Adventure in the works: "The Angry Birds of Essex"

Yesterday we played the second playtest of a new adventure for Magonomia, “The Angry Birds of Essex” by Jaclyn Lewis.

The wizards have been volun-told to investigate a disturbance in the market town of Coggeshall in Essex. Townfolk are fleeing their homes saying the place is accursed by a faerie queen. It is time to put your hard-won arcane skills to the test. Confront the menace and save the village! Fame awaits you if you prevail, and perhaps a still greater reward -- knowledge!

This is a short, 2-3 hour adventure that will become part of a new, free Quick Start product. The playtests have gone very well: the story is solid and easy to run. There’s more than one way to succeed. Actual statistics of the titular “angry birds” need a little tweaking so they don’t cause a TPK, but that can be done without playing through the whole adventure again.

We don’t have a timeline for release of this adventure yet because the rest of the Quick Start is yet to be written. We’re aiming to get it done by the end of the year. As you can see, we have same great art by Teresa Guido!

Our next playtest event is a different adventure, “A Surfeit in Surrey” on July 31 at 1 pm EDT. Check out Community and Events page for the playtest schedule (updated monthly) or subscribe to our special playtesters’ newsletter.

Shewstone and Magonomia on Storycomic Podcast

We have a new 44-minute interview about Magonomia on the Storycomic Presents podcast! Check out storycomic.com for links to the podcast on your favorite platforms, and/or subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Interview with Andrew Gronosky of Shewstone Publishing about Magonomia’s use of Fate Core.

Magonomia back in print with updated map!

Print orders for Magonomia® the TTRPG of Renaissance wizardry are back online after a week’s pause. Now we have the corrected and updated map of Enchanted England, plus other errata fixes.

The map of Enchanted England, version 1.2. Feel free to download, print, & share for non-commercial use.

If you purchased a print copy of Magonomia before today and you’re disappointed with the map, we offer you a copy of the corrected version for the cost of printing and shipping. This offer is valid for two years from today. Check your DriveThruRPG notifications for a discount code, or email service@shewstone.com.

Happy gaming!

Print sales of Magonomia paused

Print sales of Magonomia® the RPG of Renaissance wizardry are currently paused. We’ve uploaded new digital content files to our print-on-demand partners including corrections to the Map of Enchanted England on p. 284. We’ve ordered proofs, which is publishing jargon for a print copy to make sure the printing came out right. Sales are on pause until the proofs are approved. We expect this will be 2-3 weeks.

Image of Magonomia Core Rules book.

The Magonomia Experience

We’re getting started on a lighter Quick Start for Magonomia that will be an easier entry to the game than the Starter Rules. The first page explains what Magonomia is like, so the reader can decide whether there’s any point in reading further. Here’s the first draft:

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Illustration by Teresa Guido, ©2020 Shewstone Publishing LLC

Learning a new roleplaying game is an investment of your time (and money). It’s fair to ask what the game will be like once you’ve learned it.

Presumably you know the basic premise that everyone plays a wizard in a fantasy version of Renaissance England. Beyond that:

• The magic is based on authentic sixteenth-century folklore. If feels like the magic portrayed in Shakespeare’s plays, rather than modern fantasy movies. Your wizard won’t be throwing fireballs. They’re more likely to fly on a broomstick or to brew a potion that grants superhuman strength.

• Your wizard will start with a repertoire of 11 spells, chosen from a list. Each spell does one specific thing, such as turning your character invisible or detecting curses.

• Teamwork is key. Because everyone plays a wizard, there are five varieties of magic to choose from, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

• The mechanics are based on the Fate™ system, specifically Fate Condensed. This is a skill-based system with improvisational elements.

Magonomia is a good choice for you if:

• You’re captivated by the lore from when Europeans thought magic and faeries were real.

• An all-wizard campaign sounds awesome to you.

• You like to think creatively while using your character’s powers and abilities.

• You like to immerse yourself in the scene your character is experiencing.

Magonomia may not be to your liking if:

• Power gaming is your thing.

• You like realistic adventures better than magic. Magonomia is about wizards.

• You prefer lightweight rules that you don’t have to think about.

• You dislike games where your character’s plan goes sideways.