 0 comments


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Saturday, April 23

I-CON Update

A couple weeks late, but my summary of I-CON is now live. There's even a couple of pictures. In fact, here's one! [MORE]



Dana Driscoll of Silven Publishing and Me of...well, here.

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posted by Mike Tresca at 1:09 AM | 0 comments


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Thursday, April 21

Complete Guide to Werewolves Delayed

Apparently, The Complete Guide to Werewolves has been moved back to May instead of April. I updated my Writing schedule to reflect the change. The author's always the last to know...

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posted by Mike Tresca at 11:17 PM | 0 comments


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Esuvee Gets Blogged!

Just wanted to note that Torakhan blogged my Esuvee freebie. Thanks Torakhan! [MORE]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 1:19 PM | 1 comments


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Drinking Deeply from the Chalice of Midnight - Part 6b: Home Sweet Home

Losknek’s eyes narrowed, but his lips curled into a smile. “And you are wise not to trust me, or anyone else. Your erstwhile compatriot, while possessing a noble goal, has unwittingly begun a chain reaction that could topple the order of things upon Arcanis and may well usher in the enslavement of Mankind.”

“Go on,” said Ilmarė, sheathing her sword. [MORE]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 8:17 AM | 0 comments


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Monday, April 18

Measuring the Impact of Your Communications

I'm off to my next panel!

You know you should measure the impact of your communications, but where do you start? On April 16, IABC’s panelists will discuss how to use measurement to maximize the effectiveness of your messages and your media results. Angela Sinickas, Michael Tresca and William J. Comcowich will present strategies, tools and best practices for measuring communications, both internal and external. [ MORE ]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 11:28 PM | 0 comments


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Freebie Update

It never occured to me to add the freebies available at RPGNow.com to my list of free stuff on this site. But since I wrote them, they're all just a click away. Enjoy free supplements, including adventure scenarios and factions, for Blood & Spooks, Blood & Brains, and Modern: Mercenary Manual.

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posted by Mike Tresca at 10:58 PM | 0 comments


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I-CON Update

My review of I-CON is coming soon, but in the mean time here are some other folks on I-CON for your reading pleasure:

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posted by Mike Tresca at 5:50 PM | 0 comments


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Sunday, April 17

FREE D20 Modern Faction for Modern: Mercenary Manual

Introducing the Wild Hawks, a D20 Modern faction of mercenaries suitable for inclusion in any campaign that has military conflict. Follow Captain "Crazy Charlie" O'hare and his band of warriors as they blitz their opponents with hit-and-run tactics through muck and jungle.

Download it for FREE.

This faction, while usable on its own, is best used with Ronin Arts’ Modern: Mercenary Manual.

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posted by Mike Tresca at 6:16 PM | 1 comments


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Drinking Deeply from the Chalice of Midnight - Part 6a: Home Sweet Home

Decimus held the chalice up. “With this, I can make sure my family and my descendants will live as free citizens of the Empire.”

“And how exactly will the chalice help you do that?” asked Quintus.

Decimus walked over to another summoning circle inscribed on the floor. “I call upon you, Oh Fallen One, as my ancestors did bid you to come in ages past,” he chanted, “so do I now command you to appear before me!”

Ilmarė unsheathed her sword. “What are you doing?” [MORE]

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Saturday, April 16

Buy My Godzilla, Please!

I'm moving on to buy the next Godzilla game in the series now that I beat Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters (see review below). Now I'm trying to sell it. Only $9.99! Buy it at half.com today!

posted by Mike Tresca at 5:02 PM | 0 comments


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Friday, April 15

The Roots of D&D

Wonder where paladins, rogues, trolls, and the spell casting system came from? Find out at the Literary Sources of D&D.

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posted by Mike Tresca at 7:58 PM | 0 comments


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Joe Tresca at Turbo Squid

My brother, Joe Tresca, is a 3D artist and has an amazing array of work for sale at Turbo Squid. Click the button below to see more.

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posted by Mike Tresca at 8:03 AM | 0 comments


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Thursday, April 14

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters

GDAM got me so excited about giant monsters bashing that I put Destroy All Monsters on my wish list. That's the highest compliment I can give a game I played over and over until I beat it. [ MORE ]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 9:49 PM | 1 comments


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Blood & Brains and Blood & Spooks Mention

Blood and Brains: The Zombie Hunter's Guide and Blood and Spooks: The Ghost Hunter's Guide got shout outs in a thread about the best of D20 Modern. Booyah!

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posted by Mike Tresca at 7:42 PM | 0 comments


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Esuvee Stirs Up Controversy

Nothing quite like a d20 game supplement causing a thread about the pros and cons of SUVs. The advertising campaign is working!

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posted by Mike Tresca at 7:37 PM | 1 comments


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Predator PBP Game

NarlethDrider is going to start a Predator PBP game soon using my Predator and Aliens freebies. Check it out!

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posted by Mike Tresca at 7:34 PM | 0 comments


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Tuesday, April 12

Drinking Deeply from the Chalice of Midnight - Part 5: An Ill Friend

“The tide has broken. The forces of Entropy are advancing. You must flee while you can…”

Quintus put one hand on Clodius’ forehead. “May Illiir bless you and keep you. Pass in peace.”

“Quintus,” said Ilmarė again.

There was a long, shuddering sigh, and then the body that was once the vessel for Clodius lay still.

“Quintus!”

“Yes,” he said, rising. “What is it?”

Ilmarė was pointing out the window. The roiling black cloud now moved with purpose, spiraling in a funnel towards the tower.

“It’s time to go!” [ MORE ]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 9:18 PM | 0 comments


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Monday, April 11

Make Your Own South Park Character

I discovered a South Park Character Generator. So of course I immediately did what everyone else does: I made a South Park Mike. The headset thing is a work joke. I wear headset all the time, so much that I sometimes forget I'm wearing it. Then I wonder why coworkers ask for their "free football phone..."


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posted by Mike Tresca at 10:13 PM | 0 comments


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Sunday, April 10

Esuvee

Because...well, because I'm insane, I had to create an esuvee as a d20 monster. I know, I know, it's an illness. I'm trying to get over my conversionmania.

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posted by Mike Tresca at 8:01 PM | 0 comments


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Drinking Deeply from the Chalice of Midnight - Part 4d: The Tower Landing

Quintus stumbled out of the room, coughing in the smoke. An arrow bounced off his shield.

“Ilmarė,” shouted Quintus. “Is that you?”

The Elorii stepped out of the smoke, arrow knocked. Something pulsed red at her throat.

“Ilmarė?” Quintus lowered his spear, confused. “Ilmarė? What’s wrong?”

The Elorii bit her lip. Her arms were shaking with emotion. [ MORE ]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 8:00 PM | 0 comments


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Friday, April 8

I-CON Schedule

I'm off to present at I-CON! I-CON, the Northeast's largest convention of science fiction, fact and fantasy, is held annually on the campus of Stony Brook University. Attended by over 6,000 people each year, I-CON is a three day festival, designed to encourage literacy, creativity and interest in science and technology through science fiction and its related genres. [ MORE ]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 11:00 AM | 0 comments


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Blood and Brains

Blood and Brains: The Zombie Hunter's Guide received a new review at RPGResource. Megan Robertson, the reviewer, was even kind enough to review the two freebie supplements (Zombie Scenarios and the NCRPC faction) we released on RGPNow!

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posted by Mike Tresca at 9:06 AM | 0 comments


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Wednesday, April 6

Drinking Deeply from the Chalice of Midnight - Part 4c: The Library

“Vlad,” said Quintus, his tone steady, spear before him, “you’ve got to snap out of it. I don’t know how long I can keep this thing at bay…”

White jaws appeared out of the darkness and snapped at the tip of the longspear. Quintus positioned himself between two shelves so that the mastiff would have to pass him to get to Vlad.

“Vlad,” said Quintus more sternly, “GET. UP.”

There was a long, low growl. Then suddenly, a shape blurred into motion through the air. [ MORE ]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 8:10 AM | 0 comments


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Tuesday, April 5

When the Past Comes Back...

One of the kids I knew in high school, who lived just down the street from me, died at a very early age. We never found out how he died, but it was quick. His name was Andy.

Andy used to always hang out with a local parish priest, Father Brian McKeon. I went to confession with Father McKeon, he was there at our Catholic retreat, he even coachd my brother's hockey team.

Father Brian was a guiding light for me in my difficult teenage years. It was he who told me playing Dungeons & Dragons wasn't evil. He asked me, "Do you think it's wrong in your heart?" No, I replied. "Then there's nothing wrong with it."

I'll never forget when we were at the retreat, we took a moment of slience to speak to Jesus. I asked Father Brian what Jesus shared with him and he said, "his heart." Wow! Jesus said the same thing to me too. Nothing like having a spiritual experience in common with a priest, right?

Well, it turns out Father Brian wasn't quite as spiritual as I believed. Read here for more details.

I made the connection between Andy and McKeon years later. Worse, not only was Andy being abused, McKeon abused his younger brother after his death. You can read an article about Andy's father (who chose not to be identified in the article) here.

Thankfully, McKeon never abused me. But I looked to him as a role-model and much of what I believed he stood for must now be viewed in a different light. Nothing like having a child molester tell you about right and wrong.

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posted by Mike Tresca at 11:40 PM | 0 comments


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Monday, April 4

Welcome to the New Blog!

Out with the old, in with the new I say. I was basically updating my web site like a blog anyway. When I stumbled upon Google's blogging technology and the fact that you can customize it, it struck me that I could have the best of both worlds--retain my site's format AND have the beauty of blogging!

And now you can even comment and stuff. Let me know what you think!

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posted by Mike Tresca at 11:26 PM | 0 comments


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Movie Review: Sin City

This is the same kind of uncompromising vision that Peter Jackson brought to the screen with Lord of the Rings. By deeply respecting the original creator's work, he shattered the preconceived notions of what a movie should be and conjures something we've never seen before. I was skeptical about a comic book, even Miller's books, being turned into a new format, but Rodriguez did it and he did it with style. [ MORE ]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 10:49 PM | 0 comments


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Movie Review: The Watcher

This is Joe Charbanic's first film as a director and presumably his last, since IMDB doesn't list anything else since 2000 when The Watcher was made. It shows. [ MORE ]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 10:48 PM | 0 comments


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Movie Review: The Ring Two

With none of the pacing, none of the innovation, and very little of the original plot, Ring Two is torn between staying true to the original and appealing to a general audience. In attempting to generalize the fear and horror, the film loses the spirit (forgive the pun) of what made the first movie so appealing. [ MORE ]

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posted by Mike Tresca at 10:47 PM | 0 comments


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Arcanis Story Hour Update

Another update for the "Gonnes, Sons, and Treasure Runs" Arcanis Story Hour, "Drinking Deeply from the Chalice of Midnight." Ilmare "hulks out" with a little help from an amulet.

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posted by Mike Tresca at 10:46 PM | 1 comments


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Dancing Hut in E-Format

The Dancing Hut is now available at DriveThruRPG, e23, and RPGNow.

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posted by Mike Tresca at 10:44 PM | 0 comments


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Green's Guide to Ghosts

This is hysterical...Blood and Spooks: The Ghost Hunter's Guide is actually being targeted in advertising by a rival product. That's right, the description for Green's Guide to Ghosts indicates, "Now, there's other guides out there that give you new ghost-hunting professions, skills, feats, magic, and whatnot. This ain't like those guides. No sense in going over the same old crunch." There aren't any other ghost hunter guides for d20 Modern but Blood and Spooks, so I think we know which product they're referencing. More power to 'em--the ultimate compliment, people are trying to "beat" Blood and Spooks. Curious about the difference? Check out both and see for yourself!

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posted by Mike Tresca at 10:19 PM | 0 comments


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