Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year filled with awesome games and even more awesome people. Stay safe and see you all in 2022!
 

Goodbye 2021. That was not easy.

 No, 2021 was not a fun year for TAG Sessions. 

It was rough. It was triggering. It was very frustrating and very disheartening. But in the end, we survived it and that is what matters.  We reached new gamers and inspired many others, and that's what makes the effort worth it.

Too many times this year I nearly just threw away the brand and thought to just delete the stuff I've been working on.  But thankfully, Rocky was always there to remind me of why I love creating games.  And many friends were also there to help cheer me on, despite the fact too many instances hit me hard with anxiety attacks, panic moments, and just wanting to stop.

This was a year that I really am thankful to have survived.  A year I literally can be happy to still be here.

My annual 12 New Games Per Year Challenge was completed only because of the TAG Bites move of offering one-shots on Saturday mornings.  But we also did slowly consider expanding them to short-multi session arcs rather than just be limited to one shots.

1) Night's Black Agents: Dracula Dossier

2) Fairview
3) The Warren
4) Call of Cthulhu: Raid on Innsmouth
5) Praxis: The Witch
6) Praxis: Black Monk, Book 5
7) Cats of Cathulhu
8) Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined
9) Thirsty Sword Lesbians
10) Brindlewood Bay
11) The Expanse

12) Mage 20th Anniversary
13) Call of Cthulhu: Fragments of the King

Summaries for these sessions can be found in the TAG Sessions Facebook Group.  Know, though, that membership still requires answering the given questions just for making sure it stays a safe space for those who join.


Was able to share knowledge this year.

There was the Buwan ng Wika celebration where I gave a talk for a senior High School event focused on celebrating identity and language.  The ttheme was Pagkakakilanlan ng Pilipino: Muling Pagkabuhay ng Mga Puso at Isip. 

There was the UPLB Mathematical Sciences Society (UPLB MASS) where I was one of the webinar speakers for their 33rd Mathematical Sciences Week called unMASSk: A Webinar on Basic Game Development and Implementation.

There was the Astro Game Jam for CIIT (College of Arts and Technology) where some groups presented their game concepts for the theme, "Cosmos".  I really enjoyed seeing the gems that they presented there.

Guested in a friend's show, which was nice.  The Panel Show with Josie Nicolas. Always nice to connect with people who appreciated my work.

There were a few other possible engagements, but out of fear of too much publicity, I opted not to participate instead.  I've gotten used to staying in a quieter area I guess.  Sometimes I even wonder if I should just stop using other socmed and just focus on my circle. Hay. Anyway.

Didn't get to be productive as much as I hoped this year. But thankfully, still released some stuff:


Released A Second Moment. Originally was meant to have a Kickstarter. Had a host of guest local writers and was supposed to have a roster of international writers and artwork.
Yeah. That's not what happened but still proud of it.

Had some 7th Sea novel+mechanics out.


Nine was my attempt to do a spy thing in the 7th Sea universe.

Eight is kinda like my take on a "Dial H for Hero" concept for 7th Sea.

Launched MODELS around March and it had such a tiny reception I was just happy to sell a few handfuls of copies, despite it being 230+ pages of mechanics, ideas, and story hooks.   

Had multiple false starts for various books including Diliman, Dreamscrapers, and even a rewrite attempt to make the most of the Once Upon a Time in Jianghu material I was working on in the previous years.  But yeah, barely found the heart to keep at it given the way things had gone in the previous years.   I still hope to finish them someday. Some how.

Finally there's these two babies.


Jovian Moon Deep was my attempt to write up an outerspace mystery for Call of Cthulhu the likes of Solaris and Europa Report.

ROUND6 was born after watching Squid Game but drew inspiration from stuff like Battle Royale and even The Gods Will It.

And one fiction book as I released
Book 3 of Sid's Real Life, my rom-com take on the Exalted universe.

And that is it.
Depressing when you compare it to what I had accomplished in the previous years. 
But at least I am still writing.
I am still alive.

See you next year.

Nights Black Agents - Our Group's Fan Video

Just made a fan video to celebrate our ongoing Night's Black Agents - The Dracula Dossier campaign
Will continue the stories in 2022. Hope you like it!

The Great Pendragon Campaign - Our Group's Fan Video

Just made a fan video to celebrate our ongoing The Great Pendragon Campaign.
Will continue the stories in 2022.

New Miskatonic titles this November!

Happy that ROUND6 was in the list. 
It's not much, but I am proud of it.
90 pages of goodness.

https://www.chaosium.com/blogmiskatonic-monday-43-new-november-titles/

ROUND6

Available now: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/377516/ROUND6

Everyone desperately needs the money.

Times are hard. And life is unfair. But each of you had been invited to take part in a game unlike any other. Known as the ROUND6, all thirty contestants are to play through five different games in hopes of being the winner of over 6 million dollars. But when the reward is this high and the stakes are deadly, who will emerge as the winner at the end of the sixth round.

Inspired by Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale, Takashi Miike’s As The Gods Will, César Charlone; Daina Giannecchini; Dani Libardi; Jotagá Crema; Philippe Barcinski’s 3%, Haro Aso’s Alice in Borderland, Kazutaka Kodaka’s Danganronpa, and Hwang Dong-hyuk’s The Squid Game. 

• With 9 different games, all inspired by Filipino children's games, to play and survive in
  Patintero
  Sawsaw suka
  Langit Lupa
  Ten-Twenty
  Tumbang Preso
  And more
  
  
• 21 different quick character concepts you can play
• Rules for Cinematic, No Keeper, and Survival Horror game styles
• Generous guides on how to keep the tension high and recommendations on running the game.
• Handouts
• Maps

2021: 12 New Games this Year

Completed this year's goal of 12 New Games Each Year.  Might even add one more before the year ends.  But quite proud that I was able to still hit it despite things.

This year's list includes:

1) Night's Black Agents: Dracula Dossier

2) Fairview
3) The Warren
4) Call of Cthulhu: Raid on Innsmouth
5) Praxis: The Witch
6) Praxis: Black Monk, Book 5
7) Cats of Cathulhu
8) Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined
9) Thirsty Sword Lesbians
10) Brindlewood Bay
11) The Expanse

12) Mage 20th Anniversary
13) Call of Cthulhu: Fragments of the King

This officially is my eighth year of doing this, which means I've played 113 different game systems in the last eight years.  I'm proud of this personal victory and I will continue to push myself to explore new things.  I sincerely believe it has hugely made me the better GM I am today.

For those curious to the sessions those games had, I actually post session summaries in the TAG Sessions Facebook group.  I also offer lots of opportunities for one-shot sessions and the like.  Feel free to reach out and join the group.  

Thanks again for spending some time to read this!
Play safely!

Almost forgot this came out: Free/Will

Almost forgot that I was part of the 2016 Golden Cobra anthology. It wasn't one of my best, but it definitely was a LARP that I liked coming up with.  Just sad that not that many ever tried playing it.

Summary:
We don’t know it, but ghostly parasites haunt and influence our actions. Despite all our beliefs of having free will, we are but slaves to the ghostly parasites that dominate our lives and dictate our actions. Each day, we muster enough mental strength to take control for a limited number of times. Making the most of that real choice is part of the game


Grab it here:
 http://www.goldencobra.org/pdf/golden_cobra_anthology_2016.pdf

The Lost Symbol : The Fall of Man

 
Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol is now streaming at https://www.peacocktv.com/

Based on the novel of the same name, The Lost Symbol, the story is set many years before the events of The Da Vinci Code, revolves around a young Robert Langdon, who is hired by the CIA to solve a number of deadly puzzles when his mentor goes missing.

(Information from the wikipedia page)

I'm quite a sucker for these kind of thrillers to the point I took my own stab at writing a multi-part adventure in the same feel of secret conspiracies hidden in artwork and world-spanning secrets.  For those looking to run a similar game, I wrote The Fall of Man for 7th Sea, Second edition.


Free teaser:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/291961/The-Fall-of-Man--Free-Teaser



The Fall of Man, Book One
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/289285/The-Fall-of-Man--Book-One


The Fall of Man, Book Two
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/293662/The-Fall-Of-Man--Book-Two


The Fall of Man, Book Three
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/301017/The-Fall-Of-Man--Book-Three



The Fall of Man, Book Four
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/310779/The-Fall-of-Man--Book-Fou

Hope you all like it!

OMG didn't expect this! Thank you!!!

 

Didn't expect this.
Thank you so much.

Now Available:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/372248/Jovian-Moon-Deep

This Halloween, try these free games!

 Here's a bunch of free games to try this Halloween!


That Night Out : Grab this free game today 
A GM-less Survival Horror game using cards.  A game the likes of Cabin in the Woods and Nightmare on Elm Street.



Sunlight: Pay What You Want edition :  Grab this free game today
Designed for play-via-webcam, this game has one player trying to communicate and save a number of others who are trapped in space.  Science fiction drama awaits!

Speak to me. The Voices Are Too Loud.  Grab this free game today!
Also designed for distant play.  Inspired by the prison scene from V for Vendetta, a pair of players are prisoners, but one might not be all that they seem to be.

Finally, coming very soon via the Miskatonic Repository (not for free though)...

ROUND6 : Miskatonic Repository

Everyone desperately needs the money.

Times are hard.  And life is unfair.  But each of you had been invited to take part in a game unlike any other.  Known as the ROUND6, all thirty contestants are to play through five different games in hopes of being the winner of over 6 Million Dollars.  But when the reward is this high and the stakes are deadly, who will emerge as the winner at the end of the sixth round.

Inspired by Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale, Takashi Miike’s As The Gods Will, César Charlone; Daina Giannecchini; Dani Libardi; Jotagá Crema; Philippe Barcinski’s 3%, Haro Aso’s Alice in Borderland, Kazutaka Kodaka’s Danganronpa, and Hwang Dong-hyuk’s The Squid Game.

Coming Soon.


Happy Halloween!

Coming Soon: ROUND6

 

Coming soon.

Jovian Moon Deep : Miskatonic Repository

 

Only Horrors Lie Ahead

There is an ocean of ice beneath Europa.

The Lighthouse Nautical Company seeks to plumb the depths of this uncharted ocean. The Investigators are UN scientists sent to LNC Far Horizon, a research station in geostationary orbit above Europa’s largest ocean. The Investigators are to explore the frozen ocean, chart their findings, and report back to the UN. But many secrets hide in the frigid waters and out there, in the silence of outer space, madness awaits the unprepared.

Jovian Moon Deep is a game of exploration, madness, and survival as Investigators seek to uncover the secrets locked within Europa’s depths.
-----------------
Pre-generated Investigators included

Now Available:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/372248/Jovian-Moon-Deep

Tremendously happy to share some words!

 

Was invited to be part of a Buwan ng Wika celebration this year! Tremendously happy to be able to share my thoughts on the importance of learning more about oneself and one's Filipino identity.  And the tremendous privilege one gets to be given opportunities to speak to others and share knowledge.

Thank you for having me.  And I do hope all the attendees use the gift link and enjoy the free game!
Thank you to Maita for inviting me and my fellow speakers.

Mabuhay tayong lahat!

Sid's Real Life - Book 3

Continuing the romantic comedy hijinks of Hoyd'nis Sid and Cathak R'sel, the two are at Arjuf Dominion and find themselves the center of attentions of three of the Realm's Dominies.  Will they or won't they end up together?

And will the Lunar Hunter Sisa understand what is really going on?

Now available:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/362050/Sids-Real-Life--Book-3

While waiting, why not get started with Books 1 and 2?

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/262609/Sids-Real-Life--Book-1


https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/277474/Sids-Real-Life--Book-2

Guest at PANEL SHOW!

Was a guest for PANEL SHOW, a live stream where in people talk about the highs and lows of creation, and sometimes creating komiks. Thank you for having me, Josie Nicolas.

---------------------

PANEL SHOW | Tobie Abad | 005

Our panelists: Tobie Abad

Tobie Abad is the designer behind TAG Sessions, an indie publishing house for tabletop rpgs, as well as the Creative Director and senior game designer for Taktyl Studios. He and his life-partner, Rocky, host BADUY PRIDE which has episodes nearly nightly on Youtube and FB covering everything and anything they could think of or people have recommended.

Socmed links!

https://www.facebook.com/TobieAbadGaming

https://www.baduypride.com

https://www.youtube.com/c/RockySunico

Topics: Musicals, RPGS, Geocities, Board games, Diliman, Pre komikon komiks, Siglo: Passion

Follow our Publishing facebook page https://web.facebook.com/AnotherGreenWorlder

Consider subscribing to our patreon

https://www.patreon.com/anothergreenworld

Panel show is a live stream where in people talk about the highs and lows of creation, and sometimes creating komiks.

A Second Moment is now a Best Copper Seller

Thank you so much for enjoying the game!

I do hope you all enjoy making new moments with your friends.

A Second Moment is now available

We have come a very long way to get this book out. With over 150 pages of content, including:

• "Director's cut" styled write ups on what was going through Tobie's mind when he designed portions of the game.
• Rules on how to approach the game as a solitaire rpg, or as a group rpg system.
• New playsets created by a host of Filipino creators including:
• Card Flippers by Mon Macutay
  Both of you have prepared for this day with blood, sweat and tears. It is the World Championships for the most popular Trading Card Game (TCG) on the planet. From thousands of aspirants, it has come down the two of you. You both have different and distinct play styles and have risen through the ranks. After the dust has settled, only ONE will be World Champion! And it all comes down to this Single Moment... 
  
  
• The Final Ball by Rocky Sunico 
  The crowd roars as the music picks up. The emcee shouts over the din to announce “The category is…” Welcome to the 1980’s New York ball scene as immortalized in the documentary Paris is Burning or celebrated in the recent television series Pose. Players represent rival houses, these being alternative families for Black and Latino gay, gender nonconforming and transgender youth who regularly meet at balls to compete in different categories. After all the drama that has happened outside the ball itself, it’s time to settle things once and for all.
  
  
• Lovecraftian by Lanz Frago-Crisostomo
  We are but specks of dust passing by, toiling every day in hopes to leave a mark in this universe, hoping to leave evidence that we once existed, once we’ve passed. The elder evils are awake, and all is lost--all we’re doing is pushing back the inevitable, just for one more day

Grab a copy of the game today!
Discounted price for the next 44 days (since its launch) as part of celebrating Tobie's 44th birthday.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/352002/A-Second-Moment

Worlds Unending reviews: A SINGLE MOMENT

 Thankful for this kind and generous review of A SINGLE MOMENT.

Read it here:
https://www.worldsunending.com/blog/a-single-moment

Coming this April: A SECOND MOMENT

 

A Second Moment offers a glimpse into the creative direction behind the creation of the game, A Single Moment. This book contains a lot of the published content from the main book and the other expansions, but also contains all-new material by Filipino creators which was written for this compilation.

A Single Moment started as a love letter to the samurai genre and the intensity of the duels shown in popular media. But the game system has proven to be effective in celebrating the drama that is born when two powerful opposing forces meet head on.

This book is a thank you to everyone who enjoyed the game when it was released.  Hope you enjoy discovering your own single moment experiences! 

This book contains:
a) Behind the scenes content on A Single Moment
b) 20 Classic Playsets (from the main book, Ten More Playsets, and the Five More Playsets book)
c) 11 new Playsets (from Totally Epic Gaming Resource)
d) 8 new playsets including
- The Final Ball
- Lovecraftian
- Man versus Monster
e) Solitaire rules
f) Group play rules


Coming this April, 2021.

MODELS excerpt: Style

STYLE         
A MATTER OF STYLE

MODELS use an in-game currency called, Style Points.  Players earn Style Points for their M.O.D.E.L.S. by acting in ways that celebrate their two natures: their super model and their super spy sides.   All M.O.D.E.L.S. have Style points which can be used to activate different awesome things in the game. 

Style Points are an in-game currency which the player earns in the following ways:

       Be Super Extra

By choosing to indulge in fun distractions, such as going out for a night of dancing or having a mocha Frappuccino with the guys, the player earns one to three Style Points for their respective M.O.D.E.L.S.  If the action stresses on your needs as a super model, or delays or distracts you from your Mission, then it is an action where you are being super extra. You can only Be Super Extra once per scene.

Alternately, instead of Style Points, you can also use this moment to describe how it “fixes” or “heals” an appropriate Injury.

The GM has the final say on what reward you can avail when you Be Super Extra.

       Being Stylish

Stress the rarity, cost, or beauty of your current outfit during a scene. Highlight why the outfit is notable, whether it is because it was by a name in the industry, or because it is one of a kind. Stress how your outfit bounces the spotlights as you come into view. Or how the world seemingly moves in slow motion as you turn to throw the security guards a smile. Celebrate your style and you are rewarded a Style Point in return. Being Stylish is highly recommended, and if the GM does not reward you with a Style Point, another player might.

       Accepting Failure

Rather than rolling to see if you succeed in a Risky Action, you can earn two Style Points by declaring how – despite your proficiency and reputation – things go awry, and you fail in an action. This is perfect for mid-game scenes where the enemy seemingly gets the upper hand before the heroes, at the end, save the day. You do not suffer Injuries when you choose to Accept Failure.  However, it would be only fair to roleplay how the failure affects your agent appropriately.

       Getting Hurt

Pain is a powerful motivator. Whenever your character gets hurt from forces outside of their control, such as from the hands of a nonPC, or from the environment, or events, the player instantly earns a Style Point.  

 

COLLECTING STYLE POINTS

All M.O.D.E.L.S. can store a number of Style Points equal to their X Factor plus 2. Any Excess Style Points are lost at the end of a game session. 

 

CELEBRATING STYLE

Given this is a game about super styling fashionable spies, players are encouraged to come up with ways their M.O.D.E.L.S. act fabulous and amazing.  

Once per game session, each player can award one other player a free Style Point (taken from the supply, and not from their own M.O.D.E.L.S. Style Points). This is a good way to reinforce fun role-playing, or to award the player for coming up with something pretty cool for the story.

It is completely up to the awarding player to decide why the other player deserves the free Style Point.  Award away and have fun! 

==============

MODELS
Handling missions all around the globe, the M.O.D.E.L.S. will engage in various espionage missions that combine the thrilling tradecraft drama of spy stories with irreverent humor and stylish over-the-top action.

Available now on Drivethrurpg:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/349402/MODELS