Design Manager
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So, I received an e-mail informing me that Alluria Press is holding a massive sale on OBS/DrivethruRPG in an attempt to scrape together the funds necessary to continue producing new product. This was both saddening, and exciting, because Alluria is an amazing publisher with some of the highest quality of books I've seen from any publisher, and I don't like hearing that they're in trouble, but I can't deny that getting $20-$40 .pdfs for under $6 and some of their $5 racial supplements for $0.70 or less is an exciting proposition. I actually own their whole Cerulean Seas line in print (though my copy of Indigo Ice appears to have disappeared....), so I can't buy nearly as much from them as I would like, but I'd definitely encourage everyone to go pick something up.
I talk a bit about some of my favorite products, link to reviews, and provide direct product links for some of my favorite Alluria books on my blog, which you can find here.
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Same thing here: got almost every single book they've released.
I didn't know that they were in trouble :(
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Design Manager
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Same thing here: got almost every single book they've released.
I didn't know that they were in trouble :(
I can see how it would happen. Art is ridiculously expensive, and their books feature some of the best art I've ever seen. That can't be cheap, and having written for a few 3pps myself, I know that the margins are already razor thin, even for companies that use stock art to fill out their books. Alluria has held itself to rigorously high standards that I imagine even a company like Paizo, who has a much larger market supporting them, would have to work really hard to match. Hopefully we can generate some attention for them and help them raise the funds they need to keep doing what they do.
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Nice! I had a couple of their races wishlisted and got them for a steal - with the ridiculous discount, I ended up grabbing the bestiary as well.
There's a lot of setting material, but they probably should've invested in some modules as well...
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Design Manager
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Nice! I had a couple of their races wishlisted and got them for a steal - with the ridiculous discount, I ended up grabbing the bestiary as well.
There's a lot of setting material, but they probably should've invested in some modules as well...
I would say that's definitely the one big lack they have that I've noticed as well. I would love to have a few modules or even an AP made using the Cerulean Seas rules set. Maybe someone should suggest that to them as a possible project to look into? It seems that I recall hearing like a lot of the bigger 3pps, like Legendary Games, use adventure modules or lines to help subsidize their more expensive products, since the art demands tend to be less and the adventures themselves actually help promote and sell the other products. (Legendary Games owns AdventureAWeek, don't they?)
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LG does not own AAW Games; The chief of LG is Jason Nelson, the master of AAW is Jonathan G. Nelson, same last name, but completely different people. As far as I know, adventures are just as expensive and generally have thinner profit margins than e.g. crunch-options. That being said, I hope Alluria can continue producing material - I supported their last KS and would love to see some modules in Cerulean Seas.
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Design Manager
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LG does not own AAW Games; The chief of LG is Jason Nelson, the master of AAW is Jonathan G. Nelson, same last name, but completely different people. As far as I know, adventures are just as expensive and generally have thinner profit margins than e.g. crunch-options. That being said, I hope Alluria can continue producing material - I supported their last KS and would love to see some modules in Cerulean Seas.
Thanks for the info EZ! I don't know where I got that in my head.... Probably my game store's fault, stocking the AAW stuff mixed in with the Legendary materials. Or maybe like you said, the fact that they both make awesome stuff and are run by guys with the last name "Nelson".
Regardless, yes, modules are definitely something I'd love from Alluria, so hopefully they do well enough that they get the chance to explore that venue some day!
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I just showed my support by picking up everything you mentioned plus gm screen inserts and Beasts of the Boundless Blue. If this sale lasts into next month I may very well go in for a round 2.
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Design Manager
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I just showed my support by picking up everything you mentioned plus gm screen inserts and Beasts of the Boundless Blue. If this sale lasts into next month I may very well go in for a round 2.
Beasts of the Boundless Blue is incredible, I should have mentioned that one in my blog. I hope you enjoy everything you picked up as much as I have!
Maybe you gents can help me make a decision, though hearing that this stuff is going for so cheap I might snatch some up anyways.
I am looking for something to help with Aquatic Combat as far as getting player and setting options to help streamline and encourage different types of games.
I picked up Companions of the Firmament for aerial combat and am blown away by the bang up job they did. Is this product line something you would suggest I pick up for an aquatic component to that?
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Design Manager
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Maybe you gents can help me make a decision, though hearing that this stuff is going for so cheap I might snatch some up anyways.
I am looking for something to help with Aquatic Combat as far as getting player and setting options to help streamline and encourage different types of games.
I picked up Companions of the Firmament for aerial combat and am blown away by the bang up job they did. Is this product line something you would suggest I pick up for an aquatic component to that?
That is literally what Cerulean Seas is, an aquatic campaign setting with all the rules needed to run it, laid out concisely and completely. It even offers a few DIY ways of simulating 3D underwater combat, discussing everything from the expensive 3D plastic grid maps to tools you can make with a pen, string, and the cardboard tube from a toilet paper roll.
I'd also strongly suggest you pick up Beasts of the Boundless Blue, an underwater bestiary from Alluria full of awesome critters. I have it to thank for an adventure where the party was nearly TPK'd by shrimp.(I also own Companions of the Firmament, great choice!)
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That was exactly what I was hoping to hear. When I get out of work tomorrow morning (darned 12 hr. day), I'll definitely pick up Beasts of the Boundless Blue and the Cerulean Seas campaign setting book.
if the other supplements are as cheap as they sound, I'll probably load up on some of those too. (wonderful wonderful overtime pay)
Thank you very much for the quick reply Ssalarn. Have a good one sir.
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Design Manager
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That was exactly what I was hoping to hear. When I get out of work tomorrow morning (darned 12 hr. day), I'll definitely pick up Beasts of the Boundless Blue and the Cerulean Seas campaign setting book.
if the other supplements are as cheap as they sound, I'll probably load up on some of those too. (wonderful wonderful overtime pay)
Thank you very much for the quick reply Ssalarn. Have a good one sir.
Of course, and you as well!
If you find yourself with $6 to spare after grabbing the essentials, get Indigo Ice. Not only is it one of my favorite supplements, it has the most amazing picture of a penguin person you will ever see. I'm telling you, you'll be flipping through the book going "Where is this picture? It can't be the one from the race page, so whe- OH MY GOD HE WAS RIGHT!"
Trust me.
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That sounds pretty cool. I'll be sure to let you know my reaction when I get a look at it.
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Wraithguard, for what it's worth Cerulean Seas is an EZG Essential book; that means I consider it a must-have in all of my campaign for the inevitable underseas adventuring. I haven't regretted having a single book from the product line. They're worth their normal price (and owning them in print); at the reduced price, they are a steal.
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How long is this sale for anyway?
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After all the praise for that line I have heard in this short amount of time it definitely makes me all the more excited to get out of work so I can actually get a good look at the stuff on sale.
If only these last seven hours of work would go a little faster.
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I'd also strongly suggest you pick up Beasts of the Boundless Blue, an underwater bestiary from Alluria full of awesome critters.
Piranha Bear.
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*blinks repeatedly* Really. That sounds pretty cool.
I hesitate to call it silly because as a frequent GM I know many players develop a healthy respect for things that maim/kill them.
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Alright, just looked through the Indigo Ice PDF (Books are inbound, sorry wallet) and the two pictures they have for the Squawk (Penguin-people) are pretty cool.
The smaller picture in the race section looks positively crazy, little guy is wielding a scythe twice his size. Then, the full page picture is stunning. I have seen pictures of king/queens that don't look that regal.
The art they use is amazing.
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All the Cerulean Seas stuff is fantastic, either as a unique campaign setting or to steal ideas from for another campaign set somewhere else. I highly recommend all the books, there are like 5 - the main one, a polar one, a deep water one, a bestiary, and a Asian/terrestrial adventures one. A psionic one, too, I think, but I don't have that.
Regarding Alluria and money, they ran a Kickstarter several years ago and never fully delivered on the products. I contributed at the hardback book levels, and I got all the pdfs (so the writing/editing/publishing was complete) but never the physical copies. Some of us nagged for a while about in the Kickstarter comments, and the author said she ran out money and wasn't going to be able to fulfill print copies. It was a little weird/annoying because they continued to publish and sell new pdf material, so it's not like they went out of business, they just decided they weren't going to be able to provide the print materials. I ended up paying for the books again print-on-demand. In the big scheme of things, it wasn't that big a deal; I'm cool with it and have moved on. The material is REALLY good and I'd mostly just like to see them continue putting out neat stuff. If they've got a sale going on to raise some money to keep going, good for them and good for anyone who snatches up as much of their old stuff as possible.
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@Mosaic: Same thing happened to me; but unlike Throne of Night, they at least were open about everything and explained it. *AND* the KS was intended, from the get-go to keep them in business, not grab products, so at least for my part, I'm glad the ultimate goal there succeeded. I won'T lie, I was somewhat annoyed as well, but in the end, the qualitatively high follow-up books made it worthwhile for me.
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Cerulean Seas, you will (hopefully next week) at last be miiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnneee~!
(Here's hoping the sale is still going by the time I have full computer access.)
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Oddly enough, the part of the book that satisfies my inner engineer is the rules for buoyancy. It might just be another set of numbers for people to track or not track, but it seems very well thought out.
Now, I just need to find the time to give a review for each of these books.
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@wraithguard: People can roll their eyes all they want, but the buoyancy and depth tolerance rules really made my day when I first read them. I totally get it... XD
Cerulean Seas, you will (hopefully next week) at last be miiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnneee~!
(Here's hoping the sale is still going by the time I have full computer access.)
YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS~! IT IS DONE.
Also, in case anyone is curious, here you go.
Bask! Bask, I say!
BASK in that Cerulean glory!
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Cerulean Seas, you will (hopefully next week) at last be miiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnneee~!
(Here's hoping the sale is still going by the time I have full computer access.)YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS~! IT IS DONE.
Also, in case anyone is curious, here you go.
Bask! Bask, I say!
BASK in that Cerulean glory!
Yeah, that was an amazing deal. I feel a little bit guilty for getting so much product for so little money.
But not guilty enough to not pounce on it like a leopard on a wounded gazelle...
I know! I felt so bad! BUT SSSSOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOD.
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That was exactly what I was hoping to hear. When I get out of work tomorrow morning (darned 12 hr. day), I'll definitely pick up Beasts of the Boundless Blue and the Cerulean Seas campaign setting book.
if the other supplements are as cheap as they sound, I'll probably load up on some of those too. (wonderful wonderful overtime pay)
Thank you very much for the quick reply Ssalarn. Have a good one sir.
Of course, and you as well!
If you find yourself with $6 to spare after grabbing the essentials, get Indigo Ice. Not only is it one of my favorite supplements, it has the most amazing picture of a penguin person you will ever see. I'm telling you, you'll be flipping through the book going "Where is this picture? It can't be the one from the race page, so whe- OH MY GOD HE WAS RIGHT!"
Trust me.
Me: "Where is this picture? It can't be the one from the race page, he just said so himself, so whe- OH MY WORD, HE WAS RIGHT~!"
That was... glorious.
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Design Manager
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That was exactly what I was hoping to hear. When I get out of work tomorrow morning (darned 12 hr. day), I'll definitely pick up Beasts of the Boundless Blue and the Cerulean Seas campaign setting book.
if the other supplements are as cheap as they sound, I'll probably load up on some of those too. (wonderful wonderful overtime pay)
Thank you very much for the quick reply Ssalarn. Have a good one sir.
Of course, and you as well!
If you find yourself with $6 to spare after grabbing the essentials, get Indigo Ice. Not only is it one of my favorite supplements, it has the most amazing picture of a penguin person you will ever see. I'm telling you, you'll be flipping through the book going "Where is this picture? It can't be the one from the race page, so whe- OH MY GOD HE WAS RIGHT!"
Trust me.Me: "Where is this picture? It can't be the one from the race page, he just said so himself, so whe- OH MY WORD, HE WAS RIGHT~!"
That was... glorious.
That may be the best portrait I've ever seen. Not only is it rendered in glorious detail, it frequently makes me look like a prophet or psychic when I accurately predict the reactions of the people who see it.
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GET THEE ALL TO THE SALE POSTHASTE.
DriveThru isn't rolling in cash, yet*, and neither is Alluria*. That means not enough people are going there and purchasing this.
EDIT: * Well, okay, I'm presuming, I admit. BUT STILL.
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I have bought everything with the Alluria logo on it some time ago and have not yet regretted any of it.
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I'd go buy everything, but I already have copies. I do hope they can get up and running again. I really enjoyed working with them, and would like to continue. BTW, check the editing credits on Indigo Ice, that was the first work I ever did for them!
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The books are very well written with gorgeous illustrations; the bundle is a steal. I already bought all these, but I'd buy the bundle once again as a Mikazemas gift it to someone else... if I wasn't broke. :/
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Will the sale still be up tomorrow?
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There's still a discount, but the prices already went back up quite a bit on individual items.
But the Cerulean Seas: Super Holiday Bundle is still crazy cheap.
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...
...
WELP~!
BUMP-TO-THE-BUMP-BUMP~!
Also, in case anyone is curious, here you go.
Bask! Bask, I say!
BASK in that Cerulean glory!
There's still a discount, but the prices already went back up quite a bit on individual items.
But the Cerulean Seas: Super Holiday Bundle is still crazy cheap.
Let's rock it hard!
(And get awesome things for cheap!)
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I wish Alluria all the best. I designed many of the unique classes for the setting and a good number of monsters too (including Fey Folio). I'm thankful they let me play in their (aquatic version of a) sandbox.
I pushed in a lot of weird and non-standard way with those classes (and a few of the monsters), but they were always willing to roll with the directions I took things.
-- I have a bunch of those classes reworked for land campaigns somewhere, I need to dig them out.
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I wish Alluria all the best. I designed many of the unique classes for the setting and a good number of monsters too (including Fey Folio). I'm thankful they let me play in their (aquatic version of a) sandbox.
I pushed in a lot of weird and non-standard way with those classes (and a few of the monsters), but they were always willing to roll with the directions I took things.
-- I have a bunch of those classes reworked for land campaigns somewhere, I need to dig them out.
I would be intensely interested in those.
I wish Alluria all the best. I designed many of the unique classes for the setting and a good number of monsters too (including Fey Folio). I'm thankful they let me play in their (aquatic version of a) sandbox.
I pushed in a lot of weird and non-standard way with those classes (and a few of the monsters), but they were always willing to roll with the directions I took things.
-- I have a bunch of those classes reworked for land campaigns somewhere, I need to dig them out.
Was aquanaut one of them? Its my favorite.
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WHY. HOW. I DON'T KNOW BUT ENGAGE WITH THE MIRACLE WHILE IT LASTS!