Monday, July 17, 2023

Barkeep on the Borderlands & the Brazen Boulevardier

The last time I wrote about Barkeep on the Borderlands, it was but a young Kickstarter with dreams of fully funding, and my own involvement was merely the future promise of an as-yet unmet stretch goal.
 
But since then, Barkeep has been released! It's available in print, and pdf, and it has a map! And coasters!
 
And even more exciting, it's been nominated for an Ennie award for Best Supplement!
 
That means that you can help Barkeep win an Ennie, by voting before the election closes on July 23rd.
 
 
Brazen Boulevardier logo by Caleb Nelson
 
My own contribution is a single pub for Barkeep's pubcrawl - The Brazen Boulevardier. The Boulevardier is a refuge for emigres from the Elemental Plane of Fire, who fled to the Material Plane to escape the Tyrant of Ashes and Tears, whose anhedonic regime forbids happiness and pleasure generally, and specifically alcohol, meat, and sex. 
 
The Tyrant is based somewhat on the laws and aspirations of various real-world theocrats, though it's not modeled closely on any particular regime. It's also based on my own struggles with depression, especially when I was younger.
 
As you might imagine, visits to the Boulevardier can get pretty spicy! If you play Barkeep on the Borderland, I hope you'll stop by. Just watch out for those phoenix-women!
 
I want to thank WFS from Prismatic Wasteland for involving me in this endeavor, Ty Pitre from Mindstorm for his editing and project management, and all the artists, especially Caleb Nelson, who designed the Brazen Boulevardier logo, and illustrated one of my favorite possible encounters.
 
 
And if you're reading this before July 23rd, please remember to go vote for Barkeep on the Borderlands for Best Supplement!