In Memoriam
It is very easy to forget that people are the moving forces behind the hobbies that we take part in. Companies and game titles are what most people know and remember, but at the end of the day companies are made up of people. Those people have their own lives and legacies that intersect with our own, even if we aren’t fully aware of it. Amber Cook was one such person, whose legacy with companies like Monte Cook, Asmodee, and Roll20 has likely had a direct impact on the games and hobbies we indulge in for our recreation and escape from the daily grind.
On October 25th, Amber Cook passed away, leaving behind her partner Paul and her 6 year-old son, James. In honor of a woman whose legacy involved helping to advocate for others and for the needs of her son, Paul has organized a GoFundMe campaign; if you feel inclined to support Amber’s legacy and help James, the link is here. Roll20, in honor of her legacy within the tabletop and boardgaming world, has created a bundle of games, which you can pick up for $25 here, and which we’ll be talking about underneath so you may know some of the gems you’ll be picking up if you decide to do so. Please note that this bundle is not exclusively for Roll20 product, the bundle is made up of RPG PDFs.
Before that, our Editor and VP Raf, a personal friend of Amber’s, would like to share a few words in memory of her:
Raf: It is hard to overstate the impact Amber had on the industry and these games we all play. Like a rock tossed into a lake creating ripples seen far down the shore, Amber’s influence is everywhere for those of us who knew her. Only Amber was more like an asteroid; she was both a force and a light. Kickstarters that tripled their goals last month led by marketing managers that Amber mentored 5 years ago, women and moms in the industry with networks and opportunities because she kicked doors open, and individuals–like me–writing articles peppered with insights gleaned during midnight RPG sessions have Amber to thank.
Beyond the work part of this industry, I was lucky enough to call Amber a close personal friend. It has been a few weeks of shock and sadness. I am lucky to have the memories I do have; Honey Heists and D&D sessions, tiki cocktail hours, 2 am rambles through Chicago, long talks about the highs and lows of parenting..it’s all come to mind and is impossible to capture in words. I’m not using this platform to try and eulogize her, but I’m happy to have it to share this bundle and remember her.
James, 6, was the light of Amber’s life and has a tough road ahead of him. This bundle pulls together items from across the RPG landscape, direct evidence of the long shadow of influence Amber casts. James will need support and help, particularly with his educational needs, and I hope that if you’re reading this you consider picking it up!
The Amber Cook Bundle
There are a lot of titles in this bundle, and realistically it’s unlikely you’ll use everything, however $300 worth of PDfs for $25 knowing the money is going to a good cause is a heck of a deal. However, I did want to spend a moment to highlight some of the titles in this bundle, because they’re quite fun and worth your consideration. In the spirit of Amber’s memory, there’s no better way to celebrate than finding some new games to share with your friends and remembering why gaming brings us together and how it can make us feel.
Regency Cthulhu
I have to admit that I am a bit of a sucker for Regency and Victorian era settings; I actually almost pursued Victorian studies for my terminal degree. I’m also a big Cthulhu fan, despite all of the problems that tend to come with that mythos and setting due to the legacy of where it came from. I am happy to report that Regency Cthulhu has what I love about the time period and not the parts of Cthulhu mythos I hate, and the system seems very fun and I love the attention to detail that the system has. There’s some very cool little details added in here to bring the setting forward, which I think allows for a Regency era supernatural RP than anything else.
Venture City: A Superpunk Sourcebook for Fate Core
It’s a bit harder to find fun superhero themed TTRPG books, especially when you have to wade through the licensed books that are often more trouble than they’re worth to play in. Also, it’s far more fun to sometimes invent a hero/city/villain and mythology behind that, and so I liked the Venture City book for allowing a modern-day take on doing a somewhat grounded superhero style system that doesn’t go too crazy with the powers. It uses the Fate system as the basis, which from my experience has worked pretty well in my time with it!
Adventure Presents: Tiny in the Tower
A very fun little book, I liked Tiny in the Tower for the way it makes it easy for newer players–and even DMs–to get things going, and the idea behind it (having your party shrunk down inside of the wizard Zura Zathra’s tower) grounds the adventure with a singular purpose and also helps keeping things grounded. For a ‘first time at the table’ scenario, it’s a very nice way to prevent things from going far too wide and crazy and giving players–especially younger ones–a chance to engage with a fun and easy to understand scenario.
Thank You
Raf: Thank you for reading; for reading this post and everything you read on Goonhammer. Amber supported this site, and me, and I appreciate the space to share.
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