Jared: First off tell us a little about yourself?
Brian: Hello! I am Brian Shutter, writer and creator of the TTRPG Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland. I am from New York and I currently reside here as well.
Jared: When and how did you get started in tabletop games?
Brian: I started way back in the 2nd grade when I got Hero Quest for Christmas that year. The amazing commercial had me hooked and I HAD to have it. Well being 7 you don’t get the best grasp on the rules and I ended up creating somewhat of a pseudo-RPG from just pretend playing with the dice and game pieces. Then a few years later I stumbled on the 2nd Edition ADnD Starter Box. I played a good amount of 2nd and 3rd edition and getting out of the hobby for a time. That is until 5th edition came out and there was a resurgence of people interested in TTRPGs again. Being the only prior player in a friends group I was tasked with DM and rules duties. Lots of fun was had and great games were played.
J: What made you want to make content specifically for tabletop games?
B: In the last 5th ed campaign I ran we hit 10th level. That is a feat to get adults around a table long enough to level up that high, but it is also where I hit the wall with the system and wanted something more. Setting out to make my own game based on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, it evolved over time into something more akin to what has been published. The reason why the initial book was crowed funded is because I wanted a hardback book of the game for my friends and I. We liked the idea and how the game ran and if other people liked it too then awesome! Well a lot of people like it and I have been blessed with the chance to keep writing and making awesome stuff eve since.
J: Next tell us about the beginning of Super Savage Systems?
B: SSS came out of the need to have a publishing name. Everyone has a cool company. R. Talsorian, Goodman Games, Pazio… you get the idea. I wanted one too, so I took my deep love for Sega and part of the main god of Neon Lords and created the name Super Savage Systems: Rad 16bit RPGs. Super had to be in the name, Super Nintendo and all. Very 90s to add super. Savage is for Lord Randy, the Savage One. The Zeus of Neon Lords and Systems because of Sega’s original hardware the Master System. An amalgamation of a bunch of things I think are cool.
J: Next tell us about the beginning of Neon Lords?
B: Like I said earlier, Neon Lords started it’s life as a He-Man TTRPG but it became apparent real quick that a party of all “He-Men” would not make for good gaming. So little by little, bit by bit, other influences started shining through and it molded into Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland. From Italian Post-Apocalyptic movies to the Toxic Avenger and GWAR, everything I love has made it into this game in one way or another.
J: Where did the name “Neon Lords“ come from?
B: The name itself comes mainly from the long titles of things in the 80s and 90s. Mainly drawing inspo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and also the original title was going to be Battlelords, but there is already a game called Battlelords. What is more 80s than neon? Everything in the late 80s early 90s was neon. Neon Lords was formed. Ok we got the lords, but what are they lording over? Judge Dredd has the Cursed Earth, so in between the Mega Cities of Neon Lords there is the Toxic Wasteland. Its long, fantastic, and sums the game up in the title. Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland!
J: What are and what can people expect coming into the website/social medias etc?
B: One of the best fandoms you can ever hope for. The Neon Maniacs, as I call them, are some of the best people I have ever met in my life. I have been nothing but lucky to have met these people. It is amazing and awe-inspiring how my little silly book as been able to bring people in and enjoy something together. The Discord is popping off all the time! We run a game every Wednesday there and all are welcome, from fresh maggots to the most hardened of scumdogs! You can find the Discord and tons more in the link thing…. https://linktr.ee/NeonLordrpg.
J: What do you see as the future of Neon Lords? Goals?
B: The future of NL is the continuation of putting out books and running games! This has been an amazing ride and I look forward to writing more content for the world and game and tell stories with friends around the table rolling dice. The main goal is to have fun and keep having fun! It’s a game, let’s enjoy it!
J: What do you have coming up in projects?
B: Lots of stuff in the works. More adventures but the two big projects I can get into are the Soundtrack and the next book, Deities and Demi-Bros. The soundtrack is a collab with the amazing synth-metal duo Neon Warlords. We are releasing an album that will come with a tie-in adventure. It should be out sometime in the fall. Also in the fall, Sept to be exact, the next crowed funding campaign will begin for Deities and Demi-Bros. The next rule book for the game. It will cover all the Godz, new classes, new subclasses for the Holy Smiter, prayers, Khaos magic, monsters, holy relics, and weapons!! Lots and lots of stuff going into this beast of a book!
J: Anything else you would like to add?
B: Thanks for the opportunity for this interview! It was a blast and I look forward to seeing it up on the blog! Hello future me, get back to work!
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