Out Now: Happy Birthday, Little Fears (Finally) in PDF!

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Jason L Blair

If you ordered a digital copy from me, you should have received a code from DriveThruRPG about ten hours ago because Happy Birthday, Little Fears is now available in PDF!

For those waiting on the print copy, I will submit the print files next week which should get copies in my hands about two weeks after that. I’ll ship out orders as soon as I can. If you ordered another book along with Happy Birthday, Little Fears, you’ll get your entire order at that time.

I really appreciate your patience and I hope you enjoy Happy Birthday, Little Fears. If you ordered a PDF from me and did not receive your code already, please email me at jason@littlefears.com and I’ll sort it out.

If you’re on the fence about Happy Birthday, Little Fears, you can check out an excerpt on the DriveThruRPG site, the PDF preview I posted earlier this month, or this new PDF preview I uploaded just now!

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Fill Up the Balloons and Light the Candles

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Jason L Blair

I only have some final polishing to do and Happy Birthday, Little Fears is ready to launch. Should be out Thursday (fingers crossed).

Thank you all for the patience and good thoughts. It’s almost here!

(And for those of you who were afraid you were late for the party, you can still order the book for the pre-order price here.)

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Happy Birthday?

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Jason L Blair

As some of you may know, I recently re-entered the world of the working and I’ve been having a great time doing so. The downside is that the gig is taking up a lot of my time. So much so that I need to push back two weeks. It’s a big push, yes, but I am confident I can squeeze the time out of my schedule which is more than I can say if I only push it back another week.

All you’re doing is editing, Blair, how much time do you need?
Well, that’s mostly true but I’m trying to do more. I’m trying to provide a snapshot of the game, its history, etc. As well as creating a proper tenth anniversary edition.

So when will it be done?
I’m almost done with the text but I do need some more time with that. I also want more art in the book. The artist on the book has been fantastic and is cranking out great pieces. I came to him late and as I see more and more holes that should be filled graphically, I want more pictures from him. Part of this time is to get more work out of the guy. The big part of it is just not having as much time as I used to.

My sincerest and deepest apologies for a second delay. It will be the last. As a peace offering, please check out this PDF preview of Chapter One: To Be Young Again.

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Happy Birthday, Little Fears!

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Jason L Blair

First, The Good News!
Ten years ago today, I released the original Little Fears at the 2001 Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio. That game changed my life and was the first brick in the path that would become my career. I cannot overstate the impact that game about kids fighting monsters had and the number of doors it opened for me.

I owe a lot to all the people who have supported me through the years: The fans, the friends, the stores, and family members who have stood by me as I reached for a seemingly-impossible dream. Thank you all very much, from the bottom of my heart.

And thank you, Little Fears. I couldn’t have asked for a better first game than you.

Now, The Bad News…
Unfortunately, the tenth anniversary edition of Little Fears, which I planned to release in PDF today, isn’t *quite* ready yet. I’m afraid I need to push the release back a week. Happy Birthday, Little Fears will see release in PDF on July 13th. I am leaving the pre-order pricing up until that time. Not a fix for the delay but it’s what I can do.

My sincerest apologies, but the extra time gives me a chance to polish the book a bit more and make it much better in the end. Thank you for your understanding and, to help smooth things over, please have some cake.

Posted in hblf, news, Previews | Tagged , | 20 Comments

HBLF Pre-Order – One Week Left!

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Jason L Blair

The tenth anniversary of Little Fears is July 5th and I’ll be launching the PDF of Happy Birthday, Little Fears on that day (with print soon to follow). You can grab your copy after they come in for full price, sure, but you still have a week left to pre-order the PDF, print, or print + PDF combo pack and save some cash!

To entice those of you on the fence, I’ve attached a section of the new cover, by LFNE illustrator Grumbleputty.

For details on the pre-order (including links to get yours), see this post right here.

Posted in hblf, Previews | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Now in Stock: Among the Missing

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Jason L Blair

Visual proof courtesy of my camera phone and my poor picture-taking skills:

The books are in! I just need to check them, sign them, and stuff them into envelopes and boxes. MOST* pre-orders should go out this week (and standard orders as well). I’ve already had a lot of interest from retailers but if your local shop isn’t one of them, let me know! I love selling directly to you folks but I’m a big supporter of the brick-and-mortar shops as well.

*The downside to this news is that the United States Postal Service has halted all shipments to Canada due to the current labor dispute. So for my northern neighbors, I’ll see what I can do to get your books to you as soon as I can. I’m going to process all the other orders and then dig into my options there.

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Book 2: Proof of Life

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Jason L Blair

The proof for Book 2: Among the Missing arrived! Here’s out-of-focus, poorly-lit camera phone evidence:

I’m going to look over the proof, see if anything needs corrected, and either approve it or make corrections tonight. If everything looks good, I’ll approve it online and set the printers to printing. Corrections may delay things a day or two but, worst case, I should have books next week which means I’ll be sending out copies very soon.

Posted in lfne, Previews | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Happy Birthday versus Nightmare Edition

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Jason L Blair

Seems there’s some confusion about what Little Fears Nightmare Edition is and what Happy Birthday, Little Fears is and what’s compatible with what and isn’t Nightmare Edition just the original game, anyway?

Let me try to clear things up.

Little Fears
Little Fears is the original version of the game, released in 2001. It used a very simple system and had a very dark world. The world of Closetland is ruled by the Demagogue and his Kings. There were a few online supplements released but no physical products beyond the core rulebook. It went out of print in 2003/2004 but shows up on the secondary market, usually at a premium. It was never released in PDF (though PDFs certainly exist, they are not official).

Little Fears Nightmare Edition
Little Fears Nightmare Edition is the latest version of the game, released in 2009. It uses its own system—entirely separate from the original game—and is much more fantastic in its horror than the original game. There are no Kings of Closetland and no Demagogue. Closetland still exists though. It was released in print and PDF. So far, one physical product (Book 2: Among the Missing, also available in PDF) and three electronic products (the Campfire Tales episodes) have been released for it.

Happy Birthday, Little Fears
Happy Birthday, Little Fears is the tenth anniversary edition of the original game. It’s the same text as the 2001 release (though edited and updated a bit) and includes some commentary by me, some rules clarifications/additions, and all the supplemental material released by me is included. It uses all-new art but is otherwise similar to the 2001 release. It is slated for release in PDF on July 5th and in print sometime in August. You can pre-order it at a discounted price until June 29th. You can read about the pre-order here.

I hope that clears things up. If you have any other questions, drop them in the comments or email me at jason@littlefears.com.

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Happy Birthday, Little Fears Pre-Order Begins!

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Jason L Blair

My, how time flies.

That game about kids fighting werewolves turns 10 years old next month. To commemorate the event, I am releasing a new version of the classic game called Happy Birthday, Little Fears. This new edition will contain all the original rules and setting information as the original plus alternate rules and commentary by yours truly and all-new artwork from LFNE and Book 2 contributing illustrator Grumbleputty.

Here are the current specs for the book:

Title: Happy Birthday, Little Fears: the 10th anniversary of the original game of childhood terror
Size: 6×9, 192pp
Binding: Paperback
Stock Code: FSZ101
MSRP: $25 (US)
Back cover text:

Remember when you were young and you were afraid of all those things that went bump in the night?

Ever wonder where they went?

Well, wonder no more because the old monsters are back!

Featuring the classic rules and setting of the original game, this tenth anniversary edition includes alternate mechanics, author commentary, all-new artwork, and the original online-only supplements—in print for the first time ever!

This book is a standalone game is not compatible with Little Fears Nightmare Edition or its supplements.

The PDF version will launch on July 5th—exactly ten years after the original’s debut at Origins 2001—with the print version shipping shortly after.

Pre-Order Details
Get in early and save some cash! Pre-order pricing will run until June 29th. Afterwards, you will be able to get the PDF via DriveThruRPG and RPGNow and the print from me as soon as they come in.

The Pre-Order is over but you can still grab the print, pdf, or print/pdf combo.

Order the Print Book + the PDF!
Order the print book plus the PDF for just $30 (+ s/h). Save $7 off the retail price!

Email for PDF code delivery:

Order the Print Book!
Order the print book for just $25 (+ s/h).

Buy the PDF!
If you would like just a copy of the PDF, you can buy it directly (and immediately!) from the fine folks at DriveThruRPG.

To Those Who Pre-Ordered Book 2: Among the Missing!
If you pre-ordered a physical copy of Book 2: Among the Missing (either alone or bundled with the PDF) and you would like to consolidate shipping with a physical copy of Happy Birthday, Little Fears, please email me at jason@littlefears.com for details. Consolidated orders will be delayed until hardcopies of Happy Birthday, Little Fears are in stock.

Posted in hblf, news | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

Out Now: Book 2 in PDF!

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Jason L Blair

LITTLE FEARS NIGHTMARE EDITION BOOK 2: AMONG THE MISSING IS OUT NOW IN PDF

You were a normal kid once with a normal life and a normal family. Then things changed. There was a moment when your life took a sudden turn and you stopped being a normal kid. You became a headline, a statistic, a picture on the grocery store window. A warning for other children.

Maybe you were taken, stolen by a monster, or maybe you simply disappeared.

Whatever happened, at that moment, you became one of the missing.

Book 2: Among the Missing is an expansion to the Little Fears Nightmare Edition game. In it, we talk about what missing children mean in the world of Little Fears, how kids become missing, what happens to them next, how they can help in the fight against monsters, and how they can be saved. Includes expanded GMC rules, new monsters, information about the World In-Between, and a full-length episode titled “The Long Way Home.”

If you pre-ordered a copy of the PDF, you should already have your code. If you don’t, email me using the contact form above or at jason at this domain. If you didn’t pre-order the PDF, you can grab a copy now for $10 from the good folks at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

I’m going to send the files to the printer next week for those waiting on a physical book. In the mean time, if you notice any errors or find something that could use a dose of clarity, now’s the time to let me know!

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