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Today, I want to take you back through a bit of my personal history:
When the 3.5-days of old were winding down, I was disillusioned with much of the rpg-offerings out there: I didn't like the encounter-format WotC was starting to promote, didn't like the direction 4th edition was going, my go-to publisher Necromancer Games was on hiatus and I was not sufficiently active online to know about the "secret" small companies that didn't show up at my FLGS.
Then I bought "Burnt Offerings" - and liked it. I liked the gritty minor bits and pieces and thought "I'll give this one final try". I bought "The Skinsaw Murders" and "Hook Mountain Massacre". And was blown away - here were finally authors being daring, with wicked, atmospheric characters and writing of top-notch quality.
That is when I started doing some research and found Nick Logue's by now legendary failure of a company called Sinister Adventures and while in time it wound down, it was there that I "met" Lou Agresta. Who pointed me towards 0onegames "The Bloody Fix". Essentially, that is what got me hooked. I was one of the most involved posters on Sinister Adventures and raged and seethed and wanted the company to succeed since it was covering EXACTLY what I wanted to see.
Alas, it was not to be. Life crushed down hard as it is wont to do and Razor Coast, this superbly ambitious and intriguing project, vanished, evaporated and almost saw the destruction of the reputation of a good man and stellar author - though admittedly, a bad business man.
It is during this time that I started to lurk on Paizo, began posting uninformative, dumb reviews and started getting into the whole 3pp-world and it is here that Steven D. Russell from Rite Publishing gave me my very first complimentary copy EVER.
Perhaps it's me being quixotic, perhaps I'm in love with what seems to be lost causes, perhaps I just like extremely ambitious projects - it is here I stumbled, again, via Lou Agresta, across Slumbering Tsar. The Magnum Opus of Greg A. Vaughan was in the limbo and, from the ashes of one of my favorite companies ever, rose Frog God Games to publish this gigantic, massive tome.
And well, they managed to pull it off. Since then, FGG has provided a lot of great books, among which is the by now legendary Rappan Athuk. The Frogs have managed to put out the very largest, most ambitious of products and time and again proved their commitment to quality and delivering.
Where is this leading? Well, Razor Coast has been acquired by Frog God Games. The kickstarter is running and better yet, the preorders are honored as well. And I REALLY want this extremely ambitious kickstarter to fund since if anyone can pull it off, it's probably the crew of Frog God Games!
I have seen the artwork, which is Paizo-level (including a Wayne Reynolds-cover). I have read parts of the unedited writing and it's glorious. I have the utmost confidence in Nick's ability as a writer and in the Frogs to actually deliver this monster of a book.
Without Razor Coast, I would have never started reviewing. This was what I wanted to see in the first place. I would have never found Rite Publishing, Open Design/Kobold Press, Frog God Games and perhaps, none of the over 900 reviews I've written so far would exist without this book.
What I'm trying to say is: Take a look at the kickstarter and if you like what you're seeing and can afford at least a couple of bucks, do me a favor and pledge. If this kickstarter works out, we may not only see one of the most ambitious projects devised by a 3pp, we may also set a precedent for what can be done by us, as a community.
And, you would make me a happy man indeed.
Thanks for reading this ramble and I hope the holidays have been kind to you and that you'll have a happy new year!
All the best, peace and prosperity,
Endzeitgeist out.
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