Kingbeast's Lair

Here is a list of the 2012 ENnie Award winners in gold and silver. I’ll put my picks in italics.

Best Adventure

Dead Rock Seven (Pelgrane Press)
Invasive Procedures (Pelgrane Press)
Madness at Gardmore Abbey (Wizards of the Coast)
Streets of Zobeck (Open Design)
The Rending Box (Pelgrane Press)

Best Aid/Accessory

DungeonMorph Cards (Inkwell Ideas, Inc.)
GameMastery Chase Cards (Paizo Publishing)
Masks: 1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any RPG (Engine Publishing)
Mutants and Masterminds GM’s Kit (Green Ronin)
Shadowrun Runner’s Toolkit (Catalyst Game Labs)

Best Art, Cover

Black Crusade: Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
Cthulhu by Gaslight (Chaosium Inc.)
Mutants and Masterminds Gamemaster’s Guide (Green Ronin)
Neverwinter Campaign Setting (Wizards of the Coast)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box (Paizo)

Best Art, Interior

Book of Drakes (Open Design)
Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple (Evil Hat Productions)
Dragon Age: Set 2 (Green Ronin)
Legend of the Five Rings, Fourth Edition: The Great Clans (Alderac Entertainment Group)
The One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild (Cubicle 7)

Best Blog

Campaign Mastery
Gaming as Women
Gnome Stew
Roving Band of Misfits
Sly Flourish

Best Cartography

Harker Asylum – Virtual Boxed Set (0One Games)
Madness at Gardmore Abbey (Wizards of the Coast)
Mass Transit III (Maps of Mastery)
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Jade Regent Map Folio (Paizo)
The Shadowlands Conversion Guide (BlackStar Studios)

Best Electronic Book

Advanced Encounters: Terrain Toolbox (Sneak Attack Press)
Cthulhu Apocalypse: The Apocalypse Machine (Graham Walmsley & Pelgrane Press)
GURPS Social Engineering (Steve Jackson Games)
Spookybeans: The Gothic Comics RPG (Chapter 13 Press)
Way of the Wicked Book One: Knot of Thorns (Fire Mountain Games)

Best Free Product

Black Crusade: Broken Chains (Fantasy Flight Games)
Dragon Age Quickstart Guide (Green Ronin)
The One Ring: Words of the Wise (Cubicle 7)
The Shadowlands Conversion Guide (BlackStar Studios)
Pathfinder Module: We Be Goblins! (Paizo)

Best Game

Cosmic Patrol Core Rulebook (Catalyst Game Labs)
Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple (Evil Hat Productions)
Hollowpoint (VSCA Publishing)
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game (Margaret Weis Productions)
Savage Worlds Deluxe (Pinnacle Entertainment Group)

Best Miniatures Product

Dungeons and Dragons Dragon Collector’s Set (Wizards of the Coast)
Monster Medallions Set 1: Deadly Encounter Groups (Fiery Dragon Productions)
Pathfinder Battles: Heroes and Monsters (Paizo)
Serene Fist Set Four: Katana Schoolgirls vs. Zombie Furries (Okumarts Games)
Steam Tower (Mayhem in Paper)

Best Monster/Adversary

DC Adventures: Heroes & Villains, Vol. 1 (Green Ronin)
Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos (Fantasy Flight Games)
Hacklopedia of Beasts (Kenzer and Co.)
Hunter Sheets Issue Two—An SLA Industries Supplement (Nightfall Games)
Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Podcast

Haste – The Official Obsidian Portal Podcast
Iron GM
Jennisodes
Law of the Geek
Role Playing Public Radio

Best Production Values

Hacklopedia of Beasts (Kenzer & Co.)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box (Paizo)
Smallville High School Yearbook (Margaret Weis Productions)
The One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild (Cubicle 7)
Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition (CCP Games/White Wolf Publishing)

Best RPG Related Product

Carnival Arcane (Midnight Syndicate Soundtracks)
Complete Kobold Guide to Game Design (Open Design)
Cthulhu Wrapping Paper (Gaming Paper)
Lords of Waterdeep (Wizards of the Coast)
Tales of the Far West (Adamant Entertainment)

Best Rules

Bulldogs! (Galileo Games)
Hollowpoint (VSCA Publishing)
Lorefinder—The Pathfinder / GUMSHOE Mashup (Pelgrane Press)
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game (Margaret Weis Productions)
Spellbound Kingdoms (T. Shield Studios)

Best Setting

Ashen Stars (Pelgrane Press)
Cthulhu Apocalypse: The Apocalypse Machine (Graham Walmsley & Pelgrane Press)
Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland (Cubicle 7)
The Investigator’s Guide to Occult London (Pelgrane Press)
Unhallowed Metropolis, Revised (Atomic Overmind Press)

Best Supplement

Agents of Oblivion (Reality Blurs)
Cthulhu by Gaslight (Chaosium Inc.)
Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Options: Heroes of the Feywild (Wizards of the Coast)
GURPS Horror, Fourth Edition (Steve Jackson Games)
Star Hero (Hero Games)

Best Website

D&D Insider
Obsidian Portal
Pathfinder Wiki
See Page XX – The Pelgrane Press Webzine
RPG Geek

Best Writing

GURPS Horror, Fourth Edition (Steve Jackson Games)
Panopticon (Posthuman Studios)
Stealing Cthulhu (Graham Walmsley)
The Investigator’s Guide to Occult London (Pelgrane Press)
Your Whispering Homonculous (Open Design)

Product of the Year

Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland (Cubicle 7)
GURPS Horror, Fourth Edition (Steve Jackson Games)
Hacklopedia of Beasts (Kenzer and Co.)
Hollowpoint (VSCA Publishing)
Madness at Gardmore Abbey (Wizards of the Coast)
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game (Margaret Weis Productions)
Masks: 1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any RPG (Engine Publishing)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box (Paizo)
Star Hero (Hero Games)
Stealing Cthulhu (Graham Walmsley)

My Take
I picked a lot of the winners. 🙂 When looking at the list I think my biggest complaint is that Do did not take any awards. Travesty. 🙁

Here are the award winners for fan favorite publishers and a new category for Judges’ Sportlight Award. I think having that category is cool.

Fan’s Favorite Publisher

Evil Hat Productions 
Paizo Publishing 

My Take
I voted for Evil Hat Productions out of the huge list of publishers so I was really glad to see them take one of these coveted awards. The transparency that Fred Hicks brokers is refreshing.

Judges’ Spotlight Award

Designers & Dragons (Mongoose Publishing)
Edge RPG (Outrider Studios)
Honor + Intrigue (Basic Action Games)
Shelter In Place (Galileo Games)
Technoir (Cellar Games LLC)

My Take
I have Technoir and Designers & Dragons. Both are really fantastic products. Highly recommended. 😉

GAME ON! 😀

Date At Start Of Game: September 9th, 1935

[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 5th session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play.]

Back At Miskatonic

After giving Diamond Walsh some coffee and a fresh change of clothes the PC start to question him. First they bring up his wife Dora suggesting that she knew he was being captured but left. Diamond tells the PC that Dora is a strong woman and was undoubtedly looking after his best interest even if her actions appeared suspect. The PC next ask about the night Diamond was kidnapped. He goes through the scene with the PC in detail. Surprisingly Diamond’s story does not match Dora’s exactly. In Diamond’s retelling of the kidnapping Dora screams and moves into the corner of the room but she is not smothered with a pillow and knocked unconscious. Finally the PC ask about Dora and any possible alliances with Oliver Gardiner. Diamond says that to his knowledge Dora met Oliver for the first time at the party about a week ago. At this point the PC know that Dora is hiding something but they are not sure what and to whom she is aligned.

Next the PC interrogate Oren Gardiner. They first strip him down and search his clothes. They then question him about the situation. Oren acknowledges being part of an inner circle at the Kingsport Yacht Club (KYC). Oren suggests that Oliver is the one who wanted to summon Dagon (aka “the voice he heard speaking to him that night on the Capricorn“). Oren emotes that Dagon has made Gardiner Shipping a success and that when he returns from his watery home he will reward his followers. Killing 44 people over the last 10 years, although grim, is just rewards for what Oren and Oliver were given. The PC quickly deduce that Oren has nearly lost his touch with reality.

At this point the PC analyze the clues they have found and develop a rough “Cthulhu org chart”. With some comments from Professor Armitage the PC fill out the top end of their chart. They still have questions about certain players and how they fit into the picture. (Although Leo can read Mandarin the PC decide not to read Oliver’s journal in detail at this time.)

Returning To The Kingsport Yacht Club

Early the next morning the PC return to the KYC. They first search Oren and Sam’s cars. In Sam’s car they find a necklace with an elder sign on it but other than that they find nothing else of interest. They next search the club. The front area, kitchen, and office are completely thrashed. There are large rips in the wallpaper, door jams, and carpet. Several doors are ripped from their hinges. The office safe is still in tact. The secret door to the grotto is ripped out from the inside. When the PC venture down into the grotto they find no Deep Ones. The stone altar is ripped from its base leaving only two stone pillars. Sean calls the station and reports the scene as a vandalism crime.

Speaking With Dora Walsh

Before letting Diamond return home the PC visit Dora Walsh. Detective Keegan leads the questioning. He does not immediately tell Dora that they have rescued Diamond. Instead he focuses on why she was really at the yacht club. Dora lies but then when pressed admits that she thought Oliver may have done something horrible to Diamond. She knew that a “business arrangement” that they had fell apart badly. Next the PC tell Dora that they have found Diamond. She seems honestly relieved and asks when her husband can return home. At this point Detective Keegan bluntly asks Dora is she knows about Deep Ones. Instead of answering his question she tells Diamond’s men to escort the PC off of the estate. The PC know that Dora is involved and suspect that she knows about the mythos through her father Elihu but they need some direct evidence against her before they can charge her with a crime…

Date At End Of Game: September 10th, 1935

Here is a list of the 2012 Ennie Award Nominations with some editorial comments on product where I have an opinion. If you want to see the list on the official site go here.

Best Adventure

Dead Rock Seven (Pelgrane Press)
Invasive Procedures (Pelgrane Press)
Madness at Gardmore Abbey (Wizards of the Coast)
Streets of Zobeck (Open Design)
The Rending Box (Pelgrane Press)

My Take
GO PELGRANE! Well deserved…they have some fantastic products out right now. My vote is for Dead Rock Seven.

Best Aid/Accessory

DungeonMorph Cards (Inkwell Ideas, Inc.)
GameMastery Chase Cards (Paizo Publishing)
Masks: 1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any RPG (Engine Publishing)
Mutants and Masterminds GM’s Kit (Green Ronin)
Shadowrun Runner’s Toolkit (Catalyst Game Labs)

My Take
I only have experience with Masks but it is a really fantastic product. My vote is Masks.

Best Art, Cover

Black Crusade: Core Rulebook (Fantasy Flight Games)
Cthulhu by Gaslight (Chaosium Inc.)
Mutants and Masterminds Gamemaster’s Guide (Green Ronin)
Neverwinter Campaign Setting (Wizards of the Coast)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box (Paizo)

My Take
The Cthulhu By Gaslight cover is pretty great…that one gets my vote.

Best Art, Interior

Book of Drakes (Open Design)
Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple (Evil Hat Productions)
Dragon Age: Set 2 (Green Ronin)
Legend of the Five Rings, Fourth Edition: The Great Clans (Alderac Entertainment Group)
The One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild (Cubicle 7)

My Take
Dragon Age: Set 2 and Do are both beautiful products but I have to give the nod to Daniel Sollis…Do is a work of art.

Best Blog

Campaign Mastery
Gaming as Women
Gnome Stew
Roving Band of Misfits
Sly Flourish

My Take
I follow the top three. Really enjoying Gaming As Women for its fresh take on the industry. It gets my vote.

Best Cartography

Harker Asylum – Virtual Boxed Set (0One Games)
Madness at Gardmore Abbey (Wizards of the Coast)
Mass Transit III (Maps of Mastery)
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Jade Regent Map Folio (Paizo)
The Shadowlands Conversion Guide (BlackStar Studios)

My Take
No experience here.

Best Electronic Book

Advanced Encounters: Terrain Toolbox (Sneak Attack Press)
Cthulhu Apocalypse: The Apocalypse Machine (Graham Walmsley & Pelgrane Press)
GURPS Social Engineering (Steve Jackson Games)
Spookybeans: The Gothic Comics RPG (Chapter 13 Press)
Way of the Wicked Book One: Knot of Thorns (Fire Mountain Games)

My Take
No experience here.

Best Free Product

Black Crusade: Broken Chains (Fantasy Flight Games)
Dragon Age Quickstart Guide (Green Ronin)
The One Ring: Words of the Wise (Cubicle 7)
The Shadowlands Conversion Guide (BlackStar Studios)
Pathfinder Module: We Be Goblins! (Paizo)

My Take
Lots of GREAT stuff here. My vote is the Dragon Age Quickstart Guide. Excellent layout. High quality.

Best Game

Cosmic Patrol Core Rulebook (Catalyst Game Labs)
Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple (Evil Hat Productions)
Hollowpoint (VSCA Publishing)
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game (Margaret Weis Productions)
Savage Worlds Deluxe (Pinnacle Entertainment Group)

My Take
I have Do, Marvel, and Savage Words Deluxe. All are top notch products but I really think the creativity of the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game will get my vote. Fantastic piece of game design by some RPG masterminds that normally work for Evil Hat.

Best Miniatures Product

Dungeons and Dragons Dragon Collector’s Set (Wizards of the Coast)
Monster Medallions Set 1: Deadly Encounter Groups (Fiery Dragon Productions)
Pathfinder Battles: Heroes and Monsters (Paizo)
Serene Fist Set Four: Katana Schoolgirls vs. Zombie Furries (Okumarts Games)
Steam Tower (Mayhem in Paper)

My Take
No experience here.

Best Monster/Adversary

DC Adventures: Heroes & Villains, Vol. 1 (Green Ronin)
Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos (Fantasy Flight Games)
Hacklopedia of Beasts (Kenzer and Co.)
Hunter Sheets Issue Two—An SLA Industries Supplement (Nightfall Games)
Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale (Wizards of the Coast)

My Take
No experience here.

Best Podcast

Haste – The Official Obsidian Portal Podcast
Iron GM
Jennisodes
Law of the Geek
Role Playing Public Radio

My Take
I listen to LOTS of RPG podcasts but on this list I only listen to Jennisodes. I love her interviews so she gets the nod.

Best Production Values

Hacklopedia of Beasts (Kenzer & Co.)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box (Paizo)
Smallville High School Yearbook (Margaret Weis Productions)
The One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild (Cubicle 7)
Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition (CCP Games/White Wolf Publishing)

My Take
No experience here.

Best RPG Related Product

Carnival Arcane (Midnight Syndicate Soundtracks)
Complete Kobold Guide to Game Design (Open Design)
Cthulhu Wrapping Paper (Gaming Paper)
Lords of Waterdeep (Wizards of the Coast)
Tales of the Far West (Adamant Entertainment)

My Take
Lot of fun stuff here. I am partial to Tales Of The Far West. That will get my vote.

Best Rules

Bulldogs! (Galileo Games)
Hollowpoint (VSCA Publishing)
Lorefinder—The Pathfinder / GUMSHOE Mashup (Pelgrane Press)
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game (Margaret Weis Productions)
Spellbound Kingdoms (T. Shield Studios)

My Take
I have experience with Bulldogs! And Marvel. As I mentioned above the game design in Marvel is just fantastic and really a neat take on the superhero genre. They are getting my vote.

Best Setting

Ashen Stars (Pelgrane Press)
Cthulhu Apocalypse: The Apocalypse Machine (Graham Walmsley & Pelgrane Press)
Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland (Cubicle 7)
The Investigator’s Guide to Occult London (Pelgrane Press)
Unhallowed Metropolis, Revised (Atomic Overmind Press)

My Take
I actually have all of these EXCEPT Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland and it is currently on my buy list. (Shadows has won some RPG awards in Europe.) This is probably the toughest category for me. I’m going to give the narrow nod to The Investigator’s Guide To Occult London. The love that went into this book really shows. Evocative stuff.

Best Supplement

Agents of Oblivion (Reality Blurs)
Cthulhu by Gaslight (Chaosium Inc.)
Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Options: Heroes of the Feywild (Wizards of the Coast)
GURPS Horror, Fourth Edition (Steve Jackson Games)
Star Hero (Hero Games)

My Take
I only have experience with Star Hero but it is a wonderful product. My vote will go to Star Hero.

Best Website

D&D Insider
Obsidian Portal
Pathfinder Wiki
See Page XX – The Pelgrane Press Webzine
RPG Geek

My Take
I have experience with all of these EXCEPT the Pathfinder Wiki. Boy I love all of these sites so this one it tough. They also fill different needs which makes is hard to pick a favorite. I guess I will give my vote to RPG Geek. I really think they provide a GREAT service and I am nearing gold contributor status in several departments. 🙂

Best Writing

GURPS Horror, Fourth Edition (Steve Jackson Games)
Panopticon (Posthuman Studios)
Stealing Cthulhu (Graham Walmsley)
The Investigator’s Guide to Occult London (Pelgrane Press)
Your Whispering Homonculous (Open Design)

My Take
I have experience with GURPS, Stealing Cthulhu, and the Investigator’s Guide. I think my vote will go to Stealing Cthulhu. The tone and editorial comments in the book really make this a fun read. Graham did a great job on this one.

Product of the Year

Cthulhu Britannica: Shadows Over Scotland (Cubicle 7)
GURPS Horror, Fourth Edition (Steve Jackson Games)
Hacklopedia of Beasts (Kenzer and Co.)
Hollowpoint (VSCA Publishing)
Madness at Gardmore Abbey (Wizards of the Coast)
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game (Margaret Weis Productions)
Masks: 1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any RPG (Engine Publishing)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box (Paizo)
Star Hero (Hero Games)
Stealing Cthulhu (Graham Walmsley)

My Take
What a truly fantastic list! I have experience with Marvel, Masks, Star Hero, and Stealing Cthulhu. Of the four that I have I’ll give the nod to the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game. This is a wonderful product and highly recommended even if you only plan to read it and never play it. 🙂

GAME ON! 😀