Posts Tagged ‘judd karlman’

Here’s my creative approach to externalizing something I’ve really come to embrace as a roleplayer and fiction writer, from wise words courtesy of the one-and-only Judd Karlman:

I’m experimenting with a lot of different kinds of creative expression these days – possibly a few too many. I think eventually I’ll try to settle into focusing on a handful of approaches, once I discover what I enjoy and what I seem to be able to do with at least a little competence. Until then, I’ll continue to try all kinds of stuff.

It does seem, though, that this thing where I sketch/write something in pencil or pen and then scan it and use Photoshop to mash it up with a splash of painted colors (also scanned) seems to be a frontrunner for my favorite technique of the moment. This is the third one I’ve shared, and I’ve already done a couple more that I’ll share later. I enjoy playing around with this kind of thing. It enables me to create something tactile but also bring it into the digital realm in its own unique way.

I’ve never played a Githyanki*, and I don’t recall ever encountering one in-game who was memorable. I imagine I’ve been in fights with one or two, but they were likely treated by everyone involved as just another nameless baddie with cool abilities straight out of the Monster Manual. Whatevs.

Judd Karlman began to change that for me a couple of years ago. He seems to like Githyanki a lot. He feels a kinship with them that is palpable and potent, even if he doesn’t know just why that’s true. After you read what I’m linking, go back through his LJ archives and you’ll find them there – his love letters to a typically-evil fantasy monster race. And always, he gives them depth. He makes them mad and beautiful.

Read this post first. It is about Githyanki, yeah, but it also says so very much more: The Book of Judd – Githyanki Therapy defined.

*If you’re not an rpg-player, and you’re wondering what the hell a “Githyanki” is, well … if it piques your interest, Google it. Or better yet, read Judd’s journals about them, and become informed.

I’ve been working hard to try to get a consistent pace going here on the Monkey, and I plan to continue that effort. But I also have a Vegas After Midnight writing goal to achieve this week and I’m going to focus my hobby/creativity time on that for the next 3 to 4 days, so I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to do my Monkey journaling until that’s done. I’ve got about 4 half-finished draft posts in my draft hopper, and who knows what else I’ll run across that might inspire me to want to share something, so who knows? But this week, in the creative writing department, VAM takes precedence.

In the mean time, Canon Puncture #64 was released earlier today, so if you’re inclined, you can get a little Mick-fix (and a Rich-fix, and a Judd-fix) listening to that. Whatever you feel about Canon Puncture’s recent episodes, I’d like to encourage you to listen to #64. We really had fun recording it and I think that it comes pretty close to what we want to do with the show’s main segment – which is to talk about our gaming experiences as inspired by some cool and interesting blog or forum posts that we run across. In my opinion, we’ve hit on a formula here that will be entertaining, informative, and generally positive for listeners while still being natural and fun for the Canoneers.

So, there’s the Canon Puncture sales pitch. Other than that, I’ll catch ya around later this week, probably.

I’m really not planning to constantly fill up this journal with links to other peoples’ posts – I DO hope to actually write my own more often than not. But Judd has written something that is concise, honest, and important. I’ve been on a bit of a ponder-fest about this topic myself of late, and this has me percolating even more. So I’m sharing it.

The Book of Judd – Thinking about Race and RPGs.

Now I’ve gotta go nab the Sons of Kryos video stuff.

The Book of Judd – Bedtime Story.

Oddest zombie story ever? Probably.

Worst unicorn story ever? Maybe.

Best zombie-healed-back-to-life-then-immediately-rezombified story ever? Yeah, I think so.

This waypoint is … well, it’s a copy of the announcement I’ve just emailed to everyone on the VAM mailing list. I’m extremely excited about this. VAM is a pretty big waypoint for me, and it has been at the center of a lot of my best gaming, certainly the focus of most of my best creative output, and also the one thing I’ve contributed to the hobby-at-large that has gotten the most support.

However, I’d also like to give some credit where it’s due. Part of the decision that is written about below was inspired by Judd Karlman. Judd wrote the excellent Dictionary of Mu, and also talked alot about his design philosophy (I don’t know if that’s what he’d call it, but it’s what I call it) on a recent episode of Independent Insurgency with Rob Bohl. So go check those out as companion pieces to some of what I mention below about scope.

Here’s the entry…

Don’t Rest in Vegas After Midnight

In the wake of the playtests and various discussions that have taken place over the past couple of months, Harping Monkey Studios has decided to shift the VAM project in a different direction that I honestly believe is going to produce a roleplaying experience much closer to the vision and tone we’ve been trying for. As a result, I want to announce that instead of being released as a standalone RPG based on the Fate system, Vegas After Midnight is going to be developed from here on out as an alternate setting supplement for Don’t Rest Your Head from Evil Hat Productions.

A bit of explanation follows:

Read the rest of this entry »

See the full text of these two waypoints on the Canon Puncture site:

Waypoint #7: Cool Sidekick Syndrome, where I do a very weird rant about my friends treating wookiees like crap.

Also: Waypoint #6: Cheater Stance, where I found myself away from my computer for so long on Saturday that I had to sort of cheat just to get in a waypoint for the day – and linked to a post from Ogre Whiteside ( ) without actually adding my own commentary to it.