4e Forever Issue #2 Updates, DDI News, and Shameless Solicitations

So I know that my blog updates have been few and far between recently, and there is a pretty good reason for it: I have been busy with other stuff. I also haven't had a lot of new ideas. To be honest, I pretty much have 4e where I want it. I have done a lot of work with monsters, from simplified creation techniques, to old-school stat blocks, to increased lethality. I have tweaked PC options, not just to help prevent analysis paralysis, but also to reign in some of the broken min/max crapola and magic item entitlement that so permeates the game. I have said my peace regarding 4e adventure design. I have pretty much said all that needs to be said on some subjects, at least from my perspective, and I even wrapped it up with a nice bow and put it into a free zine. While I am still working on the elusive final installment of my Stronghold series, I do not have the artwork in hand, without which not a lot of it will make sense. Which kind of brings me to this blog post.

The good news regarding issue #2 is that I have gotten a lot of high quality submissions. Next issue will feature articles on Warforged in Serd (complete with a new Epic Destiny), an article presenting Orcs as a playable race, one on Ophidians as a playable race (this one has some exciting fluff tying them to the 4e Forever world), a piece on creating your own powers, one on multiple outside-the-box uses for items in an adventurer's kit (no sunrods of course), a new character class for 4e (the Soulknife), and of course, my long overdue Stronghold rules, as well as part 2 of the megadungeon serial adventure "Tales of the Lost City". It is going to be quite awesome. I am just moving pretty slowly with it. Part of it is that I am waiting on some revisions to come back, and part of it is that I have been so covered up that when I get a five minute break I do not feel like writing. I am pushing through it though, as best as I can.

One thing that I desperately need is artwork. I have gotten by on public domain artwork in the past, and will continue to use it, but as we get into more specialized subject matter, I really need original artwork. Specifically, I need images of Warforged, Orcs, castle and/or manor house construction, items from an adventurer's kit (save sunrods), and "generic" battle scenes. If you or anyone you know likes to draw or paint, etc, please let them know that I am looking. This is a free zine, so there is no pay, but I can link to your sites and help promote your work. Despite being a very niche product, I still got an amazing amount of traffic and response to the first issue, and it could be a good way to feature your work. Leave me a comment or shoot me an email at frothsof@gmail.com for more info.

As far as 4e news goes, one positive is that it was announced this week that DDI would remain up indefinitely. They will be done with updates in March of 2014, but after that time the tools and zines will still be accessible. This is great news for folks that have come to rely on the ease of use that the tools offer. No word yet on pricing changes, if any.

 So that is all I have for you today. I wanted to at least let readers know that issue #2 is very much alive and that it will be very cool when it is completed. I am going to work as hard as I can over the upcoming holidays to get through a lot of it, as I won't have so much work-related stuff to take care of. I have a few little ideas for things that you may see over the next couple of weeks; a new "Trimming the Fat" post, and maybe a little something for Halloween.