The Crossroads Region Gazetteer update:: Coming in Days!

So, while aiming for an October 30th release, we may need to bump it a week and half to accommodate our distributor, which is a smart move.At any rate, I can't believe this mammoth book is almost ready to go to press and pdf. I've been at this day after day for many months and am eager to see it on the shelves and onto game tables. Here is the slightly updated cover and following blurb.

    Enjoy

   Will McAusland

Adventure and Exploration await!

Grab your gasmask, your knee pads, crossbow and blade! Suit up into your junk armor and survival packs and get ready to dive into a world of high adventure. Welcome to the Crossroads Region!

It is the year 2364. The Tainted Sea continues to recede, exposing patches of the former megalopolis of Los Angeles. Few areas in the brutal world of The Mutant Epoch are so densely populated nor so embroiled in factional warfare as The Crossroads Region. Here, your heroes will explore old war zones, ruined cityscapes, reef-locked relic ships, stinking bogs and toxic bomb craters. Seek the bounty on the dreaded outlaw-cannibal Appro-Mortica, recharge your power cells at Array, avoid the deviant hunters of the Holy Purist Empire, and dodge the Mutant Supremacists of Aberratia as your dig team travels forest road. At the end of the day, you and your comrades can wash away the grave dust of the ancients with a pint of beer in the bars and saloons of dozens of towns. But even in the scrap and concrete confines of human settlements, keep one eye open, as the abode of men can easily be as deadly as the post-apocalyptic wilderness.

The Crossroads Region Gazetteer is the first official setting for The Mutant Epoch role playing game and contains the sprawling city of Overpass, the purist capital of Pure Hub City, the Aberrationist capital of Newburg, along with thirty one other factional and independent communities.

Herein, the fortified excavator’s town of Pitford resides, as well as the village of Walsave from the Mall of Doom adventure. Several upcoming TME adventures are also set in this region. Designed to connect with other upcoming gazetteers, this territory sits directly above uncharted zones meant to be created by the game master. No further settings will be published which document the areas south of the Crossroads Region, and instead future books will only describe areas, north, east and west. 

Finally, below is a screen version of the map of Leperhold. As the name implies, this sad place is leper colony in the most southern edge of the region. 

Yet another update on The Crossroads Region Gazetteer

Hi Wastelanders,

 I'm going to post this here and on the blog as most of you inhabit one or the other online venue.

So yes, I have been using the 'conceal self' skill as far as this forum and social media go. Been working every day, often 12 or more hours per day, trying to get the Crossroads Gazetteer wrapped out. Now 4 months overdue.

 I suffer from an overdeveloped sense of optimism. No, its true. I believe things will be easier than they really are, take less time, and sell a bajillion copies, and get mentioned on every RPG podcast and blog overnight. This optimism is to blame for me becoming a writer-illustrator-game designer, instead of a plumber as my high school aptitude test suggested, but... it is working out. The game is well received, well reviewed and selling better than I expected.  Anyway, back to the update....

What's left? Well, I've done the hand drawn portions of 25 of 33 maps, and commenced work on the 19 NPCs. The cover is done,although I'm thinking I'd like to do a different one and see which you prefer... but that would delay things I guess. The final edits and illustrations are all done and inserted, and the arduous process of making an index and creating links for the PDF version are still ahead... although also started.


 All in all, I'd like to say the book will be available in print and PDF Sept 30th now, but due to distribution concerns there is a week or two delay getting books from the printer to the warehouse. So hmmmmm. I am no longer going to speculate on the release dates of books, as every time I do, something comes up that throws the date off. I will however make updates on progress and show off art, tweet excerpts, and whatnot to keep you all posted.

Okay, time to go to the drawing table and finish the map of Hermilage in the Holy Purist Empire... a place your pure stock and ghost mutant characters could end up as prisoners... forced to do slave labor by day, and be converted to Puristalism by night. Your mutant, cyborg, beastial and synthetic characters? They go to Witch Burn further south... and you can guess it won't end well for them.

 Here is a look at the illustration of Hermilage:

Finally, if you want to the most up to date news from us, may I suggest following our twitter feed here https://twitter.com/mutantlord

Regards,
 Will McAusland

Well, we just released another free mutant villain for you, and its a gross brute in more ways than one. Now that it is out, back we go to the production on the Crossroads Region book. Got a lot to do still, but if we work hard, we can meet that late August 2013 release date!

WM

 Now to the freak:

As hated as is it is feared, the disgusting, vaguely humanoid, multi-limbed and many headed Junk-Mobster is here.

Our fourth and most disturbing creature of the apocalypse yet. This thing is the stuff of nightmares. Not only can it eviscerate opponents with its elongated, clawed arms, but it often tries to subdue potential mates with net and club, meanwhile unleashing a barrage of mental mutations. Although terrible, mercenary bands, bounty hunters and excavators alike often seek these mutant monsters out, eager to claim the lucrative bounty on them, as well as free prisoners and loot the Rubble-Gangsta’s trove.

Get it here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/117198/Junk-Mobster-Creatures-of-the-Apocalypse-4

Get it free at Drivethrusrpg or RPGnow today! Also, make sure you claim our three previous Creatures of the Apocalypse: The Spike Back, Red Harvester and dreaded Sickle Foot.

PDF cover art

Detail of the handsome fellows

Another Crossroads Region Book Update

In the blur of working very long hours, day after day, editing, penciling, inking, cover design, layout and trying to tie it all together into a hefty tome, The Crossroads Region Gazetteer’s release date has thus far eluded me. 

Now, in the middle of July, however, I have a better idea about the publication date.  Yes, I had entirely expected to have had this book on the shelves by now and be well into the beastiary book. Yet, with the last of the inks coming to completion, the final edits being inserted, the layout done, the cover more or less done, and only the maps and NPCs still to accomplish, I can give a soft release date of the end of August 2013.

            At over 412 pages, The Crossroads Region book has been the most challenging creative endeavor I have ever been involved in, except of course for the Mutant Epoch hub rules, which underwent years of play test and rules modifications and visits by editorial angels.  Of course, I stopped to complete Beyond Red Crater last winter, and have admittedly taken a day off, as well as worked on the Plantoids and Mutant Beastiary One books here and there.

That said, I am just surfacing for some air now to let you all know that work progresses daily and I now see a likely release date. Once accomplished, I will emerge from the rubble to again participate properly on the forums, blog and twitter, as well as add new free content to the usual hangouts.

 Thank you all for your patience. I hope you will enjoy the Gazetteer when it comes out, and think the wait was well worth it. Now, for some art from the upcoming book!

 Best regards,

 Will McAusland 

Crossroads Region Gazetteer Update

Just a quick update on what we are working on...

From the forum: http://mutantepochforum.boards.net/thread/137/inking-editing-penciling-rinse-repeat

The Crossroads Region Gazetteer... yes, still at it. Day in day out, penciling, inking, editing, layout... on and on...

This gazetteer is going to be at least 412 pages and the biggest project I have ever been involved with in my entire life... and may I say that I hope I am never faced with such a massive tome again...other than a novel that is.

The Crossroads Region is a very densely populated area, with a lot of conflicting factions, independent and nomadic communities. Other regions are sparsely populated and more inhospitable, and will lead to much smaller source books.

Still, I am enjoying the process and think this is going to be one hell of a sourcebook.

Here is a quick photo from what I was just inking before I made this post. It's for the full page spread to Heroes and Outlaws of the region. The near naked woman, which I need to fix, is actually a digital being...

More updates soon:



As for the actual update, we are looking at at least another month before we get all the interior art inks done and inserted in the layout and the last edit back. Working double time on this, and sadly neglecting my social media outlets!

Regards,

Will McAusland

Danger:: Spikebacks in the area

Hi Wastelanders,

 If you haven't already heard, we've got a new free Creature of the Apocalypse for ya...

The size of a grizzly bear, the vaguely humanoid Spikeback is a genetically engineered bio-weapon of old - which has evolved.

Now, exhibiting an occasional cybernetic implant or mutation, they move about the wastes of The Mutant Epoch in packs, and gorge on the flesh of other living things. Bad tempered, ravenous and cruel, this freaky creature of the apocalypse is our third nasty in this series.

Enjoy!

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/114640/Spikeback%3A-Creatures-of-the-Apocalypse-3

WM

rpgnet welcomes William McAusland (Mutant Epoch) 4/29/2013 24:00 GMT!

Hi All, 
Dan Davenport will be interviewing me tonight on the rpgnet chat from 7-9 central time in the USA (5-7 Pacific for me). I've never done anything like this before. Sure hope some of you can join in and come say hello during the event. I guess they will be asking questions about The Mutant Epoch, RPGs, how the game came about, and so on. Should be interesting. 


If you can't make it, you can post questions beforehand and learn more about the show here:

www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?p=650149

Have a great day,

Will