Metal Myk Meets the CypherCaster

I went and wrote something...

... yeah, yeah, I write things all the time, but usually its more of a "blog'ish" nature.  But this time I've gone all professional!  

Last year I came up with a list of "life goals" that I'd like to achieve at some point.  Call it a bucket list, or a pre-midlife crisis, your call.  One of these goals was to write and publish a role-playing game adventure somewhere, either on my own or in a publication somewhere.  

Looks like I get to scratch that off my list!  

Some of you may remember that I posted an adventure outline called Metal Myk's Mercs back in January.  I called it an "outline" because it wasn't a fully fleshed out adventure.  Actually, I didn't think it was possible for me to write something that someone else could run in one of their games.  Most of the time, when I write an adventure it's just a simple outline that I follow, and I literally fill in all of the white space around the printed page with notes that I think up on the fly.  But a few folks out there, notably the incredibly persuasive +David Wilson Brown, pushed me towards the idea of taking one of those outlines and turning it into something more.  

When the CypherCast Network was on the hunt for content in March's CypherCaster issue, I knew that I had to finally step up to the plate!  

So I tethered myself to my iMac for an entire afternoon, and started adding content to Metal Myk.  Since the adventure was initially inspired by a Channing Tatum sketch on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, everyone in my house took turns yelling "boo yaaaaaaah" at me while I wrote.

To help stir the creative juices, I had access to an incredible map by +Miska Fredman that got tossed into the adventure!  

(PS:  If you don't know Miska, go check out his Patreon page RIGHT NOW and get on board!  He also provided the map for my Gods of the Fall Actual Play!)

By the end of the day the adventure was completed, and Metal Myk's Mercs was much more than an outline... it was four-thousand words of Instant Adventure Formatted craziness.  

I'm so proud that Metal Myk found his home in the CypherCaster Magazine, but don't worry... there's more than just one of my adventures in this month's incredible issue... 

CypherCaster Magazine, Issue #5

There's a heck of a lot of epic Cypher-swag in this month's CypherCaster Magazine!  

• A MCG Product Preview
• An interview with +Bruce R Cordell, +Shanna Germain, and +Dennis Detwiller about the Worlds of the Cypher System.
• A comprehensive list of 3rd party content
• "Putting Cypher Limits into Context" by +Marc Plourde 
• "Metal Myk's Mercs" by... well... you know who.
• "Kiss of Death," an Instant Adventure by +John Marvin (king of the electric eels!)
• "Across the Seas of Zuomeng," a new recursion by +Rustin Coones and +Scott Robinson 
• MCG Fan Relations News and Events and so much awesome!

So make sure you go check out the CypherCaster this month, and let us know your thoughts!  We'd love to see reviews on DriveThruRPG and hear feedback!

CypherCaster Magazine - Cypher Fanatics United!

Cover art by Jeff Brown

There are many reasons to love the Cypher System.  The elegant game mechanics inspire creativity from game masters and players.  The campaign settings, both Numenera and The Strange, offer truly unique universes teaming with opportunities for adventure.  The player characters, constructed using the now famous “adjective noun who verbs” format, come to life within moments after their creation. 

But for all of my discussions about the fictional elements of Cypher System games, it’s the creative people involved that have made me a true believer in this game.  However I’m not just referring to the folks at Monte Cook Games…

… I’m also referring to the incredible Cypher System fan base! 

So imagine my delight when I was invited by CypherCaster Publisher David Wilson Brown to take part in the creation of a new Cypher System fan publication:  CypherCaster Magazine!  It's been a lifelong dream of mine to have a piece of writing published, so scratch that off of my bucket list.   I am so proud to be associated with the accomplished group of writers and authors that you are going to find in CypherCaster Magazine.  

Andrew Cady, Jim Ryan, Chris Fitzgerald, Marc Plourde, and Scott Robinson, just to be included in this cast of awesomeness, is so cool!  

Here's what we have in store for you just in Issue 1:

• Andrew Cady interviews Matt Forbeck and Robert Schwalb, creators of the upcoming Cypher System-driven Shotguns & Sorcery Roleplaying Game.   
• Jim Ryan's short story Shapes in the Salt takes place in the Ninth World of Numenera.  
• Chris Fitzgerald's Numenera adventure, Hunting for Krofwarten gives game-masters a sandbox module set in Milave but, able to be used anywhere in the Ninth World.
• Got a itch for Norse Mythology in your Strange campaign?  Marc Plourde's Estate Files: Norse Recursion Cluster can serve as both an adventure seed as well as detailed player handouts!
• Did I mention Scott Robinson's Holstenwall recursion yet?  A "Recursion of Gothic Fear" Holstenwall gives game-masters an entirely new world for their Estate agents to explore.  And more Holstenwall is coming in July!
• Oh, there's also a little article by James Walls about exploring Cypher Space.  It's kinda cool… 
• All this as well as Monte Cook Games product previews, fan relations news, and upcoming events!

Okay, the shout-outs are going to continue: 

I know that my article probably needed some editing, and that's where Andrew Cady, Jeremy Land, and Brandon Ording came in to clean up my mess (I'm sure the rest of the articles were in good shape!)  

Ryan Chaddock was the Art Director.  The cover art was done by Jeff Brown.  Logos and banner head were created by John Scott.  Additional interior art was provided by Avery Liell-Kok, Ryan Wolfe, and SS Dabiz.  

But I have to take a moment to give a very special thank you to CypherCaster Magazine mastermind and Publisher David Wilson Brown for putting this incredible team together.  Hat's off sir!  What an outstanding job!  

*     *     *

So does all this sound good to you?  Great!  You can pick up Issue 1 of CypherCaster Magazine on DriveThruRPG… just click here!  

If you like what you find please leave us a review, and keep on the lookout for Issue 2, coming out later this summer.