[Q&A] Preston DuBose & Ed Wetterman (East Texas University)

[19:01] <+ETU-Preston> So here goes. I’m Preston DuBose and my co-author is Ed Wetterman. We both live in Texas and have been writing about modern horror in East Texas for more than 10 years.

[19:01] <+ETU-Preston> We belong to a publisher called 12 to Midnight, which has published a number of stand-alone adventures set in the fictional rural town of Pinebox, Texas.

[19:02] <+ETU-Preston> Pinebox is full of all sorts of supernatural weirdness, from ghosts to monsters and everything in between.

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[19:03] <+ETU-Preston> A few years back 12 to Midnight became sort of a “sub studio” under Pinnacle Entertainment, which publishes the Savage Worlds system, Deadlands, and a whole slew of awesome games.

[19:03] <+ETU-Preston> Soon our next game, ETU, will be one of them!

[19:03] <+EdWetterman> Our adventures include Last Rites of the Black Guard, Bloodlines, The Beast Within, Skinwalker, Ed’s Midnight Tales, Jerry’s Midnight tales, Green’s guide to ghosts and a few others.

[19:04] <+ETU-Preston> ETU– East Texas University– is a state university set near Pinebox, which is equally subject to more than its share of weirdness.

[19:04] <+BPIJonathan> I dont own any other “Pinebox” setting material, will I need it to make full use of ETU?

[19:04] <+EdWetterman> Being raised in the Piney Woods of East Texas, I was surrounded by traditions and legends and myths, and I always believed it would be a perfect setting for a horror campaign.

[19:04] <~Dan> (BPIJonathan: Please hold questions until they finish the intro. 🙂 )

[19:04] <+ETU-Preston> In the game, players begin as Freshmen and try to survive college–literally–until graduation. Along the way they’ll hunt ghosts, kill monsters, and maybe even save the world.

[19:05] <+BPIJonathan> (Sorry guys, I accidentally hit the enter key)

[19:05] <+EdWetterman> np

[19:05] <+ETU-Preston> Using an example from media, a game of ETU is like Buffy’s friends ditching her to attend college in East Texas.

[19:06] <@Silverlion> Why isn’t Buffy going?

[19:06] <+ETU-Preston> No “super powers” per se, but there is a dangerous type of ritual magic.

[19:06] <+EdWetterman> If you love Buffy, you will love ETU

[19:07] <+ETU-Preston> That’s pretty much the intro, so to answer the “why no buffy”, it’s because the characters are more or less regular people. No super powers. At most a modest psychic ability at detecting ‘something weird’.

[19:07] <@Silverlion> I was looking at ETU, cause it sounds cool, its in Texas, and Tommy Brownell likes it.

[19:07] <+ETU-Preston> I guess we should include a few links…

[19:08] <@Silverlion> Well, Buffy could be fit in SW without “superpowers” she mostly heals fast, and is strong. (Edge and high stat)

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[19:08] <~Dan> (Howdy, Gar_!)

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[19:08] <+EdWetterman> I’ve always wanted to produce the types of games I’d buy. I also like to give GMs everything they might need and more to help run a fun, engaging game.

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[19:08] <~Dan> (Howdy, stryck!)

[19:08] <+Gar_> (Hey Dan! Connection always breaks when it shouldn’t…)

[19:08] <+ETU-Preston> The “Jennifer Ridge Transcripts” is an excellent way to learn about Pinebox. You can find links to each of the “interviews” here: (Link: http://12tomidnight.com/campaign-setting/)http://12tomidnight.com/campaign-setting/

[19:09] <@Silverlion> Savage Worlds actually seems like one of the few games that I think it would work in..

[19:09] <~Dan> On that subject: Why Savage Worlds?

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[19:09] <@Silverlion> Although, I’m concerned with SW doing the minute differences of college students in its scale.

[19:09] <+stryck> hi dan 🙂

[19:09] <+EdWetterman> When we started, we wrote only for d20, then for both, and now solely d20.

[19:09] <+EdWetterman> oops…solely SW!

[19:09] <+ETU-Preston> Also, the Kickstarter has a cool video and info on ETU. (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/east-texas-university-savage-worlds)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/east-texas-university-savage-worlds

[19:10] <+Jason_H> 291 backers so far…nice.

[19:10] <+ETU-Preston> The game is currently 4X funded and still has 23 days to go.

[19:10] <~Dan> Well done!

[19:10] <+EdWetterman> The secret to Savage Worlds is trappings and really understanding how the edges work.  It is deceptively simple, but it supports individualized characters very well.

[19:10] <+ETU-Preston> That’s pretty much the basics. I think we can open it up to questions.

[19:11] <+BPIJonathan> Well, should ask my question again I guess 😀 :  I dont own any other “Pinebox” setting material, will I need it to make full use of ETU?

[19:11] <+EdWetterman> If we can hit our stretch goals, everyone will receive EVERY PDF we ever produced for free!  So tell your friends!

[19:12] <+ETU-Preston> Nope! A copy of ETU and the Savage Worlds core rulebook are all you need. There’s a full Pinebox Gazetteer in the ETU book.

[19:12] <@Silverlion> Awesome

[19:12] <+Abstruse> Did you draw off any real-life legends of the area? And if so, can you give some examples?

[19:13] <+EdWetterman> Oh yes!  Skunk Ape, Hogzilla, Brujah just to name a few.

[19:13] <~Dan> Skunk Ape! 😀

[19:13] <~Dan> Skunk Ape is awesome.

[19:13] <+EdWetterman> that what we called bigfoot in deep East Texas

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[19:14] <@Silverlion> I’ve got a female brujeira as a villain in my setting.

[19:14] * ~Dan knows well.

[19:14] <@Silverlion> Oh lord, I’m glad my ex-wife doesn’t hear that.

[19:14] <+EdWetterman> awesome.

[19:14] <@Silverlion> She claims SKunkape and Bigfoot are distinct species..:D

[19:14] <@Silverlion> or maybe subspecies…

[19:14] <~Dan> <— cryptid freak

[19:14] <+EdWetterman> heh…maybe…hehe

[19:15] <+Jason_H> Has ETU changed in any dramatic way from the ETU sneak peek that 12tM released in 2009?

[19:15] <+ETU-Preston> The Savage Worlds core book has a number of “traditional” creatures, so that gave us more freedom to add local creatures and foes.

[19:15] <+Aeolius> (( add some feejee mermaids and jenny hanivers for good measure? 😉   ))

[19:15] <+ETU-Preston> Hahahahahahaha!

[19:15] <+ETU-Preston> Yeah, you could say that.

[19:16] <+EdWetterman> Jason:  Yes, definitely.  It’s much more streamlined now, and I think is better for it, but we did cut vast amounts from the original.

[19:16] <~Dan> Seems like I saw UFOs mentioned somewhere in relation to Pinebox… Do those appear as well?

[19:16] <+ETU-Preston> We’ve written and re-written the book a few times now, each more polished than the last.

[19:16] <+BPIJonathan> While it would be Victorian instead of Modern, I am already seeing ways to use ETU with Gaslight Victorian Fantasy.

[19:17] <+EdWetterman> Not in ETU, but there are many UFOs in and around Pinebox, as well as the Old Base X, which is rumored to still be in operation deep in the Big Thicket.

[19:17] <+EdWetterman> I ran a game of Rippers that was originally set in Pinebox.  Loads of fun with that.

[19:17] <+ETU-Preston> Originally Pinebox was a site for anything and everything weird, including UFOs. Since the supernatural was the majority of our focus, we decided to set aside UFOs for the time being. It was better to do something well than to try to cover everything.

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[19:18] <~Dan> At the risk of prying for spoilers, is there a reason (revealed or not) why all the weirdness shows up around Pinebox? Is it a “single source for weirdness” setting, or is the place just a “weirdness magnet”?

[19:19] <+ETU-Preston> Pinebox also has a lot of potential for a Deadlands style game. That’s a good problem to have– too many great ideas and not enough time to write them all!

[19:19] <+ETU-Preston> There is a reason, and we do reveal it in the companion book Degrees of Horror.

[19:19] * ~Dan nods

[19:19] <+EdWetterman> hmm….there is a reason for what is happening during the ETU campaign, but there is a bigger reason dating back almost 10,000 years.  That will come out later when I get House on Dale Island completed.

[19:20] <+Jason_H> Interesting.

[19:20] <+EdWetterman> If you look at the current Deadlands map, you will see Pinebox is there….

[19:20] <+ETU-Preston> You have everything you need to play the game in ETU, *but* if you want our adventure ideas (Savage Tales) and Plot Point Campaign then you can pick up the companion book.

[19:21] <~Dan> So given that Pinebox is a larger setting and that ETU is a Plot Point Campaign, is it really an independent game rather than a large adventure?

[19:21] <+EdWetterman> It’s a full fledged plot point campaign in itself.

[19:21] <~Dan> As in, a campaign within the Pinebox setting, I mean.

[19:22] <+EdWetterman> The two easilty merge together though.  You could play most of our adventures inserted right into the campaign and not miss a beat.

[19:22] <~Dan> So do you see ETU as being a literal stand-alone “game”?

[19:23] <~Dan> (Not trying to sound skeptical here — just trying to get this straight in my head.)

[19:23] <+EdWetterman> It is a “stand-alone” game, but that doesn’t mean you can’t move into something else with the heroes.  Maybe into a game of Agents of Oblivion for instance.

[19:24] <+ETU-Preston> Yes. We will continue to support ETU with college-themed material, but that won’t prevent us from also releasing material for the overall Pinebox setting.

[19:24] <~Dan> So do you see an overall Pinebox game in the future? Or more specific games in and around Pinebox?

[19:25] <+EdWetterman> The problem I have is too many ideas.  We’ll have to see what we want to focus on.

[19:25] <+ETU-Preston> Everything you need to play a full campaign is in ETU though. It is the most complete game we have published to date.

[19:25] <+EdWetterman> Yes.

[19:26] <+EdWetterman> Just thinking aloud…Pinebox PD plot point game, Pinebox Middle School (ask Ron Blessing), many new adventures.  Someday I’d like to do a Pinebox Deadlands.

[19:26] <~Dan> Preston: That being the case, let me flip my question around a bit: Can you see running an Pinebox game beyond ETU just using this game?

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[19:26] <~Dan> Or are the rules very specific to ETU itself?

[19:27] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Darq! Here for the Q&A? 🙂 )

[19:27] <+ETU-Preston> Even though it’s a small town, Pinebox is a big place in our minds. We wrote ETU in part because an over-arching Pinebox game was too broad. Focusing on a particular theme within Pinebox helps us tell the stories we want to tell.

[19:27] * ~Dan nods

[19:27] <+Darq> Yup saw a post on PEG forums 😀

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[19:28] <+ETU-Preston> You could play a Pinebox game using ETU, but I think you’d be missing the heart of the game.

[19:28] <~Dan> (Glad to have you here! Q&A in progress, and the floor is open to questions!)

[19:29] <~Dan> To restate an earlier question a bit, what about Savage Worlds do you think makes it a good match for ETU?

[19:29] <+ETU-Preston> In my mind, ETU is about learning to become a hero. Starting as wet-behind-the-ears innocent Freshman and growing into the person you were meant to be. Just what college is supposed to do to a person, but without the zombies.

[19:29] <+EdWetterman> We really wanted to capture that college feel, you know…low funds…parties, dates….monsters, passing your midterms and finals…ghosts…all that good college stuff.

[19:30] <+Darq> Will there be Graduate Studies – more “In Depth” at ETU?

[19:30] <+ETU-Preston> Yes, Ed brings up a good point. The game economy is built around the idea of being broke students. And there’s a mechanic for taking exams. And there are adventure generators for creating parties. If you play Townies, you are depriving yourself of a lot of fun.

[19:31] <+EdWetterman> Savage Worlds, Fate, and a few others really lend themselves to story types of games.  A lot can happen very quickly and is easily played.  I love Savage Worlds because I have a full time job, am raising two boys, serve on numerous committees, and I can still get a great game in with very little preparation.

[19:31] <+Jason_H> The above mentioned “House on Dale Island” will that be an ETU extra or a general Pinebox release?

[19:31] <+ETU-Preston> Grad Studies have definitely been discussed. We have a lot of cool ideas for expanding ETU. I’m not sure yet where Grad Studies would fall in our list.

[19:32] <+EdWetterman> That’s a Pinebox tale, but there are easter eggs in ETU that refer to it.  House on Dale Island is a way for me to show my love for big old haunted houses full of history, ghosts, mysteries, and a big bad.

[19:32] <+ETU-Preston> Dale Island is a general Pinebox scripted adventure, but we’d make sure it had solid hooks for ETU characters.

[19:32] <+Darq> Any provisions for faculty characters or would that not mix well with a group? I was thinking a new teacher might be interesting.

[19:32] <+Jason_H> Okay, cool.

[19:33] <+EdWetterman> We didn’t design it for teachers, but honestly, the system is so adaptable, and we give you enough information, that a GM could easily modify the game for that.

[19:33] <+ETU-Preston> No provisions for that. Personally, I think it gets a little awkward with a teacher has to crash a sorority party to question someone about the ghost she saw earlier.

[19:34] <+BPIJonathan> Which sounds kind of Buffy esque

[19:35] <+EdWetterman> heh…I do like some of the situations we put characters in.  We have a good mix of mystery, investigation, and hack and slashing.

[19:35] <+Jason_H> Assuming the kickstarter hits and surpasses the 900 Backers mark therefore unlocking “Return of the Chickens in the Mist—Murder Most Fowl” will the author behind “Chickens in the Mist” return for the follow-up?

[19:35] <+ETU-Preston> If you play Degrees of Horror, there is a mentor figure– Dr. Glen Maclanahan. He teaches the students how to use ghost hunting equipment and sends them on investigations. But the heroes should stay in the limelight. For the most part he stays in his office.

[19:35] <+ETU-Preston> Yes!

[19:36] <+ETU-Preston> He has already written the outline.

[19:36] <~Dan> I think you may have just answered the question I was about to ask, but do you have built-in reasons for the students to get involved with the paranormal other than wanting to be Big Damn Heroes?

[19:36] <+Jason_H> That’s fantastic.

[19:36] <+ETU-Preston> I have a feeling that game is going to get written one way or another. It’s just a question of whether you unlock it and get it for free or have to pay for it later.

[19:36] <+EdWetterman> If you haven’t played Chickens at a Con, I HIGHLY recommend it.  Most fun at a gaming table I’ve ever had!

[19:37] <+ETU-Preston> The plot point campaign has a story-driven reason. Ultimately though, as students you can either keep your head down and hope nothing bad happens, or you can face the darkness and do something about the problems on campus.

[19:38] <+Darq> I get the feeling ETU is a more action centric game then Cthulhu type games – is that a correct take on it?

[19:38] <+EdWetterman> Here’s the thing I really like about Savage Worlds Plot Point games.  The GM and the players take control of the game.  If you don’t want to run the plot points, but do Savage Tales, random tales, and adventures, you easily could.  We give you everything you need for you to make an awesome game that you and your friends want to play.

[19:38] <+ETU-Preston> I’m not sure about that. Pinebox/ETU adventures are first and foremost mysteries. Yes, usually at the end there’s a foe that has to be overcome.

[19:39] <+ETU-Preston> Sometimes the best course of action is a fight, other times you have to find another way to solve problems.

[19:39] <+EdWetterman> ‘there is always fighting, we really tried to mix it though for the role players, the mystery solvers, etc.

[19:39] <+Jason_H> One thing I’ve always liked about Pinebox is that it doesn’t seem as hopeless as fighting the forces of the Cthulhu mythos…and I saw this as a big Cthulhu fan.

[19:40] <+ETU-Preston> Bear in mind that this is the “real world”. You CANNOT just march across campus with weapons out, or have a shootout in the food court.

[19:40] <+EdWetterman> Yeah, I’m real big on the Good Guys winning, bad guys losing.  I call it Heroic Horror.

[19:40] <+ETU-Preston> Seconded!

[19:41] <@Silverlion> Me too.

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[19:41] <~Dan> (Howdy, Jetrauben!)

[19:41] <+EdWetterman> But that being said, you will be faced with decisions that are difficult.  Do you wanna use that Black Magic Ritual?  Is there another way?

[19:42] <+GoldenH> black majik 😮

[19:43] <~Dan> Is all magic of the slow-and-dangerous-ritual variety?

[19:43] <+ETU-Preston> So I mentioned that there’s no “super powers”, but we do have a ritual magic system. It’s difficult, time-consuming, and dangerous.

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[19:43] <+EdWetterman> yeppers.  Sometimes just getting the “ingrediants” can be a risky business.

[19:43] <~Dan> (Howdy, Le_Squide!)

[19:43] <@Le_Squide> (Heya!)

[19:44] <+Jason_H> I’d imagine that’s when things get real interesting.

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[19:44] <~Dan> (Howdy, Serami!)

[19:44] <+EdWetterman> We also have relics and objects imbued with powers that can be used as well.  However the Dean (that’s what we call the GM) has control of how many rituals and relics the heroes find and have access to.  Magic is really powerful in this game, and Black Magic is dangerous.  In some cases…very dangerous.

[19:45] <~Dan> So there is non-Black Magic?

[19:45] <+EdWetterman> yes.

[19:45] <~Dan> What’s the story with it?

[19:45] <+EdWetterman> Banish Spirit is a very useful ritual (exorcism).

[19:45] <+Darq> Is there ROTC at ETU?

[19:46] <+EdWetterman> YES

[19:46] <+EdWetterman> 😉

[19:46] <+Darq> bwahahahaha

[19:46] <+Darq> Then you DO have people walking across campus with heavy weapons 😉

[19:46] <+EdWetterman> ETU has recently become a “Homeland Defense” school….so let your imaginations go on that one…

[19:46] <+Darq> Nothing to see here, move along

[19:47] <+EdWetterman> exactly.

[19:47] <+ETU-Preston> The magic in ETU is all based on the idea of ritual. It takes time to find the components, time to set up, and time to complete. And if it’s done incorrectly, the ritualist will suffer.

[19:47] <~Dan> How difficult is it for the PCs to learn magic? Or even to learn that it works in the first place?

[19:47] <+ETU-Preston> Hahaha! Training rifles only!

[19:47] <+maxmahem> Is there a kickstarter link I missed?

[19:47] <+Darq> sure… this is a training rifle, why do you ask?

[19:48] <+ETU-Preston> It’s not like most settings. You don’t pick magic from the book like choosing clothes from a Lands End catalog.

[19:48] * ~Dan nods

[19:48] <+EdWetterman> Not too difficult.  It gets interesting when heroes are faced with “do we use that black magic ritual to defeat the evil?”  But again, not all rituals are black magic.

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[19:48] <+MonkofLords> Yo

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[19:49] <+ETU-Preston> Typically the heroes would be introduced to ritual magic through some specific need. An exorcism, for instance. From there they can search for other rituals. The key is that the Dean controls what they find and when they find it.

[19:50] <+ETU-Preston> That means a GM can control to what extent they want magic in their game. It could be limited to two or three rituals, or a dozen.

[19:50] <+Darq> The “Special” section of the library?

[19:50] <+ETU-Preston> Exactly.

[19:50] <+ETU-Preston> Or eBay. 🙂

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[19:50] <~Dan> So is it a matter of, “Well, so, demons exist, so maybe exorcisms work?”

[19:51] <+Darq> course the stuff on eBay may or may not be legit 😀

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[19:51] <~Dan> (wb, Janus!)

[19:51] <+Janus> (( thanks ))

[19:52] <+EdWetterman> Or Pinebox Pawn…you never know what you’ll find there. But are you willing to spend your extra money on such a thing for that money needs to last you a full semester.  ONce had a player borrow money from another character to take a witness on a date to get information.  That was funny stuff.

[19:52] <@Silverlion> Dean=GM yes?

[19:52] <+ETU-Preston> That’s up to the GM. In our Savage Tales, we have characters and circumstances who can introduce the characters to the basic idea. If you’re running your own game without our tales, then it’s however you want to handle it.

[19:52] <+EdWetterman> yes

[19:52] <+Abstruse> (Sorry, just writing up the column so I apologize if this has been asked…)

[19:53] <+Abstruse> Why did you decide to price your pledge level for the Kickstarter at $5 more than the price of buying it after the Kickstarter?

[19:53] <+EdWetterman> here is the link to the kickstarter:  (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/east-texas-university-savage-worlds)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/east-texas-university-savage-worlds

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[19:54] <+ETU-Preston> The price difference is due to the stretch goals. We WANT you to unlock them all, so even at $5 over retail you’d still get a lot of bang for your buck.

[19:54] <~Dan> (Howdy, egyptian!)

[19:55] <+ETU-Preston> We are really close to unlocking the Archetypes– 10 ready-to-play character archetypes with figure flats.

[19:56] <~Dan> How hard is it to keep from immediately overwhelming a bunch of clueless college kids?

[19:56] <+EdWetterman> I don’t know how many other kickstarters have used this, but I thought it was a brilliant move by Shane Hensley to base the extras on numbers of supporters rather than the dollar.

[19:56] <+EdWetterman> Well, I think our first plot point does a good job of setting the stage for their next four years.

[19:57] <+ETU-Preston> Again, if you use our Savage Tales in the second book, that was a part of the thought process. Freshman year is like Scooby Do, Sophomore year is like Johnny Quest, Junior year is like Buffy, and Senior year…. well that’s kinda just nuts.

[19:57] <+Jason_H> That did seem odd but looking at the success of the other two SW games that Shane has kickstarted it seems like it will work quite well. Plus it motivates us, the backers, to spread the word.

[19:58] <~Dan> Shane’s a cool guy.

[19:58] <~Dan> Shane, if you’re reading this, you’re awesome! 🙂

[19:58] <+EdWetterman> Yes he is.

[19:58] <+Jason_H> So I’m curisou…any plans for some ETU/Pinebox Wendigo Tales?

[19:58] <+Jason_H> +curious

[19:58] <~Dan> (brb – please continue)

[19:59] <+ETU-Preston> Facebook’s changes have made it really hard to spread the word online. We’re looking at a much different Kickstarter world than even since Weird Wars Rome.

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[19:59] <+EdWetterman> I don’t know how many that Shane wants to do, but I’m hoping for some.  Our Buried Tales of Pinebox did very well.

[19:59] <+ETU-Preston> I’m pretty sure there will be ETU fiction in our future. Just not sure of the timeline.

[20:00] <+Jason_H> Yeah, the Buried Tales book was great.

[20:00] <+ETU-Preston> Like I mentioned earlier, our biggest problem is that we have more neat things that we want to do than time to do it.

[20:00] <+EdWetterman> We really hope that the backers will help spread the word.  The more folks who buy, the more stuff is created and given for free.  We have some great levels there to be unlocked.

[20:02] <+Jason_H> Shane said that the five who pledged at the Hell Raiser level would work with you guys to craft the One Sheet Savage Tales…that’s pretty cool. Having the chance to, in a small way, become part of Pinebox mythology.

[20:03] <~Dan> (back)

[20:03] <+ETU-Preston> That’s going to be a lot of fun! I can’t wait to hear the Hell Raiser’s ideas.

[20:03] <+maxmahem> So as a person living in Texarkana… I am confused, is ETU more UNT or SFA?

[20:03] <+ETU-Preston> Closer to SFA.

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[20:04] <+EdWetterman> Yep, I’m really looking forward to talking with the Hellrazer backers and seeing what they would like to have done.  Plus the art that comes with the one-sheet.  Its an awesome thing for someone and kinda gives some bragging rights.  I know when Wiggy used some of my tales in the 50 Fathoms companion, I was like,  “That one’s mine!”

[20:05] <+EdWetterman> Highway 96 runs north of Jasper.  Pinebox is immediately between Jasper and Hemphill.  I’ve been there many times, though it looks very different in real life than in my head!  😉

[20:06] <~Dan> As much as I love Call of Cthulhu, one thing that’s always annoyed me is its insistence that combat isn’t important, when it inevitably punishes PCs who don’t max out Dodge or take some sort of combat skill. How does ETU deal with that issue?

[20:07] <+ETU-Preston> That’s all Savage Worlds. It’s a really elegant system.

[20:07] <+ETU-Preston> Unlike other systems, it does not pay to specialize.

[20:07] <+EdWetterman> I think a well balanced party is the best way to run ETU.  Again, we tried very hard to make it so there is stuff for every type of gamer and gaming group to have fun with.

[20:08] <~Dan> True, the skills in SW are very general. But are there any issues with explaining why college kids possess some of them in the first place?

[20:09] <+EdWetterman> True.  Although most kids in Texas have at least shot a gun, you are right.  We recommend that if you take a skill, there is a reason for it.  Makes the game much more interesting.

[20:09] * ~Dan nods

[20:10] <~Dan> Hmm… Of course, melee combat is lumped into a holistic Fighting skill, IIRC. Correct?

[20:10] <@Silverlion> Jr,s

[20:11] <@Silverlion> Hrms. I want it but can’t put money up until next month..so..:/

[20:11] <+EdWetterman> we have 20 something days left on the kickstarter.

[20:12] <+EdWetterman> yes.  Although if a player wanted a Fighting of d12, I’d ask for a detailed reason why and that would have to be part of his character’s make up.

[20:12] * ~Dan nods

[20:12] <+Janus> EdWetterman, like a black belt in Karate?

[20:12] <~Dan> Does the game feature a bestiary beyond just the creatures that appear in the campaign?

[20:13] <+EdWetterman> There are a few extras in there.

[20:13] <+ETU-Preston> Did you hear that? That was the sound of my ZiegenBock opening. Where were we?

[20:13] <@Silverlion> I’d suspect it need to be BlackBelt plus years of experience like 5th dan or something

[20:13] <+EdWetterman> yep

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[20:13] * @Silverlion knows several black belts, but is only brown himself

[20:14] <+EdWetterman> but each gaming group can set those parameters…our goal is to give you the vehicle to let you drive the game your way.

[20:14] <+ETU-Preston> So the Savage Worlds rulebook includes a bunch of creatures. We didn’t see the need to repeat those. We included a bunch more in ETU. Some are used in Degrees of Horror, some are just there for the GM to have fun with.

[20:15] <+Jason_H> Of the currently published Pinebox scenarios, other than Last Rites, are there any that are in some fashion or another connected to this release? As in a prequel or sequel.

[20:15] <+EdWetterman> And ghosts of course.  We have lots of ghosts, lots of powers for them, and they are my personal favorites.  Well, ghosts and the generated demons that may accidentally be summoned….EVIL LAUGH

[20:15] <+EdWetterman> ++

[20:15] * ~Dan chuckles

[20:17] <+ETU-Preston> Even though the main ETU book doesn’t have Savage Tales, it does include a robust adventure generator. Ed gets the credit for that one. Just using that, you’ve got enough variety in adventures to last most of a campaign. Want to try a few?

[20:17] <+EdWetterman> There are some loose tie ins, especially if you played the Beast Within, but you do not have had to play those adventures to enjoy ETU.

[20:17] <~Dan> Again, possible spoiler territory, but are the creatures in ETU more of the “There is but ONE WAY to destroy the beast!” type, or are they more of the “just kill it lots” type?

[20:17] <+ETU-Preston> I’d say there’s a healthy mixture of both types.

[20:18] <~Dan> Cool.

[20:18] <+EdWetterman> Most are just kill it, but we do have some more…interesting baddies too.

[20:18] <+ETU-Preston> Fewer of the former. That’s just frustrating as a player.

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[20:18] <+Jason_H> Try a few? Of course.

[20:18] <+ETU-Preston> A stake through the heart may take out a vampire, but it also works wonders on most other creatures too. 🙂

[20:19] <+ETU-Preston> Okay Jason, “pick a card”.

[20:19] <+ETU-Preston> (just name one)

[20:20] <~Dan> Can you think of any sorts of supernaturals who wouldn’t really fit into the ETU/Pinebox setting?

[20:20] <+Jason_H> 3 of Hearts

[20:20] <+EdWetterman> nope.  I think the world is your oyster.

[20:21] <+ETU-Preston> Dan- “characters as supernaturals” like a vampire or Harry Potter. That’s not what this game is about.

[20:21] <~Dan> Oh, no, I didn’t really mean that, although that’s good to know.

[20:21] <+ETU-Preston> Jason – Okay, the bad guy is someone on faculty. Next card?

[20:21] <+EdWetterman> no.  But in a separate Pinebox game, something like Accursed could work.

[20:21] <+Jason_H> Jack of Spades

[20:21] <~Dan> I was thinking more in terms of, say, vampires not fitting in, or only a specific sort of vampire being appropriate.

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[20:22] <+ETU-Preston> Dan, to me vampires are a little over the top for Pinebox. That’s just personal preference though.

[20:22] <~Dan> (Howdy, Geek2theRight!

[20:22] <~Dan> )

[20:22] <+Geek2theRight> Hey.

[20:22] <+ETU-Preston> Okay, the instigating event is that someone sees something strange and tells the students. Next card?

[20:22] <+EdWetterman> I disagree!  Always have room for vamps.  Especially the Darlas out there….Yeah, I loved Darla….

[20:22] <+Jason_H> Eight of Diamonds

[20:23] <+EdWetterman> But…no sparkly brooding teenaged vamps….that’s where I put my foot down!

[20:23] <+ETU-Preston> Jason – The antagonist’s agenda is sowing chaos.

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[20:23] <~Dan> (Howdy, Yalborap!)

[20:24] <+ETU-Preston> next card?

[20:24] <+Jason_H> King of Clubs

[20:24] <+ETU-Preston> Okay, it takes place off campus. Next card/

[20:24] <+ETU-Preston> ?

[20:25] <+Jason_H> 9 Hearts

[20:25] <+EdWetterman> Honestly, with the savage tales, the adventure generator, the Plot Point campaign, and other published adventures, you got plenty to play with.

[20:26] <+ETU-Preston> Ah, it’s at Indian Mounds State Park. Next card?

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[20:27] <+Jason_H> queen of spades

[20:27] <+ETU-Preston> (The adventure is already forming in my mind.) 🙂

[20:27] <~Dan> (Howdy, Lassek!)

[20:27] <+ETU-Preston> The complication is that cell phone coverage goes out at an inconvenient time.

[20:28] <+ETU-Preston> Next?

[20:28] <+Jason_H> um….two of diamonds

[20:29] <+GoldenH> anyone want to help me out designing my oregon trail rpg chargen?

[20:29] <~Dan> (GoldenH: Q&A in progress! 🙂 )

[20:29] <+GoldenH> oops sry

[20:30] <~Dan> (np!)

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[20:31] <+ETU-Preston> Okay, a faculty member at ETU becomes obsessed with Native American myth. He begins believing that Coyote spirit is talking to him, and that he should raise an army to seek revenge for past misdeeds. He heads out to Indian Mounds State Park and begins a ritual to raise zombies from the burial mounds.

[20:31] <+Jason_H> Ha! That’s awesome.

[20:31] <~Dan> Very cool. 🙂

[20:32] <+Jason_H> I can see getting lots of mileage from the generator.

[20:32] <+ETU-Preston> The heroes are called by a friend who is witnessing the ritual, but the call is interrupted when the friend is grabbed by a zombie. It’s up to the heroes to check on their friend and, once they get there, stop the ritual.

[20:32] <+Jason_H> Very cool.

[20:32] <+EdWetterman> yeppers.  It’s easy with lots of possibilities.

[20:33] <+Jason_H> Indeed.

[20:33] <+ETU-Preston> Yep, Ed did a great job. It has lots of specific suggestions that can be combined and interpreted in countless ways.

[20:33] <+EdWetterman> There are special interludes, tests (with bonus’ for passing), partying, and special “Studying” missions.

[20:34] <+Jason_H> Well done on the generator Ed.

[20:34] <+EdWetterman> Thank you Jason.

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[20:35] <~Dan> How aware is the town of Pinebox as a whole of the supernatural? Is it assumed that the Powers That Be won’t believe the college kids if they start talking about ghosts and monsters?

[20:36] <+ETU-Preston> As far as character creation is concerned, we created several new Hindrances and Edges to give your character flavor. Some of my favorite Hindrances are ADHD and Annoying Roommate.

[20:36] <+ETU-Preston> There’s a universal sentiment that if you keep your head down and pretend not to notice the darkness, it won’t notice you.

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[20:37] <+ETU-Preston> Most of the time, even if students bring photographic evidence it’ll just be chalked up to photoshop and student hoax. There’s a lot of that at ETU.

[20:37] <+EdWetterman> If you have never used a generator, check out the series of articles I wrote for Reality Blurs Agents of Oblivion.  I ran a whole campaign using adventure generator.  (Link: http://realityblurs.com/wordpress/?p=3704)http://realityblurs.com/wordpress/?p=3704

[20:38] <~Dan> So the people believe in the supernatural on some level but are in deep denial?

[20:38] <+Jason_H> Isn’t Sheriff Anderson is pretty knowledgeable on this stuff?

[20:38] <+EdWetterman> The local Sheriff is notorious for answering disturbing questions about bodies with “It was probably a bear.”

[20:38] <+EdWetterman> Yes, he knows, but he doesn’t share.

[20:39] <+EdWetterman> Most of Pinebox is in denial.  The Jennifer Ridge Transcript covers a lot of this.

[20:39] <+ETU-Preston> (Link: http://12tomidnight.com/campaign-setting/interview-1-chamber-of-commerce/)http://12tomidnight.com/campaign-setting/interview-1-chamber-of-commerce/

[20:40] <+Jason_H> I can only imagine what would be brought to light if you guys get around to releasing that Pinebox PD stuff you mentioned above.

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[20:41] <+EdWetterman> Sorry, got disced…

[20:41] <~Dan> (No problem!)

[20:41] <+ETU-Preston> Yeah, it’s something that has  been on the backburner for a while. It would be nice if the characters could “rank” in levels the way officers earn ranks, but I’m not sure that’s feasible. It’s a little easier with students.

[20:42] <~Dan> Minor point, but it is assumed that the PCs are all part of the same class?

[20:42] <+ETU-Preston> That’s far, far, backburner though. We have lots and lots to do for ETU.

[20:42] <+EdWetterman> yep.  All freshmen.

[20:42] <+ETU-Preston> Yes. They all start out as Freshmen.

[20:43] <+ETU-Preston> Their levels correspond to their class rank. In Savage Worlds there are four main ranks, so that worked out well with the Freshman-Senior levels.

[20:43] <~Dan> Ah. That does make sense.

[20:43] <+ETU-Preston> There’s also a Legendary rank in SW, which would correspond to grad school or new faculty.

[20:44] <+ETU-Preston> That’ll have to come later. 🙂

[20:44] <+Jason_H> The 600 Backer level unlocks “A Body Was Found…” It’s described as “a 12-page ETU storytelling adventure using the Protocol system.” How will they connect with the campaign?

[20:44] <~Dan> What would happen in that regard if you wanted to continue the PCs’ adventures post-graduation? Is Legendary as high as you can go?

[20:44] <+Jason_H> -they +that

[20:45] <+ETU-Preston> Dan – Legendary is as high as you can get. I would recommend playing as Legendary for a while, then taking the characters over to another Savage Worlds game such as Agents of Oblivion, which is like James Bond meets Cthulhu.

[20:46] <+EdWetterman> Legendary characters never really end…you just keep leveling up.

[20:46] <~Dan> Ah, I see.

[20:46] <+ETU-Preston> Jason, A Body Was Found takes place on campus, but it’s a self-contained storytelling adventure. It won’t directly interact with your main campaign. Although a good GM might weave some of the details and NPCs into your main campaign.

[20:46] <~Dan> Speaking of moving on, are there any assumptions built in about the rest of the world?

[20:47] <+EdWetterman> It’s the same world we live in, but the legends and myths are real.

[20:47] <+EdWetterman> It’s a mix of Supernatural, Buffy, and Cthulhu

[20:47] <~Dan> So Pinebox is just one place where such things congregate?

[20:47] <+ETU-Preston> Not particularly. We say it’s the real world. Kind of like Max Headroom– 15 minutes into the future. Maybe in our case that’s “The real world, seen from the shadows.”

[20:48] <+ETU-Preston> Yes. There are mosters and mystics around the world. They are drawn to Pinebox because…[secret]

[20:48] <~Dan> Heh. 🙂

[20:50] <~Dan> We have about 10 minutes left in “regular time”. You guys are more than welcome to continue fielding questions as long as you like, and to come by whenever you like, for that matter; however, is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to mention?

[20:50] <+ETU-Preston> We haven’t talked a whole lot about the character options. You DO pick a major, which comes into play when you’re taking exams. You also can pick optional Extracurricular Activities, which can be beneficial.

[20:51] <+ETU-Preston> I think we’ve covered about as much of the game as we can without giving away the farm. 🙂

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[20:51] <~Dan> (Howdy, Gemini!)

[20:51] <+EdWetterman> We are honored to be working with Shane Hensley on this endeavor, and we are thankful for all the gamers who back us on this project.

[20:52] <+EdWetterman> Also, thanks for your time Dan.

[20:52] <~Dan> You’re very welcome!

[20:52] <+ETU-Preston> I really hope everyone will share our Kickstarter links as much as possible. Facebook makes it really, really hard to get the word out. We’re counting on our backers to help spread the word and unlock more free stuff for everyone.

[20:52] <+ETU-Preston> Agreed! Thank you Dan for your time and for the invitation.

[20:52] <~Dan> Since we have a bit of time left, can you offer any quick thoughts about what makes the horror in ETU something special?

[20:52] <+Jason_H> 6 backers away from unlocking the 300 level.

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[20:52] <+ETU-Preston> And thanks Jason_H for sticking around and asking great questions!

[20:53] <+Jason_H> No prob, I’ve been following 12tM for years. I’m glad to see this beast coming into the light…er moon light.

[20:53] <+EdWetterman> It’s real life, it’s Texas, it’s coeds, its parties, its Buffy meets Cthulhu and kicks his buttocks, its running out of money, its passing those tests.

[20:54] <+ETU-Preston> I really think you’ll find it worth the wait. This game has been polished until it shines!

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[20:55] <~Dan> Oh, quick question: Do you guys have a link to an image you’d like me to use in the chat log?

[20:55] <+ETU-Preston> And it’s skunk ape, hogzilla, and Pizza Barn.

[20:55] <+Jason_H> Ha.

[20:55] <+ETU-Preston> I recommend using the book cover, which can be found on the Pinnacle website.

[20:56] <+ETU-Preston> Thanks for asking!

[20:56] <~Dan> Got a link handy?

[20:56] <+EdWetterman> (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/east-texas-university-savage-worlds)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/545820095/east-texas-university-savage-worlds

[20:57] <+EdWetterman> or (Link: http://www.peginc.com)www.peginc.com

[20:57] <+ETU-Preston> Or you can just use this: (Link: http://12tomidnight.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/enroll.jpg)http://12tomidnight.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/enroll.jpg

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[20:57] <~Dan> Ah, very nice. If you guys will give me just a moment, I’ll get the log posted and give you the link.

[20:58] <+Jason_H> BTW I dig the ETU Film Fest idea you’ve got running on the 12tM site.

[20:59] <+ETU-Preston> Thanks! I’ve got several more I’ll be posting about. Do you have any recommendations I should add to my list?

[20:59] <+EdWetterman> no problem. Preston post that on facebook and I’ll share it tomorrow.  I got to go….Thanks Dan, Jason, et all.  Ya’ll rock.  Thanks for the support and the interest.

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