XDM Epic Rules Book on sale NOW!
At long last, XDMs can come out of the shadows of history and claim their rightful place as THE radical role playing game movement … and you can be a part of that history.
Beginning today, the ambitious publishers of Schlock Mercenary in the secret underground warehouse masquerading as Tayler Publishing are taking pre-orders for the impending release of ‘XDM: X-treme Dungeon Mastery.’ This first edition book — completed with carefully crafted typos unavailable in ANY subsequent edition — will actually be signed by Tracy Hickman, Curtis Hickman and Howard Tayler (all Grand Master Leven XDMs) before being shipped to anyone who pre-orders this stunningly crafted piece of work! Just visit the XDM Store to secure your copy today.
This first printing was a limited run … so you’ll want to get yours before we go to Gencon and sell the rest of them!
The revolution has begun!
Themocracy
Oh, I bet some of those typos will still be available in the 2nd printing… They’re tricksy, they are.
Not so, comrade! The XDM book is perfect! It has ALWAYS been perfect! And it will be even MORE perfect in subsequent printings! And the XDM that finds ALL of the ways the next printing will be even MORE perfect gains two levels.
Hi guys,
In order to Bring the Xtreme(TM? – if not, it should be!) to those of us for whom international postage will almost double the price of the book, will this be available through international retail channels, or as a PDF?
Regards,
Shane
Is there a way to buy a PDF copy?
- Mark Gedak
Grand OGL Wiki/DM Sketchpad.
For the moment we aren’t offering a PDF copy of the book. We may see one in the future- but that’s uncertain. We would like to keep the secrets in the book out of the hands of free loaders and in the hands of those really willing to walk and learn the XDM path.
The good news is that we are working on making the book more readily available for everyone that wants to join the ranks but for those who want the book as soon as it comes out you have your option.
My apologizes to the international folks… if you do, however, get the book take an extra level for your devotion.
So the only way someone can get a PDF is through piracy? Need to be more forward thinking here guys, you’re competing with pirates and by not offering PDFs you’re letting them own that market.
Curtis, with all due respect, and acknowledging that you have the right to sell your book whatever way you want, the reason you give is hogwash. Don’t equate some level of gaming elitism with a business decision (I’m assuming) to not enter the PDF market. Also, don’t assume that not offering a PDF copy saves you from internet piracy. If anything, the kind of language used in your post makes it sound like a challenge, one that the internet is certainly not lacking in people that will gladly answer it back.
I would actually rather hear the real reason why XDM is not being offered as a digital download and enter into a conversation, along with various other gaming publishers, about the concerns you may have, the current realities of e-distribution in hobby gaming, and what could be done to allow your book to reach even more gamers than by conventional print/distribution methods alone. That would be a more rewarding resolution to this issue.
Am I understanding you right that someone interested in purchasing material in a non-print fashion is a freeloader or not serious about the content they want to purchase?
If electronic media is not an appropriate way to convey this information, why would you set up a blog to convey information about the product instead of going with a print ad?
Woah there, hoss. That’s not what he said, so let’s keep the men of straw out in the fields where they belong. Sure there’s plenty of people that would want to buy a PDF legitimately, but even the most avid of e-content advocates can’t deny that it’s easier to share a PDF over the internet than it is to scan a physical book.
Instead of bringing up accusations and overreactions, how about bringing up the benefits of electronic distribution, the security related to it, and companies that have used it successfully?
You need to remember that this is (I’m pretty sure) the first book Tracy has published on his own, and if he takes risks with it and the project falls through because of it, he has to eat all the losses himself.
First off, I’m glad to see there is so much interest in the book that such a great fight is being put up for the PDF release.
As far as the reasons why the book isn’t being put out as a PDF being “hogwash”… you bet it is! Almost all XDM zealotry is. And thats how it should be. XDM is about making gaming fun again via a book that gives an absurd history as to its beginnings and “do it yourself initiation rituals” (not to mention the theory, illusion, and systems). Here in this forum XDM “elitism” is all part of the game.
We are not so naive as to believe that not making a PDF will stop piracy… nor are we so naive we think that publishing a PDF will prevent piracy… there are people out there that just like to steal stuff. Nevertheless, we hear your requests for a PDF loud and clear and I will personally bring this up at our next meeting with the publisher.
Thank you. There are many customers who do not have brick and mortar store to patronize and others who make shipping of a hardcopy prohibitive.
As the 496th level XDM (a Grand Paladin-lord Horned Dragon) of the group, allow me to make a few observations.
(1) XDMs do not invite, condone or incite piracy. True XDMs recognize that while ‘everything is better with pirates’(*) actual piracy is the enemy of all XDMs. To quote from the XDM book itself, “If you didn’t buy this book and are reading this in a store or off some photocopied version found on a torrent or other P2P network, you are undoubtedly going to the ‘special hell.’” A rather impressive curse then follows it.
(2) We want to sell you the book, we’re willing to sell you the book, we’re WAITING to sell you the book. Go to the store and we’ll do everything we can to get the book in your hands. Is it more expensive that way? Yep. But you’re also getting it ahead of everyone else so you have that going for you. HOWEVER we know also that…
(3) You want to have the book but you don’t want to pay one additional dime (or kroner, or euro, or ruble, or kopeck, or yen, or whatever) for it than you absolutely must. International shipping (or across town for that matter) just adds to how much MORE you have to pay for the book than the guy who actually knows me, can come over to my house, slip me the price of the book and walk away with it. Besides, if you buy a book from AMAZON you can probably find a way to get it shipped to you for free. (And, yes, we’re working on getting Amazon to carry the book.)
(3.5) I would also like to point out that just because I think that Lamborghini automobiles are way more expensive than I think they should be does not justify my stealing one. (Have you seen the international shipping charges on a Lamborghini?) No one is ever ‘forced’ into piracy or theft: they do not have a gun pointed at their head … they only require a self-serving justification. I pay for the roof over my wife’s head with the words printed on these pages. I pay for the food of my children with those same words. Anyone who steals those words are also stealing from them and that rather gets my ire up.
(4) We live in a more and more instant society. We want everything NOW. So why not just put the thing up as a PDF, charge you for it and let you actually bear the cost of printing the thing out yourself if you want? BECAUSE…
(5) (And this is the important part) That’s not what we made. That’s not what we’re selling. It MIGHT be in the future and we’ll let you know when XDM is available for download. But for NOW the book is gorgeous and what we REALLY need to do is find a way to get this book to you (and out of our garage). SO … (and here comes the point!)…
WE ARE WORKING ON MANY DIFFERENT DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS FOR THE BOOK — ULTIMATELY WE BELIEVE INCLUDING PDF. We are talking with several distribution companies about carrying this book to your local brick and mortal store. IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES and you know the contact information for your game distributor, please forward it to us here. We will contact them and see about arranging to have XDM books distributed LOCALLY around the globe so that you can save yourself the international shipping expense.
(*) Quoted from the epic motion picture ‘The Gamers II: Dorkness Rising’ by Dead Gentlemen Productions. It refers to all games being better if it includes pirates. A true axiom.