MasterCraft

[Agent 333]

...

*pokes* Umm, Agent X didn't die, right?  Like am I poking a fleshy construct or has someone ran off to activate his second clone?

*poke*

Nope. I'm working on it today actually. I was momentarily distracted putting down a certain Agenda.

I'm guessing GenCon schedule...

See, from the way he capitalized Agenda I assumed he was talking about the second part of the WoF introductory story, entitled Extinction Agenda. GenCon has nothing to do with it...

[Crafty_Pat]

Nope. I'm working on it today actually. I was momentarily distracted putting down a certain Agenda.

I'm guessing GenCon schedule...

GenCon is a pressing issue just now, yes, but the Agenda is in fact the Ulysses Agenda, our next article in Signs & Portents. Scott's reviewing it now but I'm largely done (finally).

[Mister Andersen]

Woo hoo!

[Agent 333]

Nope. I'm working on it today actually. I was momentarily distracted putting down a certain Agenda.

I'm guessing GenCon schedule...

GenCon is a pressing issue just now, yes, but the Agenda is in fact the Ulysses Agenda, our next article in Signs & Portents. Scott's reviewing it now but I'm largely done (finally).

Damnit Pat, you and your obsession with the word Agenda...

[Mister Andersen]

Pat is innocent. In this instance, any way.

[Agent 333]

But he made me wrong, and I was so sure I was right. Now I just look like a smug bastard because Pat loves Agendas...
Of course, its all in good fun. I'd never want to anger any of the Crafty Crew.

[Crafty_Pat]

But he made me wrong, and I was so sure I was right. Now I just look like a smug bastard because Pat loves Agendas...
Of course, its all in good fun. I'd never want to anger any of the Crafty Crew.

All good. I brought it on meself with the tease.

[Mister Andersen]

But he made me wrong, and I was so sure I was right. Now I just look like a smug bastard because Pat loves Agendas...

Well, the Ulysses Agenda is based in WoF...

[LordKruelos]

What excites me about the MasterCraft idea, and especially the Henchman edition, is that I expect it will be a way to more easily introduce people to Crafty.  Honestly, I've felt for the past couple years that the two biggest things holding Spycraft back were actually the name and the density of the book.

Don't get me wrong, Spycraft is my favorite d20-variant game, hands down.  But when I pitch it to people, they often react with "Spycrat?  But we're not playing Spies, we want to play X" and it's an uphill battle to convince people to try something new as it is.

Secondly, and equally difficult, I've found the people I play with in the past couple years shifting even more to the "casual" gamer, and while 2.0 is impressive, dropping that bad boy on the table tends to get a "Deer in Headlights" reaction, and it's a pretty difficult task to convince people it's worth the effort to make characters.

My hopes are to see both a somewhat more streamlined character creation process and an easier sell to potential players by being both less dense on the front of the learning curve with that lingering promise of "we have all the crunch you could want, but you don't have to use it all" on the back-end.

[Crafty_Alex]

*give LordK a cookie*

Now you're getting it  The trends we see from the industry side and from the table side completely agree with you. Gamers want games that are easier to play - video games' influence cannot be ignored in this respect. Removing a second book from the mix, slimming the rules to what makes Spycraft a game we all love, and even things like changing the name are all tremendously conducive to making the game easier to play and FAR easier and cheaper to introduce new players to.

It will be a great win for all our games, not to mention our company. Hopefully, it makes it easier for you all to find games yourself as well

[LordKruelos]

I can has preview now? 

[Crafty_Alex]

Oh, fine (unedited text from my desktop, ahoy!):

Goblin (near-human): You are a goblin, a crude and rambunctious creature notorious for its curiosity and penchant for mischief. Yours are a small people, with earth-toned skin, pointed ears, course black hair, beady eyes, long noses and big mouths (both literally and figuratively). Low cunning and humor are time-honored traditions in your culture, making you a natural prankster, rogue, and rapscallion.  Despite your stubby stature and ill-deserved reputation for cowardice, you are a rough-and-tumble little bugger who can be incredibly tenacious when you set your mind to it.

Since most goblins are born as in pairs or threesomes, you probably grew up in a subterranean warren with around a dozen litter-mates, where you had to fight for limited food and attention. This upbringing has made you intensely competitive, and you love to challenge or show up others – the bigger the better. This can sometimes make life with an adventuring party …interesting, with impromptu arguments and challenges being the norm, but your boisterous nature and loyalty to your friends keeps things on an even keel.

Goblins are ubiquitous wherever they appear, with quick breeding and litters leading to “infestations” specialized to life in their environment. You have a number of choices of “Level 1 only” feats by which you can identify the particular branch of goblindom you hail from. Goblins without any of these feats are commonly known as “low goblins.”

Common Personality Traits: Exuberant, coarse, grandstanding, nosy, quick-witted, shifty.
Common Physical Traits: Dirty, scrawny, light-fingered, hyperactive, surprisingly tough.

[ThunderMonkey]

*give LordK a cookie*

Now you're getting it  The trends we see from the industry side and from the table side completely agree with you. Gamers want games that are easier to play - video games' influence cannot be ignored in this respect. Removing a second book from the mix, slimming the rules to what makes Spycraft a game we all love, and even things like changing the name are all tremendously conducive to making the game easier to play and FAR easier and cheaper to introduce new players to.

It will be a great win for all our games, not to mention our company. Hopefully, it makes it easier for you all to find games yourself as well

WOOPS...

Then it's probably no mistake that a couple of the books up for ENies are quickstart rules.