[Now Available] Map 00 Olden Lands Continent

Chronicles of Mhoriedh

Map 00 Olden Lands Continent

Designed by James Mishler with Jodi Moran-Mishler

Cartography by James Mishler

ABOUT THIS PRODUCT

There are seven maps included with this product, each of the same area and detailing different aspects of the Olden Lands. This is “Map 00,” the baseline continental map for the Chronicles of Mhoriedh campaign setting. They are designed for use with the forthcoming Gazetteer of the Olden Lands; they are presented for sale here separately for those who would simply like to have the maps.

Click image to embiggen

MAP 00: MAP SCALE

The official scale on Map 00 is 75 miles per hex, with the map being 30 hexes north to south and 50 hexes east to west. The map is about 2300 miles north to south and about 3400 miles east to west, for a total area of 7,820,000 square miles.

The Continental map will be divided into nine Regional maps. The Regional maps will also have 30 hexes north to south and 50 hexes east to west, and be at a scale of 25 miles per hex.

Each of the nine Regional maps can be divided into 25 Area maps, again 30 hexes north to south and 50 hexes east to west. The scale on the Area maps will be 5 miles per hex.

While we plan to release all nine Regional maps, we do not plan on completing all 225 Area maps… though you never know! Wouldn’t that be something?

If you wish, you can also set the scale at 90 miles per hex on the Continental map, which would give you a scale of 30 miles per hex on the Regional maps. This would then give you a scale of 6 miles per hex on the Area maps.

All products in the Chronicles of Mhoriedh series assume the use of the 75/25/5 mile hex breakdown for Continental/Regional/Area maps.

You are hereby authorized to print any of the maps included with this product for personal use only. Please do not sell, share, or give these maps away, either in electronic or print form, except as excerpts as needed for your personal campaigns.

MAP 00_1: GEOGRAPHICAL PLAIN

This map provides you with the plain geographical and topographical lay of the land. It should be noted that at the 75 mile per hex scale, the indicated feature is simply the majority geographical feature, not necessarily overwhelming all other features in the area. A 75-mile hex has 225 5-mile hexes within its environs; that’s a lot of territory!

MAP 00_2: GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

This map provides you with the names of the major geographical and topographical features of the Olden Lands. Not every range of hills or river is named, but most of the important ones are, as are all areas mentioned in this product.

MAP 00_3: REGION NAMES

This map breaks the Olden Lands into its major constituent parts. Some of these areas are kingdoms, and some are empires, while others are cultural regions or simple geographic areas, depending on the nature of the civilization prevalent in the region. Those areas shown that are kingdoms are depicted with their “best hoped borders” presented; while claims might be quite grandiose, in many cases such borders are honored more in the breach than in any other fashion. Consult the entries in this volume for more information on each realm and region.

MAP 00_4: SETTLEMENT NAMES

This map shows the location of major settlements. What is a major settlement in one region might well be a rustic hamlet in another. Settlements that are noted with a white star in a red circle are capitals for their respective kingdoms or racial realms, with the exception of Velantia, which is a major free city (and the largest city in the Olden Lands). There are no roads featured at this scale as there are no continental-wide roads. There are in fact few well-developed roads at all; there are some in Elysion, a few in Itlania, and a handful in Kryx, but most folk travel on hard-packed trails or mud-carved wagon ruts.

MAP 00_5: THE GREAT PLAGUE

This map shows the progression of the Great Plague, which began in 1997 AE, preceding and paving the way for the subsequent nomad invasions from Nhorr and the Purple Plains. The plague originated in the Far West and spread to the Olden Lands through traders out of Mhordlakh. It then spread south through the Western Marches and east through Bagaudia. As of the end of the year 2000 AE it has reached the Paynim Coast and Deshret in the South, up through Strigoria, and into the Middle Lands, including Aurlandia and Gregorius. Though it primarily affects humans, other races are not immune, though elves, half-elves, orcs, and half-orcs seem to have strong resistance to the disease.

MAP 00_6: NOMAD INVASIONS

This map shows the major nomad invasions that occurred during the prior three years, with the status of major nomad camps at the end of the campaign season in 2000 AE. This map does not show the minor incursions of the goblinoids from the Northern Wilds and the Starcrag Peaks, or other minor actions on the part of barbarian tribes and other humanoids. The triangle-in-circle symbols indicate current major camps, with the three-dot ruins symbols indicate incursions that were extirpated or otherwise turned back.

MAP 00_7: NINE REGIONS MAP

This map shows the division of Map 00, the Continental Map, into the nine Regional maps. Each of the nine Region maps will be more fully developed in its own larger-scale map and gazetteer.

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[Now Available] Vampires of the Olden Lands

Monsters & Treasure Appendix #1

Vampires of the Olden Lands

By James Mishler and Jodi Moran-Mishler

This 26-page supplement includes seven vampire species, a race of villainous vampire-men, and the half-vampire dhamphir race, all designed for use with Castles & Crusades and Labyrinth Lord! This volume includes:

Bhabaphirs – Soul-sucking child-slaying vampiric wise-women of the mountain villages that truck with night hags and liches;

Ekimmu – The Vampire Lords, founders of all the vampiric lines, masters of the High Vales of the Mountains of Blood, immortal spirits born of Chaos and Evil;

Lhamiras – Mothers of Monsters, the Vampire-Witches of the South who hunt men for sport and for game, dams of dhamphirs and lamias;

Lhamphirs – The Plague Bearers, the rotting husks of men and women who died of plague and now haunt the families and friends who abandoned them;

Mhoroiphirs – The Living Vampires, men and women who seek to continue to live their lives though they are undead, the classic blood-suckers of myth and legend;

Strighoiphirs – The Dead Vampires, mhoroiphirs who have moved on and fully embraced their undead existence and retreated from the world of living men to seek solitude;

Szalbaphirs – The Vampire Gamins, sad creatures born of horror, children transformed into blood-sucking monsters who seek an end to their undead existence even as they gather around them more of their kind that they create seeking solace and safety with siblings;

Vhukodlakhs – Vampire-Men, created as servants by the ekimmu in ages long passed, they now haunt the mountains and highlands of the Olden Lands, serving vampires and other dread lords as they prey upon man and beast alike;

Dhamphirs – Born of the union of mortal and vampire, these scions of Chaos and Evil are often anything but, as many spend their lives hunting vampires and the undead, either to assuage their own souls or for the cold, hard coin of the villagers. But every day they fight against the blood lust of their vampiric heritage, and no few have fallen into darkness or to the fangs of their own sires…

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[Coming Soon] Gazetteer of the Olden Lands

COMING SOON!

Gazetteer of the Olden Lands

By James Mishler and Jodi Moran-Mishler

Continental Map 00

Base Geographical Map

Geographical Map with Names

Regions of the Olden Lands Map

Settlements of the Olden Lands Map

The Great Plague Map

Nomad Invasions Map

Regional Division Map

The Gazetteer

Cosmology of the Olden Lands

Humans of the Olden Lands

Demi-Humans of the Olden Lands

Humanoids of the Olden Lands

Languages of the Olden Lands

Gazetteer of the Olden Lands

Geography of the Olden Lands

Twixt -- The Land of Faerie

The Underworld

The Heavens, Hells, and the Halls of the Dead

Gods, Demi-Gods, and Cults of the Olden Lands
Artifacts and Relics of the Olden Lands
Monsters of the Olden Lands

Complete Resource List by Resource Type

Coinage of the Olden Lands

...and more!

Click on image to embiggen!

[Now Available] GDC01 Chaos Queen of Ants

Gods, Demi-Gods, and Cults

#1: Chaos Queen of Ants

By James Mishler and Jodi Moran-Mishler

This is the first in a series of Gods, Demi-Gods, and Cults products that are designed to provide a Judge with complete details on the gods, demi-gods, quasi-deities, exalted beings, religions, temples, and cults of the Olden Lands.

Each GDC module includes the history of the deity, a detailed description of its personality and plots, cult and followers, and complete stats for Castles & Crusades and Labyrinth Lord. Also included are any new spells, monsters, and magic items germane to the deity, its powers, and cult.

The Chaos Queen of Ants, Khraliche Karinkhamür, is an ancient Chaos Beast, said to have been revered and feared by primitive man since the days before the Empire of Deshret. Survival of her cult in the face of great competition by other deities, Chaos Beasts, and the various crusaders of Law is attributed to the fact that she is not incarnate in a single body, but in many avatars. Her worship originated in Mandayan, and in the Olden Lands she is most popular in Eosha, Kryx, Deshret, and the Purple Plains.

While designed to be used with the Olden Lands campaign setting as described in the Chronicles of Mhoriedh series, any GDC deity can be readily adapted to just about any other campaign setting, whether High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, or Historical Adventure.

CONTENTS

Animal Lords and Chaos Beast Cults

Chaos Queen of Ants

   Cult of Khraliche Karinkhamür

      Avatar

      Sacrifices and Treasures

      Followers and Canon

      Racial Affinities

      Cult Hierarchy

      Cult Ranks

   Priest Class Basics

      Raiment & Unholy Symbol

      Weapons & Armor

      Command Ants and Demons

   Cult Spells

      Castles & Crusades

      Labyrinth Lord

   Shrines and Temples

      Temple Ant Colonies

      Temple High Priests and Formicians

      Temple Guards

      Temple Assassins and Spies

New Monsters

   Ant, Giant (Small)

   Ant, Giant (Medium)

   Ant, Giant (Large)

   Alternate Soldier Stings

   Ant Swarm

   Formicalion

   Formicians

New Treasures

   Clockwork Ant of Irgen-Khyar

   The Crystal Ant

Altered Spells

New Spells

   Create Formicalion

   Create Golden Ant

   Lesser Poultice of Healing

   Greater Poultice of Healing

   Major Poultice of Healing

   Minor Poultice of Healing

Superstitions

Minor Traditions

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[Designer Notes] Hercynian Grimoire #1

Herein I thought I might present some thoughts on what we were thinking while writing the various articles in Hercynian Grimoire #1:

MEN & MAGIC

On Gnolls and Gnoles: Gnolls have always been the odd-man out in the fantasy bestiary. They were not one of Tolkien’s Big Three, had no real precedence in myth and legend, and had their origins in one relatively obscure fantasy literature reference. At first they could readily fit into just about any grouping of humanoids, as they were not that well defined, and simply fit the slot in power between the hobgoblins and the bugbears. But then they were defined as “hyena-men,” which made them sort of a square peg in a round hole, trying to fit in with the Tolkienesque goblin-orc-hobgoblin trinity.

For a long time, through the various campaigns I’ve run over the years, they never really figured much. Then, as I was trying to develop the lands beyond my “European-Centric” portion of a campaign setting, they clicked. After all, hyenas are endemic to Africa and Asia, and are associated with witchcraft and man-beasts in myth and legend. It makes sense that the monstrous humanoids of that region would follow in the same vein. Too, I was never satisfied with the fully hyena-headed gnoll being equivalent to the cunning, sneaky, intelligent gnoles described by Lord Dunsany in his story, How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art On The Gnoles. Thus were born the gnoles, which are a stable half-breed race, more man-like than gnoll-like, though quite furry and still inhuman, and with an evil cunning heart rather than a ferocious bestial manner.

In the Olden Lands, they fill the same niche in the South as do the goblinoids in the North and the orcs in the West. It helps to further define each region culturally and socially as distinct. And with the dichotomy of the gnolls and gnoles, we have both the ferocious savagery of a primitive, backward race and the suave, sophisticated evil of something not-quite-human…

D66 Ferocious Fighters: Who doesn’t love a swarm of interesting warrior-types to use in a pinch when a random encounter calls for a fighter? Of course, they are all tied in with the Olden Lands; it should be simple enough for the initiated to pick up on the cultural underpinnings of the various regions of the Olden Lands from these characters. Some of them will make later appearances in other products; not quite “iconic” characters, but somewhat important figures in the current goings-on in the Olden Lands…

Spells Arcane and Occult: This presents a nice, wacky spell. Subsequent entries in this series will not be quite so extensive…

Spell Songs of Salamacine: Witches figure prominently in the Olden Lands. The Witches of Mhoriedh are, in fact, central to the naming of the product line, the Chronicles of Mhoriedh, as they are the great mortal historians of the Olden Lands. We will have more details on the witch class and their powers coming up soon…

MONSTERS & TREASURE

D66 Fairies and Nymphs: Faeries and nymphs are not supposed to really fit in at all with the normal Mortal World, especially so in the Olden Lands, as the fey and the sylvan folk are more attuned to the otherworld of Twixt, aka the Land of Faerie. Their natures, descriptions, even powers and abilities can be as variable as the Judge requires, as no two such beings are ever exactly alike and the rules that apply to mortals do not apply to them. That said, even among the fey, who reside deepest in Twixt, anachronisms in the Olden Lands are very few and far between. While most of the Olden Lands are in the High Middle Ages technologically and socially, though certainly some regions fall back as far as the Stone Age, the Fey vary from something resembling the Dark Ages up to the styles and society of Georgian Era England (as well as similar stages in society for other regions), sans technology.

Gnoll Tribe Generator: A nice, simple system for generating a tribe of gnolls and gnoles, wherever you are in the Olden Lands.

Magical Miscellanea: A handful of magical items of unusual or more mundane sort. The magic of the Olden Lands is not common, but then neither is it rare. There are no lightning-powered trains to be sure, but neither are the world’s wizards reduced to hiding away in caves and mountain-top towers. There are a handful of schools, colleges, and universities at which magic is studied, as was science in its early days. The tradition of these universities extends back a little more than a century in most places; most magic of arcane sort is thus learned still by apprentices sitting at the foot of a master. A few of the old Saracen academies still exist in Eosha, Deshret, along the Paynim Coast, and in Alspadia; these arose during the latter days of the First Caliphate four centuries ago and were the inspiration for the colleges and universities in the North. It is the magical experimentation of the students at these schools that creates the vast majority of the more dangerous, if sometimes useful, magic items that are found today.

Monstrous Menagerie

Hyena; Hyena, Cave, and Lycanthrope, Werehyena: These are presented for completeness along with the gnoll and gnole, above.

Mandayan Nyumbanyama: I’ve loved dinosaurs since the first I heard of them as a child; who hasn’t? The regular use of dinosaurs as domesticated animals in Mandayan and Eosha was inspired by Lin Carter’s Thongor of Lemuria series. It sets the lands apart even further from the lands of the North and the West. And of course, dinosaurs man!

Zelzangyi: This is a weird creature Jodi dreamt up… fits nicely in the Olden Lands, as the locathah of the Sea of Steam needed an unusual pet.

D666 Demonic and Devilish Traits: A little something to spice up encounters with demons and devils and other creatures of such ilk. It is excerpted from a currently back-burnered product, the Pandaemonicon Ex Khaoticus: A Tome Of Beasts Demonic And Vile, which includes tables and charts to generate millions or random demons and devils. In the Olden Lands, demons are creatures born of pure chaos, while devils are the children (and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, etc.) of the King of Hell, the patron god of the Paynim. He and they rule over many of the various Hells, though not all, and though demons serve at their beck and call, not all demons are in service to the King of Hell and his devils.

UNDERWORLD & WILDERNESS

D66 Underworld Oddities: This table, and others like it that will follow, were inspired by the old “Special” entry on the “Stocking the Dungeon” tables. The Underworld of the Olden Lands, like the Land of Faerie, is unusual and strange and does not live by the same rules as the mortal world above. Unlike Faerie, which is a completely different “otherworld” altogether, the Underworld is a creation of Chaos, the area where it bled through the strongest into the creation of the Elder Titan. The Underworld inhabits the space between the Halls of the Dead, the Hells, and the mortal world above. Essentially, every major dungeon and most minor dungeons, and even some cellars and crawl-spaces, are connected to the Underworld. It propagates itself wherever it can; a fine, solid, stone-walled dwarven mine might one day find itself with a new, unusual door that just appears out of nowhere… the wise among the dwarves know to avoid it, but the young and adventuresome may well seek adventure and treasure through the door, though they are more likely to find their death…

Olden Lands Preview: Alspadia: Alspadia is, of course, the analog for Spain in the Olden Lands. Some believe that using real-world analogs is not creative enough, or different enough, or simply plain lazy. I find, from my own experiences, that it makes things a lot simpler for the Judge and for the players to play in a world that is familiar, yet subtly different. And so most of the Olden Lands are analogs of historical or well-known fantastical lands. Alspadia of the here and now (2001 AE, the year in which all Chronicles of Mhoriedh products will be set) is still in the throes of the Taifa and Reconquista era, presenting a variety of societies, cultures, and locales in which to adventure. Too, the coastal lands are very active in sea-based trade and piracy, so there are many opportunities for classic Spanish Main style adventure.

Olden Lands Preview: The Oldenwood: The Oldenwood is a classic deep, dark, and mysterious, inhuman and yet non-fey forest. It is a land out of old European legends; Rheínaerdh is lifted from old European tales, while Old Tree of course is Yggdrasil, complete with familiar friends, re-writ and re-tasked for something slightly different. Rheínaerdh, it should be noted, is a patron of the fox-headed gnoles of the Middle Lands, where they are considered, like their patron, a race of tricksters and trouble-makers. The plots and machinations of the Ogres of Ogroth are a major feature in the future history of the Middle Lands… a future history that the players in such campaigns as develop will decide…

GODS & DEMI-GODS

Olden Lands Preview: The Blood God: You gotta have a berserker, blood-letting deity in a world where you have viking-style berserkers! As there are no pantheons, as such, in the Olden Lands, the Blood God fills many shoes, from the berserker god of the Thundigoth to the crimson slayer of the thieves of Velantia to the Lord of the Pits in the gladiatorial arenas of the South. And of course, he is a favored patron of vampires and ghouls and creatures of such ilk.

[Now Available] Hercynian Grimoire #1

Welcome to the first issue of the Hercynian Grimoire, a new, irregular publication dedicated to providing new and cool stuff for your Castles & Crusades and Labyrinth Lord games! Yes, you read that right – every article in every issue will have dual stats, primarily in Castles & Crusades terms, with notations and additions as needed for Labyrinth Lord.  In such cases, the needful stats for Labyrinth Lord will be indicated in brackets, thus and so: [LL: Stats for Labyrinth Lord].

The Hercynian Grimoire will be released on an irregular schedule, in that new issues of the publication may be released every week or every other week, depending on sales and our ability to write in a timely fashion. Each issue of Hercynian Grimoire will be released at an initial discount, with the discount to be rescinded when the next issue releases, though no sooner than one week after release. This is to give our core fans the benefit of the discount for their early adoption of each issue. We have no plans to compile issues of Hercynian Grimoire, or to offer issues on sale or discounted through bundles at a later time.

I say “our” ability to write because I am joined in this endeavor, as in all my future writing endeavors, by my lovely and talented wife, Jodi Moran-Mishler. She is not, sad to say, a gamer, but she has played from time to time, and her interest in myths, legends, monsters, and magic go back to her early childhood. She is not merely my writing partner, she is my muse. I am sometimes relieved that she is not a gamer, as her ability to conjure up creatures deadly and evil is diabolical. Her knowledge and creativity will come into good use in future developments.

Most materials to be included herein are framed in terms applicable to my new campaign setting, the Olden Lands, detailed in the forthcoming Chronicles of Mhoriedh line of products. The Olden Lands is a classic fantasy role-playing game campaign setting, incorporating elements of High and Low Fantasy, Swords & Sorcery, and Historical Adventure, and thus any materials herein presented should be readily adaptable to any fantasy campaign setting with minimal effort.

Regarding the name of this publication, in myth and legend the hercinia was a bird native to the vast, mysterious and mystical Hercynian Forest of the ancient world, of which the Black Forest of Germany is the largest remnant. The plumage of the hercinia was of such a bright and shining nature that travelers through the great forest did not need torches, as the light from the birds acted as their guide in the darkness. And so we hope this publication to be, a guide to Judges and players in negotiating the development of their games, a light in the wilderness of adventure. And so welcome to the first issue of Hercynian Grimoire!

The first issue includes the following articles:

MEN & MAGIC
Gnolls, the Hyena-Men
Gnoles, the Man-Beasts
D66 Ferocious Fighters
Spells Arcane and Occult
Spell Songs of Salamacine

MONSTERS & TREASURE
D66 Fairies and Nymphs
Gnoll Tribe Generator
Magical Miscellanea
Monstrous Menagerie
   Hyena
   Hyena, Cave
   Lycanthrope, Werehyena
   Mandayan Nyumbanyama
      Ardhirengo “Small-Wings”
      Chinajinyama “Butcher-Beasts”
      Hewarengo “Sky-Wings”
      Kidolekuta “Finger-Nippers”
      Kuvutanyama “Dray-Beasts”
      Milimanyama “Mountain-Beasts”
      Mindajikuva “Hunter-Killers”
      Mudahatu “Long-Striders”
      Vitanyama “War-Beasts”
   Zelzangyi
D666 Demonic and Devilish Traits

UNDERWORLD & WILDERNESS
D66 Underworld Oddities
Olden Lands Preview: Alspadia
Olden Lands Preview: The Oldenwood

GODS & DEMI-GODS
Olden Lands Preview: The Blood God

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Announcing James Mishler Games!

Well... I'm back.

A number of things brought us to this moment. First, I've finally gotten the itch to write again. My previous experience with Adventure Games Publishing and the associated events rather burned me on all that. But time heals most wounds, and for some time now, I've been itching to write, as those who have followed my personal blog are aware.

Second, right now I have plenty of time on my hands. Too much time, and too little money, as I have been unable to find a job for more than four months. So, damn the torpedoes, once more unto the breach, and all that! I'm turning my itch to write into something that can hopefully bring in a little cash. I have no illusions as to the size of the market; but right now any money is better than no money at all.

And so I have started James Mishler Games for both personal and mercenary reasons. It is what it is, and it will be what it will be.

What it is, essentially, is a publishing label, more or less, for a line of PDF products. What it is not, is that it is not a print product company. One lesson I learned with the AGP debacle is that print publishing, at least at the size of AGP or JMG, is a sure fire way to lose your shirt. The margins are so fine, even at essentially what was print-on-demand, that one single mistake turns a profitable product into a major loss. So I have no plans to ever turn JMG into a regular print company. In the list of things to be considered down the line, that one will be revisited in two years time, if we are still around then.

For now, we will have PDFs available on DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. If sales warrant, we'll look into expanding into other PDF venues. Right now, our PDFs are all being made with very simple, very cheap software. In order to be able to offer POD options on DTRPG/RPGNow, Lulu, and other such venues, we have to use the full Adobe Photoshop system, which costs $600, and is not remotely within our range at this point. Maybe down the road. If and only if sales seem to warrant, we will eventually acquire that package and start making our larger products available in POD through DTRPG/RPGNow, Lulu, and such. That is not something to be considered, however, for at least six months.

We have no plans to ever use Kickstarter or Indigogo. My prior experience with the subscriptions I offered through AGP has shown me that there is no way I should ever handle anyone's money without first having provided them with a product. Thus, all our products will be cash on the barrelhead; you get your PDF, we get your money. The only way this will ever be revisited is if we get all of our bills paid off and have a product, fully written, fully illustrated, and ready to be sent to the printer with the mere press of a button. And even then, I am unlikely to do so, merely because of the horrible emotions the mere thought of the subscription debacle brings to mind...

So for the forseeable future, we are PDF only. What, exactly, do we plan to offer?

First and foremost, to begin with we will offer fantasy products statted for both Castles & Crusades and Labyrinth Lord. Yes, dual-statted products! We have licenses from both Troll Lord Games and Goblinoid Games to publish our products in both formats in a single product. The amount of space required to dual-stat the books is minimal; we will not publish one version in C&C and another in LL, all books will be dual-statted. We figure that between the two systems, pretty much all major Old School systems and their varients are well covered, and can readily be adapted to their use.

Our major offering is a magazine, the Hercynian Grimoire, to be published every week or every other week, as time and sales permit. The Hercynian Grimoire includes articles dealing with Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasures, the Underworld & Wilderness, and Gods & Demi-Gods. Each issue will contain 20 to 40 pages of content in addition to the various licenses and other needful pages and be priced accordingly.

We plan numerous smaller offerings of two to 10 pages, each dealing with a single subject or offering a single table or chart of interesting and useful items. These might take the form of a simple essay, a d6, d66, d100, or even d666 chart, or other form for a self-contained generic item.

We have our own campaign setting, the Olden Lands, to be detailed in the Chronicles of Mhoriedh series of products. The Olden Lands is a world of High and Low Fantasy, Swords & Sorcery and Historical Adventure, inspired primarily by the works of Lord Dunsany, Robert E. Howard, JRR Tolkien, Poul Anderson, Jack Vance, Lin Carter, Michael Moorcock, David Eddings, Robert Adams, David Gemmell, George RR Martin, Dave Arneson, Gary Gygax, Bob Bledsaw, and Tom Moldvay. It is in this milieu that we will present all our fantasy products, most especially our series of adventures and gazetteers.

I should also note that I use "we" not merely as a corporate construct, but in truth and fact, for in this endeavor I am joined by my lovely wife and talented writing partner, Jodi Moran-Mishler. She is not, sad to say, a gamer, but she has played from time to time, and her interest in myths, legends, monsters, and magic go back to her early childhood. She is not merely my writing partner, she is my muse. I am sometimes relieved that she is not a gamer, as her ability to conjure up creatures and situations deadly and evil is diabolical. Her knowledge and creativity will come into good use in future developments.

That's the long of it.

The short of it is that we will be releasing some cool PDF products for Castles & Crusades and Labyrinth Lord, some large, some small. We are keeping things simple for now. We figure if we keep it simple, it will be that much easier for us to enjoy writing and, hopefully, for you to enjoy reading and using our materials.

If you need to contact us, we can be reached at jamesmishler@gmail.com

FAQ

Q: What systems will your products use?
A: All our products will be dual-statted for Castles & Crusades and Labyrinth Lord.

Q: Will you offer print or POD products?
A: We will not offer products for print sold direct. Eventually we might offer POD products through DTRPG/RPGNow and Lulu. We will revisit this policy in June 2013 and as needed every six months thereafter, and the decision will be based on sales and whether or not we can afford the Adobe Photoshop program.

Q: Hey, where's the art?
A: We are boostrapping this operation, sans boots and straps. We plan to acquire art through various clip-art formats (notably the publishers resources offered on DTRPG/RPGNow) to add some art to our products, as sales warrant. If you are an artist and have a portfolio of fantasy clip-art (i.e., royalty-free, reuseable, non-exclusive, etc.), please feel free to e-mail us at jamesmishler@gmail.com so we can add your portfolio to our list of possibilities. If and only if sales get to the point where we can afford it, then will we be able to use spec art; this will generally be limited to covers for major products at first.

Q: What's up with all the old AGP subscriptions?
A: At this time we cannot start refunding those subscriptions, nor can we offer JMG credit for AGP subscribers. One of the reasons I've started this endeavor is I am currently unemployed; any money earned from JMG will either go to pay for food, shelter, or gasoline, or to improve the resources we have for JMG to improve our ability to provide more products (i.e., to acquire Hexographer/Dungeonographer, fantasy clip-art, Adobe Photoshop, etc.) in order to be able to make even more money. And after that, there are other bills that take precedence, for various reasons, most importantly legal reasons (hospitals, banks, and doctors are often well lawyered-up). So sadly, reimbursement of the AGP subscribers is low on the list of those who get money next.

Q: Who are you guys?
A: James Mishler has worked in the adventure games industry for almost 20 years. He's worked in sales, marketing, writing, editing, design, development, purchasing, packaging, and shipping in the publishing, distribution, and retail tiers of the industry. He's worked for Wizards of the Coast, Chessex, West End Games, Alliance Distribution, Kenzer & Company, ACD Distribution, Scrye Magazine, Comics & Games Retailer Magazine, and WizKids and had products or contributed to products published by Kenzer & Company, Sword & Sorcery Studios, Necromancer Games, Judges Guild, Adventure Games Publishing, and Troll Lord Games. He's played role-playing games for more than 30 years, most of the time as a Judge.

Jodi Moran-Mishler is the lovely and talented wife, writing parter, and muse of James Mishler. She has been interested in myths and legends, monsters and and magic her entire life, and her desire to be either a paleontologist or a cryptozoologist goes back to her early childhood. Though she is not a gamer, she has an incredible imagination and is a master world-builder.