Happy ACKS day!

After many weeks of waiting, ACKs is finally in my hands!

 

The package... some folks have mentioned that their copy was damaged in transit, but my box was in good condition.

 

The packaging... Only noted due to aforementioned damage. There's enough packaging to keep the book relatively stable in transit but there's nothing around the edges. A bubblewrap sheath would have been much more protective, not that it mattered in this case.

The book! The shiny shiny book! It's good to finally have the physical copy in my hands. The cover feels sturdy, the paper has a nice matt finish and the print quality is excellent. One tiny (really, tiny) niggle is that the paper is just thin enough that you get some bleed through from the other side, but it's really nothing to worry about. And it smells great - that nice new book smell. Mmmm.

 And finally...

Probably the closest I'll ever get to being a published author. Certainly the closest I'll get to featuring in the same list as Mike Mearls! (He's 3 down and 1 to the left..) Heh.

I'm glad I backed this project on Kickstarter. It's been interesting to watch, and lovely to participate in the creation of a brand new rpg in the spirit of the games that got me into the hobby. Many thanks to Alex, Tavis, Greg and all my fellow backers for making ACKS happen!

Map of the world, part deux

It's taken me a while to do anything more on my ACKS homebrew, but finally I've made a little progress. Blame a combination of Minecraft and the Bleach anime series taking up my brain space.

Here's an updated map of the world with names of the various countries / areas on it.

 
Yes, they're massively ripped off in some (most..) cases, but I don't care. I'm looking to make something I want to run, not make it the new Westeros.Anyhoo... for some of the locations I've got a vague idea of what it's like while for others I have very little clue at all. At the moment that's sitting fine with me as I can let my players define it (to a point :-)).

Some of the things I'm laying down in advance though, in terms of inspiration or what it's like in X are:

Stygia - It's like Mythic Arabia, mostly Egypt, with powerful 'Tomb Lords' controlling a huge territory via masses of Jackalman legions. If you're a human there you're probably a slave, a slaver, or a member of the nomadic barbarian tribes who have so far escaped the attentions of the Tomb Lords.

Thuria - The name for a large area of land believed to once have been a great empire in itself. A few hundred years ago it was united and ruled from Thyle, but now the land is divided into a number of other kingdoms.

Thyle - Where the campaign will be based. Old seat of Emperors, that fell to a virulent plague a couple of centuries ago. Scions of the old Empire have expressed an interest in 'reclaiming' Thyle, sparking a bit of a land grab.

Norvalts - Here be Vikings and their ilk.

Drachen - Here also be Vikings and their ilk.

The Great Ice - Land of perpetual ice and snow. A bit GRRM, a bit Howardian. Lots of Giants and frost monsters. You're pretty much fucked if you end up here without preparation.#

Skeptos - This large island and it's neighbours are home to a trading / piratical nation of Minotaurs. They're pretty terrifying sailors. (I realised the other day that this is from Dragonlance. Deal with it :p)

Bereznik - Some sort of Russian / Eastern Europe influence. Automaton army created and maintained by Dwarves. In a constant state of war against Stygia, holding back the tide of eeeevil.

Barato - Italian vibe

Santales - Spanish Catholic Church influence, worshipping 'The Saints'. Religion agogo.

Sodor - Distant land of lizardmen and jungles.

Others as I think of them.