fatetherpg

We're in the process of cutting our nameservice over to using goDaddy.com. In general we're pretty happy with their service, and we wanted to get our DNS off of a host that we are less sure's going to be around for the long haul -- but in switching DNS over to goDaddy, you can't edit the names until you've switched, and once you switch, it takes several hours before you can start editing the names to point where they're supposed to point.

At any rate, the upshot of this is that faterpg.com's going to drop off the net for a couple hours at some point this evening. We'll have it back ASAP. Thanks for your patience!

Ed Northcott is the Dresden Files RPG site's spotlight artist for July. Check out the preview!

See Loic Prot's French translation of Fate, here!

http://rpgblog.typepad.com/rpg_blog/2005/05/the_fate_interv.html

The cover art for the Dresden Files Role-playing Game, from
artist David Seidman of Lunar Light Studios, is in!

Lunar Light:
http://www.lunarlightstudios.com/

David put in some fantastic, hard work on this piece and
we're really excited about it.

Preview:
http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/art/DFRPGcover500px.jpg

We're so excited about it we had to offer folks the chance
to buy posters of the cover art at Cafe Press!

Poster art:
http://www.cafepress.com/dfrpg

You can get a version of the art as free wallpaper for your
PC too.

Wallpaper:
http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/art/wallpaper.php

Check it out!

Best,

The Folks at Evil Hat

As of today, Fate: Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment, is available under the Open Gaming License.

You can download the SRD here:

http://www.faterpg.com/dl/Fate-SRD-2005-03-31.rtf

I'm currently experimenting with a "viral" advertising scheme, which basically asks for folks to put a tiny little "ad" in one of their livejournal posts if they like the thing in question. Optionally, in return, I'll advertise *their* stuff, if they set up a viral ad of their own.

The details of this for the Dresden Files RPG can be found here:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/drivingblind/111574.html

And, if you choose to become a "carrier", thanks!

Howdy, Fate folks! If you haven't taken our Dresden Files RPG Survey yet, please do -- we read every response, and the data it gathers is due to have a direct impact on the game. Thanks!

http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/poll1.php

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Dresden Files Roleplaying Game Wears an Evil Hat

Silver Spring, MD (PRWEB) December 16, 2004 -- Evil Hat Productions is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Jim Butcher, the author of the best-selling novel series "The Dresden Files," for the design, production, and distribution of The Dresden Files Roleplaying Game.

"I was one of Jim's first readers, back when Harry Dresden was only a rough draft and a dream. I've loved this character for ten years, and I'm thrilled that Evil Hat Productions is going to bring Harry's world to a roleplaying game!" said Fred Hicks, co-owner of Evil Hat Productions and one of the game's authors.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing the results of this project. I'm going to be working with Evil Hat all down the line, providing background information, feedback and original material to contribute to the RPG -- time permitting, there will even be some fresh Dresden-universe fiction included in the final game," added Jim Butcher, authorof the Dresden Files novels. "I know the folks at Evil Hat Productions of old, and they are insanely brilliant. Or brilliantly insane. Either way, as far as I'm concerned Harry's world couldn't be in better hands"

The Dresden Files Roleplaying Game will use a customized version of "Fate: Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment," Evil Hat's acclaimed rule set that specializes in character-intensive storytelling and fast-paced action. Fate drew rave reviews when it took first place at the 2003 Indie RPG Awards in the Best Free RPG and Best Support categories, and placed third in Best Overall RPG.

Fate's rules are ideal for bringing the Dresden Files to life, crafting stories that fit the characters and test their beliefs, while supporting a setting that mixes the mundane and the magical. The game will also serve as a fan guide, covering all of the major characters from the series, complete with quality illustrations and game stats for each. Players will be able to pick up the series characters and run games with them, or create their own characters -- wizards, vampires, werewolves, faeries, holy knights, mafia dons, occult cops, ninja librarians, and more -- to explore the "Dresdenverse." Every type of character from the world of the Dresden Files will be possible!

The Dresden Files RPG is scheduled for release in the summer of 2006. Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue, the co-designers of Fate, will write the game. The single core book will provide all players will need and more, to run their own games in the setting.

For additional information, visit The Dresden Files RPG website, www.dresdenfilesrpg.com.

About Evil Hat Productions

Evil Hat Productions believes that passion makes the best games. It is this passion for gaming that raised Fate to its current acclaimed position in the independent RPG community. Fate can be used to build the best kinds of role-playing experiences -- full of laughter, story-telling, and memorable moments. Fate is a free ruleset, available for download along with other Evil Hat games, on the Evil Hat Productions site at www.evilhat.com.

About Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files and Codex Alera series of novels. Jim Butcher is a martial arts enthusiast with fifteen years of experience in various styles including Ryukyu Kempo, Tae Kwan Do, Gojo Shorei Ryu, and a sprinkling of Kung Fu. He is a skilled rider and has worked as a summer camp horse wrangler and performed in front of large audiences in both drill riding and stunt riding exhibitions. Jim enjoys fencing, singing, bad science fiction movies and live-action gaming. He lives in Missouri with his wife, son, and a vicious guard dog. You can learn more about Jim and his books at www.jim-butcher.com.

Jim Butcher is represented by Jennifer Jackson of the Donald Maass Literary Agency, www.maassagency.com. The Dresden Files are published by Roc Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), Inc., www.penguinputnam.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Fred Hicks
Evil Hat Productions
425.962.8942
http://www.evilhat.com/
http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/

"Fate: The Fudge Edition is possibly the most well-considered, ingenious set of rules I have ever read. I have always enjoyed a good mechanic, and have been somewhat impressed by several of them. But this is the first time that I have felt a system was truly revolutionary."

For more details, read here:

http://www.faterpg.com/donate.php

When Rob and I submitted our game for the Indie RPG Awards 2003, we expected to get our asses handed to us. In the Best RPG category we were up against the juggernaut, My Life With Master. In all other categories, we figured we might have a shot, but the competition was all established and "Named" and had a lot of our respect. So we went into it hoping for getting some good honorable mentions and some lovely free advertisement out of it (apropos for a free game).

The results came in last night and, um. Okay. Wow.

Indie RPG Awards 2003 Results for Fate

THIRD PLACE - INDIE RPG OF THE YEAR (My Life With Master, appropriately, kicked our ass.)

FIRST PLACE - BEST SUPPORT

RECIPIENT - ANDY'S CHOICE AWARD

And finally...

FIRST PLACE - BEST FREE GAME OF THE YEAR

I mean, I get it now. I really get it when the folks with the Oscars say "I was honored just to be a part of this category, and now I am simply overwhelmed." Because I'm that, I'm exactly that. Agog. Amazed. A little dizzy.

And if the awards weren't enough, the peer praise would do me in. Here are some favorites:

"FATE is one of the rarest finds for me in the RPG world: A generic game system that doesn't make me think "Well, why not just use X instead?" Physically, it is a downloadable Free PDF, but the art, layout, quality of writing, rules explanations and production value put most print games to shame." (Thanks Andy!)

"Support-wise, the FATE guys are insane! They have the LiveJournal and the Yahoo! group, yeah, but it's the WIKI that completely blew me away. There's so much content. You can literally dig for hours through rules clarifications, setting material for *multiple* campaigns, links, and actual play reports."

"New spin on an old indie classic. A fan favourite and a critical darling. FATE is definitely the game of the year."

"This game should cost a lot of money. The fact that it's free in no way makes it any less of a game. In fact, it's superior to almost all games that are charged for - to say nothing of other free games."

"FATE takes the bad stereotype of "Free RPG"; that is an unsupported game of loose notes thrown together that are barely understandable let alone playable; and beats it over the head with a porcelain toilet lid until it dies. It is one of the best Free RPGs... ever."

I'm going go and try to pick my jaw up from off the floor now.

For those of you who use livejournal regularly, I've added faterpg_feed to the site. This is a syndicated feed of the posts made to the FateRPG yahoo group. You'll still probably have to click through to the actual messages to read them, but if you're a web-based group reader, it's liable to be useful for staying on top of the sporadic activity we have there without checking the page regularly.

Fate is the RPGNews.com Game of the Week!

"FATE, is, in essence, a very tight and focused system, that does exactly what it wants, and does it well, and the rest is options and examples. I wish more systems were designed with this level of care, playtesting, and sheer skill."

Fate's current Fudge edition has gotten reviewed on RPG.net. Check it out!

Enter your vote today! A new poll has been created for the FateRPG group:

Fate for Pay: EvilHat has toyed off and on with the idea of putting out a print-on-demand edition of Fate, or providing an electronic version with additional content, for a price. Is Fate good enough to be worth money? (In addition to voting, please feel free to discuss your ideas and choices on the list.)

To vote, please visit the following web page:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FateRPG/surveys?id=1352719

With Grey Ghost Games, the publisher of Fudge, making its press release about the decision to take Fudge in an Open Gaming License (OGL) or similar direction, one of our primary motivators to produce a non-Fudge version of Fate dissolves pretty rapidly. How do you think we should respond to this new direction for Fudge?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FateRPG/surveys?id=1334782

Fudge is liable to go OGL, or some other open license (I'm encouraging Ann to take a look at Creative Commons). The details are over on my personal journal.

Rob and I are still trying to sort out what this means for Fate, exactly -- especially given that our problems with the current Fudge license were our main spur for taking Fate in a non-Fudge direction.

The Fudge edition of Fate is getting the Polish treatment -- check it out!

My co-author's wife recently posted on her journal about why she adores Fate and, most specifically, why it works so well for her. It's worth the read, and turning the question out to the general audience: Why does Fate work for you?