Blaine Pardoe / Charles Hernandez
Welcome to issue 16 of Mad Scribe Magazine! We’ve been rolling dice and making trouble since January 2023, and this issue wraps up our fourth year. We’re arriving a little late, but I’ve got a pretty good excuse: two books have been keeping me buried in publishing work.Sons of Heaven launched September 25 and hit Copper best-seller status on DriveThruRPG within 24 hours, then Silver within three days. As I write this, we’re just a few sales shy of Electrum! It’s sporting a five-star rating and has topped the OSR category. Readers have praised its sandbox tables and generators, along with the art and graphic design. For a small publisher, that kind of response is a hell of a boost. Thanks to everyone who’s picked up a copy.Meanwhile, Rob Kuntz’s Lord of the Green Dragons: The Return of Robilar is getting closer to publication. Rob’s fans have been enthusiastic about the cover and interior previews, and I can’t wait to put the finished book in your hands. These are firsthand adventures from someone who was there before D&D became a household name.Of course, the artwork gets some folks fired up because I often use ChatGPT and Midjourney. I’ve published nearly 50 titles and paid human artists for most of them, so I know what commissioning art involves. It’s expensive, and turnaround can stretch into weeks or months. A quarterly magazine can’t always wait. I understand the concern about artists’ livelihoods, but small publishers have bills and deadlines, too. AI gives me the means to produce ambitious books on an indie budget. You’re welcome to dislike the tool. I’m proud of what I’ve made with it.Now, what’s waiting inside this issue? We answer, 'Who is Castle Rat?' with a look at the fantasy-fueled metal band. Kyle Woods shares his top board game picks for Q4, and I bring you five underused undead creatures, complete with adventure hooks for your fantasy OSR game. Elven Tower and Charles Hernandez add monsters and setting lore to keep your players on their toes.Kennon James delivers the exciting conclusion of his comic The Road Remembered. Victoria Recchione returns with more gorgeous cosplay photos, Mike Fairchild shows you how to get professional results painting miniatures, and Blaine Pardoe brings us a Land & Sea short story.There’s plenty here to read, play, and bring to your table. Grab your copy, tell a gaming buddy about Mad Scribe, and check out Sons of Heaven while you’re at it. Keep an eye out for Robilar, too. Your support keeps this little publishing operation moving, and I’ve got plenty more in store.Chris Miller Editor-in-Chief, Mad Scribe Magazine
