Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal - part II

Originally Posted by bconsidine

Art guidelines? Are Jeff Dee's Bethorm illustrations not up to snuff? Are the Tekumel Club figures out of spec? Is my old ahoggya figure painted the wrong shade of brown? Oy.

Blaise

This exactly. You beat me to it.
+1

Shemek.

I'm going to break this into two replies as well, if you don;t mind...

Originally Posted by Big Andy

Great pic! Too many drawings don't do the Ssu justice, IMHO. Instead of the terrifying image of a multi-limbed alien/cthulhu-esqu being covered in tattered, dead flesh mummy wrappings, too often the look like they are covered in melting wax or butter. And there is a great deal of nice art floating around for Tekumel, wish it could get rounded up in one place. I know, I know, its not Official Art, engraved on Stone Tablets by Prof Barker's Diadochi.

For that matter, I wish I could put how I see them on paper but I draw fat stickmen.

Agreed! One of the really cool things about the Tekumel track of programming at our local game con is the literal wall of artwork put up by Steve Vossler; he's done a great job of promoting Tekumel through this and other displays he's done.

If I may toot our own horn, all know Tekumel artwork is indeed gathered in one place - my files. My wonderful Missus routinely scours the Internet to find things, and updates out archives weekly.

Originally Posted by Big Andy

Did you ever drop any of your m class spells Underground? I figure some of them would turn a hallway filled with foes into lasagna.

No, not underground - way too powerful! I did use one of them once inside a building, but the idea was to collapse the place with my foes inside it. Worked like a charm, and I made sure that the last Tsolyani Imperial Governor went off to the Isles of Teretane with a lot of enemies to serve him in the afterlife. Me, I made sure to have an archway over my head, and all I got was some dings on the top of my helmet from falling debris. If I may say, it was one of the most satisfying spells I ever cast.

The 'M' series are major military spells, and very potent; they do drain all of the Other-planar power in an area, too, so when I do my thing it's pretty spectacular. Magic users specialize in retail slaughter; I specialize in wholesale slaughter.

Originally Posted by Neshm hiKumala

Agreed. Although the artist admits himself that he's not quite sure of his handling of the Ssu shape, it's an excellent first take. Wish there was more like it out there.
The Foundation is supposed to be working on art guidelines. We'll see how helpful they are, whenever they appear.

The art is just fine. He used the old Craig Smith drawing as a source, and he did a good job.

They've been talking about it for five years. Don't hold your breath.

Originally Posted by bconsidine

Art guidelines? Are Jeff Dee's Bethorm illustrations not up to snuff? Are the Tekumel Club figures out of spec? Is my old ahoggya figure painted the wrong shade of brown? Oy.

Blaise

No; it is not approved for use with Official and Authorized Tekumel. Only the TF has the right to authorize and approve material for use with Tekumel; artists like Craig Smith, Dave Sutherland, Kathy Marshall, Chris Huddle, Ken Fletcher, Karen Engleson, Jim Garrison and others have not had their work approved by the TF. Information on Tekumel by one M. A. R. Barker is also not approved, unless it has been - and I quote - "properly interpreted" for you by the TF.

They baffle me, they really do. I've had half-a-dozen people and groups who want to do business with them in here at the house asking me where their heads are at, and I have to confess that I really don't know.

Originally Posted by Shemek hiTankolel

This exactly. You beat me to it.
+1

Shemek.

Yeah. I feel really sorry for Phil and his creation.

Chirine,

I'm intrigued, what are these M spells all about? Are they unique to Phil's games, or were they published somewhere? Would it be possible to provide a listing of these spells, perhaps the one's your alter ego knows?

Shemek

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Yeah. I feel really sorry for Phil and his creation.

Me too. I just don't get it. It's beyond the pale AFAIC.

Originally Posted by Shemek hiTankolel

Chirine,

I'm intrigued, what are these M spells all about? Are they unique to Phil's games, or were they published somewhere? Would it be possible to provide a listing of these spells, perhaps the one's your alter ego knows?

Shemek

They were published in John Tiehen's "Art of Tactical Sorcery", which he did in cooperation with Phil. We used this in Phil's games, which is where I got them.

I'm told that this little booklet is the rarest of all our publications. I have multiple copies, if you wanted to get one.

I can also do a list of them, if you like, but I'm off to IKEA to rescue my daughters - too big a load of furniture for their car! Back later!