Progress: game updates and a future for me as a swordfighter

I absolutely promise an update this week.

Subjects I'm going to cover over the next few days:

1: (Gaming) Recent gaming experiments: Dr Who RPG using D20 Modern (what should be the DR of a Cyberman?).

2: (Gaming) Higher-level D&D: my challenge at keeping it fun, as well as having appropriate-powered challenges.

3: (SCA) Historical Swordsmanship: My first steps at designing a set of lessons based around Capo Ferro's rapier manual. Also, some news about my future in swordfigting.

I'll also post little bits and pieces about my game's development. My design work has been sliding a bit; work stresses are keeping me occupied, and unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to sit down and just bang out all the work I need to right now. At this moment, I'm working on the skills mechanic. The core of the dice mechanic seems to work. I'm working on skill lists and groupings, bare-bones notes of skill descriptions and roles they'd have in the game, and how to integrate skill purchases into character creation.

I think one of my big problems, when it comes to doing game design or focusing on studying historical swrodsmanship, is my lack of focus. I still don't have a solid outline and timetable for my gaming project. My work interpreting swordfigting manuals seems to take a back-burner to other, less intense hobbies. I feel like if I want to make any significant progress in either one, I need to really work out a solid schedule. Right now, I work on both of these in my spare time. I need to treat the game design as a job (which, ultimately, it is...I'd like to see it successful enough to at least make a small profit).

So, I have something like a plan. Part of that plan is to use this blog to help chart my progress. I want to journal the creative process for both the game and swordfighting. It will also help encourage me; I've found that when I see things in print, and get feedback, I'm encouraged to do more. It wakes me up.

So, lets take the next step.

(By the way, I wanted to mention that my wife takes the best photos...the shot of the Cthulhu dice and my portrait were just sone by her...I think she's doing great. I might be able to talk her into taking some pictures of some fencers to post up here, soon).